Charles Shambelan, a DuPont research chemist who played a key role in the development of Kevlar, the synthetic fiber used in bulletproof vests, died from heart failure on May 13, according to an article from The Inquirer (Philadelphia). Shambelan worked at DuPont from 1957 until 1989, when he retired.
While Stephanie Kwolek invented Kevlar at DuPont in 1965, Shambelan and others at the experimental laboratory where he worked made the material commercially viable, according to the article. Shambelan reportedly took Kevlar from the test tube stage and developed large enough quantities to test its reinforcement properties in various products. Kevlar is best known for lining bulletproof vests and body armor and is credited with saving the lives of thousands of police officers.
Read the entire obituary here.