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- Title
- Interview with Don Sturgeon, 2019 January 24
- Date(s)
- 2019-01-24
- Contributor(s)
- Sturgeon, Don (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
- Description
-
In his interview, Don Sturgeon gives a comprehensive account of his involvement with Kevlar applications at DuPont. He first describes his early life in Argentina. He then details the interview process he went through to get a position at DuPont. He describes in detail his first assignment at the PRL (Pioneering Research Laboratory), providing a snapshot of how DuPont managed technology in the late 1960s. He describes the application of Kelvar to both the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar airplane and...
Show moreIn his interview, Don Sturgeon gives a comprehensive account of his involvement with Kevlar applications at DuPont. He first describes his early life in Argentina. He then details the interview process he went through to get a position at DuPont. He describes in detail his first assignment at the PRL (Pioneering Research Laboratory), providing a snapshot of how DuPont managed technology in the late 1960s. He describes the application of Kelvar to both the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar airplane and to non-rubber reinforcement uses. He comments at length on the competition of Kevlar with Fiberglass and steel. He recalls the transition of Kevlar to venture status and the birth of Kevlar Special Products as initially a lesser contributor to venture economics that relied more heavily on tires and mechanical rubber goods.
He then describes his time (1976-1980) in the technical section of the DuPont Seaford plant, focusing on personnel management and frustrations. From his perspective, the first line technical personnel felt they had much responsibility but little authority and support from management. He describes the unsuccessful attempt by Human Relations staff to improve morale of the technical section of the Seaford plant. Concerning his time at Seaford, Sturgeon also details his attempt to bring a staple process CPU (Continuous Production Unit) online and his role in developing new carpet products for DuPont's commercial and residential carpet shows.
Sturgeon then discusses his return to Wilmington in Kevlar special products, which grew to include such applications as missiles, aircraft, armor, helmets, aero-engines, personnel protection, and optical cables. Many of the special products Sturgeon and his group developed were for specific niche applications but required large engineering and management efforts to design, test, and qualify. Sturgeon comments on the massive effort required to develop Kevlar in the marketplace and recalls DuPont's strategic efforts at forward integration, moving from being a materials supplier to a manufacturer of parts and sub-components. He also comments on high-density polypropylene, a competitor of Kevlar. In this discussion of Kevlar, Sturgeon remarks on the difficulties encountered in obtaining export licenses for Kevlar products to Asia and South America.
Sturgeon also describes his leadership of an Advanced Composite Systems products group, which was part of DuPont's efforts at forward integration. The multi-specialty group was formed to integrate DuPont product and processes and add any technology to make composite products using DuPont specialty fibers and resins. According to Sturgeon, however, management ultimately did not support the group due to the high labor costs and small market inherent in the products they were developing. Sturgeon remarks that the similar European composites group also did not succeed. He notes that reduced military spending after the end of the Cold War further contributed to the failure of the groups at DuPont, as the military had been a major customer for advanced composites products.
Show less - Collection ID
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
- Hagley ID
- 2010215_20190124_Sturgeon
- Collection
- Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department