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Title: Interview with Wesley Memeger, Jr., 2014 August 19
Date(s): 2014-08-19
Contributor(s): Memeger, Wesley, Jr. (interviewee), Smith, John K. (John Kenly), 1951- (interviewer), Oates, Mike (videographer), 302 Stories, Inc. (production company), Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation (originator)
Description: Wesley Memeger, Jr. details his contribution to streamlining the synthesis of Kevlar, which allowed the timely start-up of the first commercial scale Kevlar plant. In the laboratory, the polymer for Kevlar had previously been prepared by polymerizing para-phenylene diamine and terephthaloyl chloride in a mixture of two solvents, HMPA (hexamethylphosphoramide) and NMP (N-methylpyrrolidinone). Memeger found that a polymer with satisfactory molecular weight could be made using only HMPA, a...
Show moreWesley Memeger, Jr. details his contribution to streamlining the synthesis of Kevlar, which allowed the timely start-up of the first commercial scale Kevlar plant. In the laboratory, the polymer for Kevlar had previously been prepared by polymerizing para-phenylene diamine and terephthaloyl chloride in a mixture of two solvents, HMPA (hexamethylphosphoramide) and NMP (N-methylpyrrolidinone). Memeger found that a polymer with satisfactory molecular weight could be made using only HMPA, a discovery which made the preparation of Kevlar more commercially viable, as it allowed for a continuous polymerizer in a single solvent system.

Memeger recounts that DuPont used HMPA as the solvent for Kevlar production in the early 1970s, but after toxicology tests conducted at the company's Haskell Laboratory raised doubts about the safety of the solvent, DuPont replaced HMPA with NMP and calcium chloride. Memeger describes his subsequent work at DuPont investigating melt processible polymers, which share some properties with Kevlar but lack equivalent chemical and thermal stability, as well as his work on ring opening routes to polymers with novel properties. An accomplished artist, Memeger continues to be impressed by the elegance and simplicity of the Kevlar polymer that produces such remarkable properties.
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Collection ID: History of Kevlar oral history interviews (Accession 2014.249)
Hagley ID: 2014249_20140819_Memeger
Collection: History of Kevlar oral history interviews

Title: Interview with Herbert Blades, 2014 August 19
Date(s): 2014-08-19
Contributor(s): Blades, Herbert (interviewee), Smith, John K. (John Kenly), 1951- (interviewer), Oates, Mike (videographer), 302 Stories, Inc. (production company), Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation (originator)
Description: After describing his education and early work at the DuPont Company on polymer solutions, Herbert Blades recounts his contributions to the development of Tyvek and Kevlar. On the Tyvek project, he describes developing the polymerization process for creating high-density polyethylene fibers after such paper-like fibers had been accidentally created in the laboratory.

Blades details his work on Kevlar, for which he developed a commercially viable process to spin fibers from the polymer. Blades...
Show moreAfter describing his education and early work at the DuPont Company on polymer solutions, Herbert Blades recounts his contributions to the development of Tyvek and Kevlar. On the Tyvek project, he describes developing the polymerization process for creating high-density polyethylene fibers after such paper-like fibers had been accidentally created in the laboratory.

Blades details his work on Kevlar, for which he developed a commercially viable process to spin fibers from the polymer. Blades describes the three components of the process. First, he discovered that a relatively high concentration of polymer could be dissolved upon heating in 100 per cent sulfuric acid, which is non-aqueous and non-corrosive. The resulting solution had a low enough viscosity that it could be spun rapidly through a spinnerette, a small hole. Next, Blades discovered that instead of spinning the fiber directly into a water bath, leaving a small air gap led to fibers that were significantly stronger. Finally, he determined that the water "quenching" of the fiber occurred extremely fast. His spinning innovations made it possible to spin Kevlar fibers economically and at high speeds.
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Collection ID: History of Kevlar oral history interviews (Accession 2014.249)
Hagley ID: 2014249_20140819_Blades
Collection: History of Kevlar oral history interviews

Title: Interview with Robert "Bob" Shellenbarger, 2019 April 26
Date(s): 2019-04-26
Contributor(s): Shellenbarger, Robert, 1936- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: In his interview, Robert Shellenbarger discusses his career as an industrial chemist with DuPont's textile fibers division, notably his contributions to the Tyvek and STAINMASTER manufacturing processes. Shellenbarger begins his interview discussing his early life and education in California. He worked his way through the College of the Pacific by milking cows for a dairy and was encouraged to study physical chemistry at the University of North Carolina by the chairman of the chemistry...
Show moreIn his interview, Robert Shellenbarger discusses his career as an industrial chemist with DuPont's textile fibers division, notably his contributions to the Tyvek and STAINMASTER manufacturing processes. Shellenbarger begins his interview discussing his early life and education in California. He worked his way through the College of the Pacific by milking cows for a dairy and was encouraged to study physical chemistry at the University of North Carolina by the chairman of the chemistry department at the College of the Pacific. He mentions taking a summer job with the Army in Washington, D.C., before starting his PhD studies.

After describing his first role at DuPont as a chemist assigned to Reemay, Shellenbarger goes into great detail about his work with Tyvek in Richmond. He describes how he made improvements to the manufacturing process after observing that the plant produced better product on rainy days. He also describes the lifetime test he developed for Tyvek and how he fixed the problems which were observed during the test. He details making further improvements to the Tyvek spinning process by solving the issue of the target plate regularly becoming dirty and shorting out.

Shellenbarger then describes conducting flammability tests for the Dacron End Use research group, in which he improved the high speed weaving process by changing the modulus point to be closer to the breaking point of cotton. He then relates his perspective on STAINMASTER's development in the 1980s, describing the various ways in which the team addressed issues such as UV stability and continuous dyeing. He also comments on marketing and patent-filing efforts.

He ends the interview by describing his later career. He includes an anecdote about being a speaker at a seminar in Africa, and he mentions his final role working with DuPont's joint venture with Turkish conglomerate, Sabanci Holding Co.
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Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20190426_Shellenbarger
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Interview with Roger Siemionko, 2020 October 26
Date(s): 2020-10-26
Contributor(s): Siemionkoa, Roger, 1952- (interviewee), Plasky, Joseph G. (interviewer)
Description: In his interview, Roger Siemionko described his career with DuPont in research and development. He details joining the Experimental Station on a project to replace Kelvar with a lower cost polymer and fiber. He then describes his work on Nomex and Teflon and his transfer to the Old Hickory site, where he worked to improve spun-bonded fiber processes. He then details his work on commercial flooring systems and his role at the Richmond site as an R&D manager for Tyvek.
Collection ID: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department (Accession 2010.215)
Hagley ID: 2010215_20201026_Siemionko
Collection: Oral history interviews with former employees of DuPont Company's Textile Fibers Department

Title: Test run of new experimental fibers equipment
Date(s): 1955
Contributor(s): E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company (originator)
Description: Test runs of new experimental fibers are made on this equipment at the Carothers Laboratory at the Experimental Station.
Collection ID: DuPont Company Product Information photographs (Accession 1972.341)
Hagley ID: 1972341_4463
Collection: DuPont Product Information photographs

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