Ironically, a truly superb application for Kevlar was stopped dead in its tracks, and basically forbidden.
In the 1960s, Phillips 66 had the idea of making giant rolls of Kevlar, which would be laid down on road bed before the asphalt. The road would then remain smooth and be free of cracks and potholes for perhaps 20 years. It would be more expensive, but save a lot of money by not needing frequent repairs.
However, it would have put the vast majority of paving companies in the US out of business. A very profitable business. So as a group they went to state legislatures demanding that this method of paving be prohibited. And while lobbying alone wouldn’t make the sell, they had lots of organized crime connections to close the deal.
And still... why isn’t it showing up in private paving projects? If it could strengthen many a parking lot, etc., against becoming decrepit? This is one of those conspiracy stories that sounds TOO facile. Maybe the stresses of being embedded in a mix of asphalt and cement were too much for even Kevlar.
Petromat...
Margarine was outlawed for decades.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textile-reinforced_concrete
Uses of textile reinforced materials, concretes are extensively increasing in modern days in combination with materials science and textile technology. Bridges, Pillars and Road Guards are prepared by kevlar or jute reinforced concretes to withstand vibrations, sudden jerks and torsion (mechanics).
http://surface-tech.com/ace2.html
Discussion on mixing Kevlar fiber in asphalt
Rough roads. It’s not your fault. It’s not my fault. It’s the asphalt...