11. Kevlar

Wherever it was sold, distributors for DuPont
Organisation: DuPont
Original Cost: $12 per pound Despite being created by accident, Kevlar changed the course of history because it is still in use today in a wide range of applications. When DuPont employee Stephanie Kwolek created it in 1965, it was quickly apparent that this robust, heat-resistant fiber was unique.

Kevlar @Pinterest/Smithsonian
These days, Kevlar is sold commercially and is used in sports equipment, gloves, jackets, military uniforms, bulletproof vests, and protective clothes, among other items. Kevlar was originally used in a commercial capacity to replace steel in racing tires.