As seen above, Kevlar is a polymer – it is formed from long, chain-like molecules that are in turn formed from smaller molecules called monomers. The monomers consist of an amide group (H-N-C=O) and a phenyl group (benzene ring). Hence, Kevlar is also a polyamide as it consists of the phenyl groups separated by amide groups.
The molecules of Kevlar are parallel to each other in an ordered arrangement known as the crystalline arrangement, which is obtained from stage 2 of the production of Kevlar – wet spinning. Also, as shown above, when the hydrogen-bonded sheets are stacked together, they form a rod-like fibre structure due to the radial arrangement of the aromatic components (benzene ring).