nPostednon April 6, 2014
n
n
n
n
n
n
Hownoften has this happened – it was discovered by accident!
Hownoften has this happened – it was discovered by accident!n
n
n
n
n
nOnnthis date in 1938, Dr. Roy Plunket and his assistant were working innthe DuPont lab in New Jersey. They couldn’t get the TFE gas to flownfrom its cylinder as usual, so they investigated the cylinder,npushing a wire through the valve opening in case there was anblockage, unscrewing the valve, and finally cutting open thencylinder.
n
n
n
n
n
nTheynfound that the TFE gas had become a waxy solid. Instead of justnchucking away the now-ruined cylinder and grabbing another containernof TFE gas, and going on with what they were SUPPOSED to be doing,nPlunket and his assistant took the time to investigate thenpolymerized substance.
n
n
n
n
n
nAndnwhat they found was good: It resisted corrosion. It was reallynslippery. It had high heat resistance. It seemed like something thatncould be very handy!
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nThenTFE gas they expected to find is TetraFluoroEthylene, and thenpolymerized solid they did find is PolyTetraFluoroEthylene, or PTFE.
n
n
n
n
But once DuPont decided to market cookware coated with the stuff, anmuch shorter name was needed. You’re probably way ahead of me at thisnpoint: DuPont decided to call the coating Teflon. n
But once DuPont decided to market cookware coated with the stuff, anmuch shorter name was needed. You’re probably way ahead of me at thisnpoint: DuPont decided to call the coating Teflon. nn
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nTherenare other PTFE coatings, with other names and put out by otherncompanies. Also, PTFE is used as a lubricant and as a graft materialnin surgeries.
n
n
n
n
n
nOnenreason Teflon is so useful is that it is pretty inert – which meansnthat it doesn’t react much at all with other substances. Thencarbon-fluorine chemical bonds are so strong that most corrosivenchemicals can’t break them. Even water rolls off without reallyngetting Teflon wet!
n
n
n
n
n
- n
-
n
n
n
- n
-
nReadn how non-stick Teflon sticks to pans at About.com.
n
n
n
- n
-
nSomen people worry about the safety of non-stick coatings on pans. They’ren safe, but only if used carefully. Check out the six pointers at then end of this article.
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nAlsonon this date:
n
n
n
n
Painter John William Waterhouse’s birthday
Painter John William Waterhouse’s birthday
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nChakrinDay in Thailand
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nAnniversarynof the first modern Olympic Games
n
nBensure to check out the story of Robert Garrett, pictured here. It’snpretty strange and cool!
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nNationalnTartan Day
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
n
nPlannahead:
n
n
n
n
n
nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
n
- n
-
nApriln holidays
n
-
n
-
n
n
n
n
n
nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
n
n
- n
-
nMayn holidays
n
-
nMayn birthdays
n
-
nHistoricaln anniversaries in May
n
n
n
n
