Back in 1938, a young chemist named Roy Plunkett was working at DuPont, researching ways to develop new refrigerants. Little did he know that his experiment would lead to one of the slickest inventions ever—Teflon! And like so many great discoveries, it all happened completely by accident.

The Slippery Surprise

While experimenting with tetrafluoroethylene gas, Plunkett stored some of the gas in cylinders at very low temperatures. The next day, he found that the gas had disappeared, and in its place was a strange, white powder coating the inside of the cylinder. Rather than dismiss the powder, Plunkett investigated further.

The powder turned out to be polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a substance that was incredibly slippery and had unusually high heat resistance. Plunkett had just discovered what would later be branded as Teflon—a material so non-stick that nothing seemed to adhere to it!

From Industry to Your Frying Pan

At first, Teflon was used mainly for industrial purposes, like coating parts in machines to reduce friction or protecting electrical cables. It wasn’t until the 1950s that a French engineer named Marc Grégoire had a bright idea: why not coat cooking pans with Teflon to keep food from sticking? His wife had actually suggested it after hearing about Teflon’s use in fishing gear!

Grégoire began selling Teflon-coated pans, and soon the non-stick frying pan was born. This new kitchen innovation meant you could cook without worrying about your eggs or pancakes sticking to the pan—cooking just got a whole lot easier (and cleaning up, too!).

Teflon’s Many Talents

Since then, Teflon has slipped into all kinds of places—far beyond just frying pans. It’s been used in everything from space suits to medical devices and sports equipment. Its unique properties make it perfect for environments that need high heat resistance, low friction, or protection from corrosion.

A Few Bumps Along the Way

While Teflon has been an incredible innovation, there have been concerns over the years about the chemicals used in its production, particularly PFOA, which was linked to environmental and health issues. In response, manufacturers worked to phase out harmful chemicals, and today’s non-stick cookware is made with safer materials.