Teflon

There are two (or more?) types of Teflon. First TEFLON TFE = Tetrafluorethylene The unpolymerized Teflon looks like this:

    F   F
    |   |
    C = C 
    |   |
    F   F

Basically, Teflon is polymerized fluoridezed ethene, polytetrafluoroethene (PTFE).

    F   F
    |   |
R - C - C - R
    |   |
    F   F

Teflon is also used as the trade name for a polymer with similar properties, perfluoroalkoxy polymer resin (PFA):

    F   F   F   F 
    |   |   |   |
R - C - C - C - C - R
    |   |   |   |
    F   F   F   O
                |
            F - C - F
                |
                F

Teflon is the plastic with the lowest coefficient of friction. It is also used as a non-stick coating for pans and other cookware. Teflon is very unreactive, and so is often used in containers and pipework for reactive chemicals. The melting point is 327 degrees Celsius.

Teflon is the most common example given of a spin-off from the US Space industry with more down-to-earth applications, even though it was discovered in 1938 and first sold commercially in 1946.

Teflon has been supplemented with another DuPont product, Silverstone[?], a three-coat fluoropolymer system that produces a more durable finish than Teflon. Silverstone was released in 1976.

External Link:

DuPont's History of Teflon (http://www.dupont.com/teflon/newsroom/history) page