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Who invented teflon?

Teflon, the trade name for the synthetic (made artificially) compound polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), was discovered by accident in 1938 by American engineer Roy J. Plunkett (1910—). Plunkett was researching refrigerants (a substance used to provide cooling) at the laboratories of DuPont. To this end, he stored gaseous tetrafluorethylene in tanks. When he opened the valve on a tank to conduct experiments, Plunkett found that the gas had converted into a slippery, white, powdery substance—PTFE.

Teflon does not corrode when exposed to acids and has excellent electrical insulating properties. It is used in making piping for corrosive materi als, in insulating devices for radio transmitters, in pump gaskets (seals around pipe joints), and in computer microchips. In addition, its nonstick properties make PTFE an ideal material for surface coatings.

In 1956, French engineer Marc Gregoire discovered a...

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