Non-stick cookware is a popular cookware in the modern day kitchen. But people did not always have these non-stick cookware. They are a result of the continuously progressive technology. Non-stick cookware is a very important product but a part of history that we do not pay attention to.
As a result of chemical research which was originally meant for refrigerators, scientist found a new chemical compound. Roy Plunkett, who was a member of the research team at the American multinational chemical company Dupont, was working along with other colleagues on searching a less toxic chemical to use as a new refrigerant.
One day Roy he set up a mixture which was supposed to produce tetrafluoroethylene gas and left it overnight at their laboratory. The next morning he arrived to the laboratory expecting to collect the gas but instead he found that there was a white waxy substance in the collecting cylinder. He realized that the gas had polymerized inside the cylinder. He analyzed the substance and named it as polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE.
Later he found out that the new substance was extremely slippery. In 1941 the chemical was patented and in 1945 the substance was marketed as Teflon by DuPont. But it was not used in cookware for more than a decade since it was first made.
Producing Teflon was extremely expensive in the beginning and it was hard to mold into a shape as desired. So scientists did not want to produce Teflon in large quantities. The first application of Teflon was the Manhattan Project. Teflon has a high corrosion resistance. So it was used as a coating on valves and seals of the pipes to prevent the damage caused by the Uranium. During that time using Teflon was considered as a military secret. It was after the war that Dupont could market the polymer under the trademark Teflon.
By 1950 scientist had found polymers that had desirable chemical and mechanical properties of Teflon and was easier to mold into the desired shape. These inventions inspired more practical applications of the substance.
After few years French engineer Marc Grigoire began coating his fishing gear with Teflon to prevent knots. His wife suggested to coat her cooking pans as well. Coating cooking pans with Teflon was a success. They were looking at a whole new product that was ready to sell. His wife also suggested that he name the pan as Tefal. The next year couple founded Tefal corporation and they started selling the newly invented non-stick cookware in France.
Today we can see many nonstick cookware production companies around the world offering many products to their consumers not only the nonstick pans. It was all thanks to the scientist Roy Plukette who left the apparatus to produce gas overnight which gave enough time to gas to polymerize.
Although it might seem that this topic is irrelevant or non significant to talk about but it is sometimes the small findings and mistakes that make bigger effects. Thank you for reading. ❤
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