If nothing sticks to Teflon - how does Teflon stick to the pan?
Teflon, the non-stick coating used on pots and pans, holds the title
in the Guiness Book of World Records as being the slipperiest
substance on earth.
Scientifically speaking, Teflon will not chemically bond to anything,
but can be forced mechanically into small nooks and crannies. This
slippery substance adheres to their surfaces once manufacturers
sandblast them to roughen them, apply a primer, and embed the Teflon
into the primer.
DuPont scientist, Dr. Roy Plunkett, accidentally created the recipe
for Teflon in 1938, while attempting to produce a better coolant gas
than the one currently on the market. In doing so, he toyed with
different combinations of gases and, either accidentally or
intentionally, left one batch of gasses in a container overnight. Upon
arrival at work the following morning, he found that the gasses in the
container had "vaporized," and in their stead, found a slippery, waxy
solid, which remained intact when exposed to corrosive chemicals which
normally eat through things with which they come into contact.
The substance Dr. Plunkett discovered in the container that day was
tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a solid version of fluorocarbons, or
freon. For pronunciation's sake, the doctor shortened the name for the
substance to Teflon, but even the abbreviated name failed to nudge
DuPont into production of the product.
In fact, DuPont waited until 1948, ten years after Teflon's discovery,
before beginning its production for commercial applications.
As DuPont dragged its heels in launching Teflon, a Parisian named Marc
Gregoire learned of it, and successfully applied it to his fishing
tackle to prevent the line from tangling. At his wife's urging, he
managed to apply Teflon to her pots and pans, and within several
years, this entrepreneur sold in excess of one million Tefal (his name
for Teflon) coated pots and pans.
The concept of Teflon coated pots and pans did not stick in America.
When UPI reporter Thomas Hardie encountered one of these coated pans,
when visiting a friend who had just returned from Paris, he saw a
niche in the American market for the slick pots and pans, and
immediately contacted Marc Gregoire in Paris. Hardie pitched these
pots and pans to every major U.S. manufacturer of cooking utensils to
no avail. His next move in his quest for a buyer was to import 3,000
of the pots and pans, with the goal of selling them to all major
department stores. Once again, he hit a roadblock until, finally, he
convinced a buyer at Macy's Herald Square to take 200 pans off of his
hands. All sold within two days, despite a major snowstorm.
Hardie had finally arrived, and could not keep up with the demand for
his product. While building a manufacturing plant to produce the
product, other manufacturers of pots and pans took advantage of
Hardie's moment of silence on the scene, seized the opportunity, and
manufactured their own coated pots and pans.
Today, the use of Teflon coating is firmly embedded in America, and
extends beyond pots and pans to include bakeware and other kitchen
utensils. Hardie's initiative and staying power paid off handsomely.
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