ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
DuPont chemist Roy Plunkett accidentally discovered polytetrafluoroethylene in 1938 while researching refrigerants, finding a slippery substance that resisted heat and corrosion.
What happened
DuPont trademarked the name Teflon in 1945 and later applied the nonstick coating to cookware after French engineer Marc Grégoire bonded it to aluminum pans.
Why it still matters
Teflon pans changed home cooking and sparked decades of debate over chemical safety when overheated. Memorable detail: Teflon first served industrial and military uses—including seals in the Manhattan Project—before frying pans.
Background
Nonstick pans changed home cooking.