Narrative
Background Knowledge
The word Teflon is short for polytetrafluoroethene. Teflon is a long-chain polymer. Infact, it is one of the largest known today. When in solid form, Teflon is a plastic that creates the least amount of friction among the other plastics. Teflon is also extremely nonreactive.
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Teflon Formulas
The molecular formula of Teflon is:
C2F4 meaning it is composed of two Carbons and four Fluorines. |
The structural formula of Teflon is just a small part of a large chain of molecules linked together. To the right is an example of a long chain of Fluorine (green) and Carbon (gray) to make a large Teflon molecule.
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Discovery of Teflon
Teflon was created on accident by Roy J. Plunkett (image on right). Plunkett lived from 1910-1994 and made his discovery in New Jersey in 1938. He was at the time trying to create a refrigerating device. This went wrong when the tetrafluoroethylene gas stopped circulating in its pressure bottle and froze. Plunkett wanted to know what was adding this extensive amount of weight to his experiment so he broke the bottle in half. Inside he found a slippery, waxy white material which is now known as Teflon. He patented his discovery in 1941 and began the Teflon trademark in 1945. Teflon is still made and sold today through the DuPont plants and factories. (Logo on far right).
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Uses of Teflon
Teflon possess several qualities that enable it to have a variety of uses. Below is a list of some of the many functions for Teflon.
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Dangers of Teflon
The use of Teflon may have seemed like a great idea for cookware years ago, but more recent studies have showed the dangers of Teflon. Although it is non-reactive, it is dangerous to be around because it has been linked to problems in areas such as:
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