Did the one who invented Teflon also invent the Teflon pan?

Teflon is the trade name for polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) polymer. Teflon is a polytetrafluoroethylene, a polymer of fluorinated ethylene. It was invented by Roy J. Plunkett of Du Pont in 1938 and commercially released in 1946. However, the invention of Teflon and the invention of Teflon pans are separate inventions.

We use non-stick pans quite often in our daily lives. The non-stick Teflon coating was discovered by Roy Plunkett in the USA in 1938 by accident. During an experiment they did while aiming to produce refrigerant gas, they discovered something they never expected. When they opened the tube after the composition they filled in a tube, they realized that there was nothing in it. Judging by the weight, there must have been something in it. The white powder they found on the surface of the cut tube was not affected by acid and was electrically impermeable.

On July 1, 1939, he applied for a patent to start production. After obtaining the patent, he used this substance in the manufacture of protective clothing. It was kept a military secret until 1946. When it was announced to the public, the rights to the name Teflon were taken. In the patent document, many areas of use where specified, from fabric to molding.

Until 1954, no one thought of using Teflon in pans. Marc Gregorie and his wife Colette managed to coat the Teflon in a thin layer of aluminum. After this success, they started using it in kitchenware and established Tefal in 1956. Since then, we can come across the use of Teflon in many areas.

The story of the invention

In the early 1950s, French engineer Marc Grégoire heard about Teflon from a friend. His friend was using this material to coat aluminum in industrial applications. Grégoire discovered a method of making Teflon stick to aluminum and then used it to coat fishing gear to prevent them from entangling. Marc Grégoire's wife, Colette, asked her husband to use this material to coat pans. Realizing this wish of his wife, Marc later observed how efficiently this coating worked on pans, and in 1954, he patented a non-stick pan, or Teflon pan, as it is popularly known.

The duo started the production of non-stick pans in a short time and started selling these pans in 1955. Marc made these pans in the kitchen, while Colette sold them on the street. Even old-fashioned French chefs were buying these pans, and in 1956 Marc and Colette founded the Tefal company, which still operates today. Tefal is a combination of the words Teflon and aluminum, the two main ingredients of non-stick pans. By 1958, the duo was selling over a million non-stick pans at their factory.

Thomas Hardie began manufacturing these pans in 1960 under the name T-fal, as DuPont claimed that the Tefal name was too similar to their Teflon brand. Both companies continued to produce non-stick pans to this day.

Attention!

However, in recent years, whether it is safe has become questionable. Because they used a chemical called PFOA, which is associated with cancer, in their production.

After discussions, it is noted that Teflon produced since 2013 does not contain PFOA. It is stated that these products do not release harmful chemicals up to a temperature of about 300 degrees. However, users who do not want to risk their health are still nervous.