1. Teflon Was Discovered by Accident
In 1938, Dr. Roy Plunkett, a chemist at DuPont, was working on refrigerants when he noticed a strange, slippery white powder clogging his gas cylinders. This unexpected substance turned out to be polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)—the compound we now call Teflon. Plunkett’s accidental find would revolutionize nonstick technology, paving the way for everything from slick frying pans to aerospace innovations. His discovery, as recounted by Smithsonian Magazine, marked the start of Teflon’s extraordinary journey.