The History and Use of Teflon®

Teflon® PTFE became a household name almost purely by accident. In 1938, at DuPont’s Laboratory in New Jersey, Dr. Roy Plunkett was working with various gases related to Freon® (another DuPont product) when he and his associates noticed that a frozen, compressed sample of tetrafluoroethylene had polymerized into an opaque white, waxy solid to form polytetrafluoro-ethylene (PTFE).

PTFE, considered one of the most slippery materials in existence, is inert to virtually all chemicals, is dimensionally and physically stable to fairly high temperatures (350°F), and can be molded, stamped, machined, sprayed, painted, and extruded. These properties have made it one of the most valuable and versatile technologies ever invented. As the DuPont registered trademark Teflon®, it has become a familiar household name, recognized worldwide for the superior non-stick properties associated with its use as a coating on cookware and as a soil and stain repellant for fabrics and textile products.

Development of lip seals, utilizing PTFE as a base compound, began in the 1950’s. Today, Tri-Tec Seal provides State-of-the-Art seals designed using our unique line of Tri-Fluor™ blended resins. Tri-Fluor™ compounds are custom-matched to enhance seal performance for any given application. Contact a Tri-Tec Seal engineer today to discuss how your application may benefit from Tri-Tec’s Tri-Fluor™ PTFE materials and proven sealing solutions.