DuPont discovered Teflon in 1938 while researching refrigerant gases.
Chemist Roy Plunkett made the discovery at DuPont's Jackson Laboratory in New Jersey. A cylinder of tetrafluoroethylene gas unexpectedly produced a slippery, waxy solid instead of behaving as anticipated. The substance was polytetrafluoroethylene, commonly abbreviated PTFE.
DuPont trademarked the name Teflon and initially developed the material for demanding technical uses, including applications connected with the Manhattan Project. PTFE resists heat, chemicals, and sticking, qualities that later made it useful in cookware coatings and many industrial products.
Teflon is a brand name, not the chemical name itself. “Nonstick coating” can refer to materials other than PTFE, and cookware sold under the Teflon name may contain additional layers and reinforcing materials.