1938
- In an experiment to convert tetrafluoroethylene into a non-odorous, non-toxic, non-flammable refrigerant to replace ammonia, the TFE surprisingly polymerized overnight in a storage vessel at very low temperature. The white powder obtained resulted in PTFE (Teflon). Roy J. Plunkett and Rack Rebok of DuPont discover the first fluoroplastic polytetrafluoroethylene - Teflon(r).