Teflon
A Chemours-owned brand of PTFE and related fluoropolymer resins, coatings, films, dispersions, and specialty materials.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Teflon is a globally recognized fluoropolymer brand associated principally with polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, a synthetic material known for very low friction, chemical inertness, non-stick behavior, hydrophobicity, electrical insulation, and resistance to heat and corrosion. The name is often used colloquially for PTFE, although Teflon is a trademark and not the generic name of the polymer. The brand is currently owned and commercialized by The Chemours Company through its Advanced Performance Materials business. Chemours was created as a spin-off from DuPont in 2015, taking with it the former DuPont fluoroproducts portfolio, including Teflon. The scientific origin of the brand dates to April 6, 1938, when DuPont chemist Roy J. Plunkett and his colleagues found that tetrafluoroethylene gas stored in a pressure cylinder had spontaneously polymerized into a white, waxy solid. The resulting material, PTFE, displayed an unusual combination of slipperiness, non-reactivity, thermal stability, and resistance to solvents and corrosive chemicals. DuPont initially treated it as a strategic material rather than a consumer product. During the Second World War, PTFE was used in equipment associated with the Manhattan Project, including seals and components exposed to highly reactive uranium compounds. DuPont registered the Teflon trademark in 1945 and began commercial sales in 1946. Early uses included industrial gaskets, seals, wire insulation, chemical-processing equipment, and specialized coatings. The brand became particularly famous through non-stick cookware. In 1961, Marion A. Trozzolo introduced a U.S.-made PTFE-coated pan marketed as the Happy Pan, while French engineer Marc Grégoire and his wife Colette helped popularize PTFE-coated cookware in Europe through the Tefal brand. These developments established non-stick cooking as a major consumer category, although cookware remains only one part of Teflon's wider industrial identity. Today, Teflon-branded products include PTFE, fluorinated ethylene propylene, or FEP, perfluoroalkoxy, or PFA, ETFE-related products marketed under the Tefzel name, industrial coating systems, aqueous dispersions, films, sheets, granular molding powders, fine powders, and specialty resins. These materials are supplied to manufacturers rather than generally sold as finished consumer products. Applications span semiconductor manufacturing, electronics, telecommunications, aerospace, automotive systems, chemical processing, medical devices, food processing, textiles, energy systems, industrial bakeware, wire and cable insulation, composite-material production, and architectural membranes. The brand's positioning rests on performance under demanding conditions. Teflon materials can help equipment resist chemical attack, reduce friction and wear, prevent adhesion, provide electrical insulation, repel water and oils, and tolerate elevated temperatures. PTFE coatings are widely used for release and low-friction purposes, while FEP and PFA systems provide different combinations of melt processability, toughness, chemical resistance, permeability resistance, and temperature performance. Teflon films are used in applications such as cable insulation, pharmaceutical packaging, composite manufacturing, high-frequency circuitry, chemical barriers, and non-stick roll covers. Teflon's history is also connected to controversy surrounding PFAS chemistry. DuPont used PFOA, also known as C8, as a processing aid in some fluoropolymer production for decades. Regulatory investigations, litigation, and scientific concerns about environmental persistence and exposure led to a major 2005 EPA settlement involving DuPont and the eventual discontinuation of PFOA use. Chemours states that it does not manufacture or use PFOA in its products, while also acknowledging that some replacement processing chemistries, including GenX-related substances, belong to the broader PFAS family. This history has made environmental stewardship, emissions control, regulatory compliance, and responsible manufacturing central issues in the public discussion of the Teflon brand. Teflon remains active as an international industrial materials brand. Its public identity combines the familiarity of non-stick cookware with a technically broader portfolio serving high-purity, high-temperature, chemically aggressive, and electrically demanding applications. The brand is managed through Chemours licensing, product-quality controls, technical support, and authorized industrial coaters.
History
Teflon's history begins with the accidental discovery of polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, at DuPont in 1938. Roy J. Plunkett was investigating tetrafluoroethylene gas for refrigerant-related work when a pressurized cylinder appeared to have lost its contents without losing the corresponding weight. When the cylinder was opened, its interior contained a white, waxy, highly slippery solid. Chemical analysis showed that the gas had polymerized into PTFE. The new polymer had an unusual combination of properties. It resisted most chemicals, absorbed almost no water, tolerated high temperatures, provided excellent electrical insulation, and exhibited an exceptionally low coefficient of friction. Those characteristics made it valuable for applications where conventional plastics, metals, rubbers, or lubricants would fail. Kinetic Chemicals, a DuPont-General Motors joint venture, patented the material in the early 1940s, and DuPont registered the Teflon trademark in 1945. PTFE's first important applications were strategic and industrial. During the Manhattan Project, PTFE was used for seals, valves, and pipe components exposed to uranium hexafluoride and other aggressive substances. After the war, DuPont commercialized the material in industrial products, including wire insulation, gaskets, chemical-process equipment, and specialized coatings. Production expanded substantially in the late 1940s as engineers identified uses for PTFE's chemical resistance and low-friction behavior. The consumer breakthrough came through cookware. French engineer Marc Grégoire adapted PTFE coatings for frying pans after encouragement from his wife, Colette Grégoire. Their work contributed to the creation of Tefal cookware in the 1950s. In the United States, Marion A. Trozzolo marketed the PTFE-coated Happy Pan in 1961. Non-stick cookware quickly became the public's most familiar application of Teflon, although the material's industrial uses remained commercially important. DuPont and later Chemours broadened the brand beyond ordinary PTFE. FEP, a melt-processable fluoropolymer, was introduced in 1960. PFA followed in 1972, combining many PTFE-like properties with improved melt processing and toughness. The broader fluoropolymer portfolio also included ETFE products marketed under the Tefzel name. Teflon-branded coatings, resins, dispersions, and films were developed for textiles, industrial bakeware, mold release, chemical handling, electronics, telecommunications, aerospace, automotive systems, medical devices, and semiconductor manufacturing. The brand also became associated with fabric and textile treatments. Teflon technology was used to provide water and stain repellency to garments and other textiles, while related fluoropolymer films were used as barriers, release layers, electrical insulation, and protective surfaces. In the 1990s, research into radiation cross-linking and surface treatment expanded the technical possibilities for PTFE, including improvements in mechanical performance and adhesion. Environmental controversy became a defining part of the later history of Teflon and its corporate predecessors. DuPont used PFOA, or C8, as a processing aid in the production of some fluoropolymers. Concerns about environmental persistence, contamination, and possible health effects led to regulatory investigations, litigation, community disputes, and a major 2005 settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. DuPont subsequently moved away from PFOA, and its fluoroproducts operations later became part of Chemours. Chemours says it eliminated PFOA from its products and manufacturing activities, while using alternative processing technologies, including GenX-related chemistry, that remain part of broader PFAS regulatory debates. In 2015, Chemours became an independent public company spun off from DuPont and assumed ownership and management of the Teflon brand. Chemours later organized its fluoropolymer operations within Advanced Performance Materials. The company continues to market Teflon materials to industrial customers worldwide, with current emphasis on high-purity applications, semiconductors, electronics, energy, aerospace, medical technology, chemical processing, and advanced manufacturing. Teflon therefore remains both a household name associated with non-stick pans and a technical brand covering a broad family of fluoropolymer materials.
- 2024
Denise Dignam becomes Chemours CEO
[15]Denise Dignam is appointed president and CEO of Chemours, the company that owns and commercializes Teflon.
- 2021
Chemours reorganizes fluoroproducts operations
[10]Chemours separates its former Fluoroproducts business into Thermal & Specialized Solutions and Advanced Performance Materials.
- 2015
Chemours becomes independent from DuPont
[10]The Chemours Company is spun off from DuPont and assumes ownership of the Teflon brand and related fluoroproduct operations.
- 2015
Teflon EcoElite is developed
[10]Chemours develops Teflon EcoElite, a non-fluorinated, partially renewably sourced water-resistant textile finish.
- 2013
DuPont completes PFOA elimination ahead of schedule
[10]DuPont reports that it has stopped making and using PFOA ahead of its stated target, affecting the fluoroproducts business that later became part of Chemours.
- 2005
EPA settlement over PFOA-related conduct
[13]The U.S. EPA reaches a major settlement with DuPont concerning alleged violations involving PFOA and related reporting and environmental issues.
- 1999
Regional non-stick coating production expands in China
[10]A Chemours facility in Shenzhen supports regional supplies of Teflon non-stick coatings for cookware manufactured in Asia.
- 1992
Teflon textile repellency applications expand
[10]Teflon-branded technology is applied to water-repellent outdoor clothing and related textile products.
- 1988
Plunkett Awards begin
[10]Awards named for Roy Plunkett are established to recognize innovative fluoropolymer applications.
- 1986
Teflon coating is used in the Statue of Liberty renovation
[10]Teflon technology is used on an inner stainless-steel framework during a major Statue of Liberty renovation.
Products and positioning
High-performance, non-stick, low-friction, chemically resistant, thermally stable, electrically insulating, and water-repellent fluoropolymer technology.
Fluoropolymer resins · 1946
Teflon PTFE Resins
The original Teflon material family is based on polytetrafluoroethylene. PTFE resins provide very high chemical resistance, low friction, non-stick performance, low water absorption, and useful electrical insulation. They are supplied as granular molding powders, fine powders, and other resin forms for molded parts, seals, gaskets, wire and cable components, chemical-processing equipment, and specialized industrial products.
Fluoropolymer resin, film, and coating · 1960
Teflon FEP
FEP is a melt-processable fluoropolymer introduced into the Teflon family in 1960. Compared with standard PTFE, FEP can be processed through conventional melt-extrusion techniques and is used in films, wire insulation, chemical barriers, release surfaces, and industrial coating systems. Teflon FEP coatings provide non-stick behavior, chemical resistance, dielectric strength, and operating temperatures suitable for many industrial applications.
Fluoropolymer resin, film, and coating · 1972
Teflon PFA
PFA is a melt-processable fluoropolymer with strong chemical resistance and greater toughness than many conventional PTFE or FEP coating systems. Teflon PFA products are used for chemical tanks, pumps, valves, vessels, semiconductor equipment, industrial bakeware, films, and high-purity fluid-handling systems. PFA coatings can provide continuous-use temperatures around 260 degrees Celsius depending on the formulation and application.
Industrial coatings · 1951
Teflon Industrial Coatings
Teflon industrial coatings include PTFE, FEP, PFA, ETFE, specialty, primer, and one-coat systems. They are applied to metal and other substrates to reduce adhesion, friction, corrosion, wear, and chemical permeation. Applications include mold release, food-processing equipment, industrial bakeware, chemical-processing machinery, paper and textile equipment, office equipment, automotive components, and manufacturing tools.
Fluoropolymer films
Teflon Fluoropolymer Films
Teflon films are supplied primarily in FEP and PFA grades, with related ETFE films marketed under Tefzel. They combine low wetting, chemical compatibility, non-stick behavior, low friction, electrical insulation, weather resistance, and useful cryogenic performance. Uses include composite-part release, anti-corrosive linings, roll covers, rupture disks, high-frequency circuitry, sterile packaging, cable insulation, photovoltaic components, and fuel-hose barriers.
Fluoropolymer dispersions
Teflon Aqueous Dispersions
Water-based Teflon dispersions allow fluoropolymer material to be applied to or incorporated into other substrates and resin systems. They are used in coating, impregnation, release, lubrication, textile, industrial, and specialty manufacturing applications where a liquid delivery format is preferred.
Consumer and industrial non-stick coatings · 1961
Teflon Non-Stick Cookware Coatings
The best-known consumer application of Teflon technology is the PTFE-based non-stick coating used on frying pans, pots, bakeware, and some small kitchen appliances. The coating reduces food adhesion and simplifies cleaning. The same release characteristics are also used in industrial cookware, bakery equipment, food-processing machinery, and other applications in which products must separate cleanly from heated surfaces.
Textile finish · 2015
Teflon EcoElite
Teflon EcoElite is a water-resistant textile finish developed by Chemours as a non-fluorinated alternative within the Teflon branded technology portfolio. Chemours described it as partially renewably sourced and intended for durable water repellency in apparel and related textile applications.
Controversies
2026
PFAS pollution settlement involving Chemours facilities
The U.S. Department of Justice announced a $450 million settlement with Chemours concerning alleged releases of PFAS from facilities in West Virginia, North Carolina, and New Jersey. The settlement concerns Chemours facilities and broader PFAS liabilities rather than a finding that Teflon cookware itself caused the releases, but it remains relevant to the environmental and regulatory context of the Teflon-owning company.
2013
PFOA phase-out and continuing PFAS concerns
DuPont reported that it had stopped making and using PFOA ahead of schedule. Chemours later inherited the fluoroproducts operations and stated that it does not make or use PFOA. Public and regulatory scrutiny continued because replacement processing chemistries, including GenX-related substances, are also part of the broader PFAS family and raise questions about persistence, emissions, and environmental management.
2005
PFOA and DuPont fluoropolymer controversy
DuPont's use of PFOA, also known as C8, as a processing aid in the manufacture of some fluoropolymer products became the subject of regulatory investigations, environmental disputes, litigation, and public concern. The U.S. EPA reached a major settlement with DuPont concerning alleged failures involving information reporting and environmental risks. Because Teflon was DuPont's best-known fluoropolymer brand, the controversy became closely associated with the public image of Teflon, although PFOA was a processing chemical rather than the PTFE polymer itself.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Teflon Reimagined
Global
Chemours used the Teflon Reimagined platform to present Teflon fluoropolymers as enabling materials for modern infrastructure, electronics, energy, mobility, and advanced manufacturing rather than only as cookware coatings.
Outcome. The platform reinforced Teflon's industrial and technology-oriented positioning.
- 2015Teflon EcoElite textile technology program
Global textile and apparel markets
Chemours introduced Teflon EcoElite as a non-fluorinated, partially renewably sourced water-resistant textile finish, extending the Teflon name beyond PTFE and cookware into lower-impact fabric treatment.
Outcome. Chemours stated that the technology was used in a renewably sourced outerwear line launched in fall 2016.
Brand decisions
2021
Reorganize Chemours fluoropolymer operationsStrategyBackground
Chemours sought to manage its fluoroproducts portfolio through more focused business segments.
Action taken
The company divided its former Fluoroproducts business into Thermal & Specialized Solutions and Advanced Performance Materials.
Aftermath
Teflon fluoropolymers became primarily associated with Advanced Performance Materials, which serves semiconductor, electronics, medical, aerospace, automotive, and other demanding markets.
2015
Transfer Teflon to Chemours through the DuPont spin-offM&ABackground
DuPont separated its performance-chemicals operations into a new independent company.
Action taken
The Chemours Company became an independent public company and took ownership of the fluoroproducts portfolio, including Teflon.
Aftermath
Teflon became a core Chemours brand within Advanced Performance Materials and continued to be marketed globally through industrial sales and licensing relationships.
2015
Launch Teflon EcoEliteProduct launchBackground
Textile customers were seeking water-resistant finishes with reduced reliance on conventional fluorinated chemistry and greater use of renewable feedstocks.
Action taken
Chemours developed Teflon EcoElite as a non-fluorinated, partially renewably sourced water-resistant textile finish.
Aftermath
The product extended the Teflon name into sustainability-oriented textile technology and was used in an outerwear line announced for fall 2016.
2013
Eliminate PFOA from fluoropolymer operationsStrategyBackground
Regulatory scrutiny, litigation, and scientific concern surrounding PFOA created pressure to change the processing chemistry used in fluoropolymer manufacturing.
Action taken
DuPont reported that it had stopped making and using PFOA ahead of its target, and Chemours later stated that it does not make or use PFOA in its products.
Aftermath
The change reduced direct reliance on PFOA but did not end debate about the environmental profile of alternative PFAS-related processing chemistries.
1992
Extend Teflon technology into textile repellencyStrategyBackground
The brand's low surface energy and repellency properties could be adapted for fabrics and outdoor garments.
Action taken
Teflon-branded treatments were promoted for water-repellent windbreakers, rain pants, and other textile applications.
Aftermath
The brand gained visibility in apparel and fabric care while broadening its identity beyond cookware and industrial plastics.
1972
Introduce PFAProduct launchBackground
Industrial customers needed fluoropolymer performance combined with improved melt processing, toughness, and suitability for demanding equipment.
Action taken
PFA was introduced into the Teflon family for resins, films, and industrial coatings.
Aftermath
PFA became important in chemical processing, semiconductor equipment, industrial bakeware, and high-purity fluid-handling systems.
1960
Add FEP to the Teflon fluoropolymer portfolioProduct launchBackground
PTFE's high melt viscosity limited some conventional processing methods and created demand for related fluoropolymers with different processing characteristics.
Action taken
FEP was introduced as a melt-processable fluoropolymer for resins, films, and coatings.
Aftermath
The brand expanded from a single polymer identity into a broader family of fluoropolymer materials.
1945
Register the Teflon trademarkStrategyBackground
DuPont needed a commercial identity for a new fluorinated plastic whose potential uses extended beyond its initial military and industrial applications.
Action taken
The Teflon trademark was registered and used to identify PTFE-based products and later related fluoropolymer technologies.
Aftermath
The name became one of the world's most recognizable materials brands and was frequently used colloquially as a synonym for PTFE.
Sources15 sources
- 1The History of Teflon Fluoropolymersteflon.com
- 2Teflon Productsteflon.com
- 3Teflon Industrial Coatingsteflon.com
- 4Teflon PTFE Coating Systemsteflon.com
- 5Teflon FEP Industrial Coatingsteflon.com
- 6Teflon PFA Industrial Coatingsteflon.com
- 7Teflon and Tefzel Fluoropolymer Filmsteflon.com
- 8Industrial Uses and Solutions for Teflon Fluoropolymersteflon.com
- 9Advanced Performance Materialschemours.com
- 10Chemours Historychemours.com
- 11Chemours Management Teaminvestors.chemours.com
- 12Polytetrafluoroethyleneen.wikipedia.org
- 13DuPont PFOA Consent Agreement and Final Orderepa.gov
- 14Chemours PFAS Settlement Announcementjustice.gov
- 15Denise Dignam becomes Chemours CEOchemours.com
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