Slippery Business
Not surprisingly, Teflon is actually the slipperiest substance on the face of the Earth, as recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records. There is very little that can stick to this substance, making Teflon pans extremely popular in the modern kitchen. In fact, Teflon is so slippery that it will not chemically bond to any other substance. How, then, do they do it?
Invention
Teflon was invented by DuPont scientist Dr. Roy Plunkett in 1938. At the time, he was trying to create a coolant gas superior to the ones available in the market. While experimenting with different types of gas, he accidentally left a combination of gases in a sealed container overnight. When he arrived the next morning, the gases had vaporized. In their place was a slippery and waxy solid. The substance held up to corrosive chemicals that would normally eat through anything. DuPont refused to sell this product until 10 years later. During that time, someone named Marc Gregorie learned of it, and following the advice of his wife, he applied the substance to her pots and pans. He then marketed his product, renaming it Tefel, and made millions of dollars.
Mechanics
While Teflon will not bond to anything, it can be forced mechanically into crevices and indentations. Using this knowledge, manufacturers sandblast and prime the item they want the Teflon to stick to. This roughens the surface, creating "stickability." The Teflon is then embedded onto the primed item.
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