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Overview

DuPont fluorochemicals can be found in products ranging from stadium roofs to the kitchen frying pan. The first significant developments in fluorochemical research began at General Motors (GM) in the 1920s. GM, and its subsidiary Frigidaire, had been searching for nontoxic, nonflammable substitutes for existing refrigerants. Researchers discovered a promising alternative in dichlorodifluoromethane, later called Freon® 12. Lacking the capacity to produce Freon® in large quantities, GM turned over subsequent development to DuPont in a joint venture called Kinetic Chemicals Company. By the end of the 1930s, DuPont’s Freon® sales were nearly $4 million a year. The company expanded the use of Freon® to aerosols, cleaning liquids and foam-blowing agents.

Further fluorochemical research led to the discovery of polytetrafluoroethylene, which DuPont would later trademark Teflon®. Tests on the new material showed that it was unaffected by most acids and corrosive chemicals and remained solid at temperatures much higher than any other plastic. During World War II, Teflon® found its first significant use in nose cones on artillery-shell proximity fuses. Teflon® was also used in the secret atomic research of the Manhattan Project because it could withstand the corrosive environment surrounding the production of Uranium-235. Although earliest uses of Teflon® were in national defense, the fluorocarbon found its largest market in 1961 when it was introduced as a non-stick coating for cookware.

By the early 1970s, DuPont had developed a group of high-performance fluoroplastics like Tefzel® fluoropolymer resins for wire insulation and Teflon® PFA melt-processible plastic for chemical equipment linings and specialty tubing. Tedlar® polyvinyl fluoride brought longer life to aluminum home siding and a line of fluoroelastomers served important needs in the industrial sealant market.

Scientific research in the 1970s revealed a link between chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and the depletion of the earth's ozone layer. A leading manufacturer of CFCs, primarily Freon®, DuPont made an early commitment to phase out CFC production and find safer fluorochemical alternatives. DuPont developed hydrofluorocarbons like Suva® refrigerant, Fromacel® foam expansion agents, and Dymel® propellants for aerosols. Other fluorochemicals have been enlisted in environmental protection. For example, filtration fabrics made of Teflon® fibers keep coal ash and other industrial pollutants out of the atmosphere. Today, DuPont continues to develop fluorochemicals that are environmentally responsible and serve a variety of industrial and consumer markets.

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