What is the opposite of adhesive? The word is abhesive, and it was coined by a scientist several years ago to describe something that refuses to let other material cling to it. The substance that inspired the word is a peculiar and promising product called Teflon, a slippery white plastic that feels something like a wet bar of soap.* Discovered in 1938 almost accidentally by Du Pont scientists who were working on fluorocarbon refrigerants, Teflon has other valuable properties: it will burn only when directly exposed to flame, is a superior electrical insulator and resists tears and impact.
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