Anecdotes for Chemistry Teachers: The Discovery of Teflon

No comments

The background to the discovery, naming and uses of Teflon.

Downloads

Anecdotes: The discovery of teflon
PDF, Size 22 kb

No comments

Level

Use

Specification

Wales
- GCSE
  - WJEC Chemistry
    - Unit 2: CHEMICAL BONDING, APPLICATION OF CHEMICAL REACTIONS and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
      - 2.5 CRUDE OIL, FUELS AND ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
        (p) the addition polymerisation of ethene and other monomers to produce polythene, poly(propene), poly(vinylchloride) and poly(tetrafluoroethene)
        (q) the general properties of plastics and the uses of polythene, poly(propene), poly(vinylchloride) and poly(tetrafluoroethene)
  - WJEC Combined science
    - Unit 5: Chemistry 2
      - 5.5 CRUDE OIL, FUELS AND CARBON COMPOUNDS
        (o) the addition polymerisation of ethene and other monomers to produce polythene, poly(propene), poly(vinylchloride) and poly(tetrafluoroethene)
        (p) the general properties of plastics and the uses of polythene, poly(propene), poly(vinylchloride) and poly(tetrafluoroethene)
Northern Ireland
- A/AS level
  - CCEA Chemistry
    - Unit AS 2: Further Physical and inorganic Chemistry and an Introdution to Organic Chemistry
      - 2.4 Alkenes
        2.4.10 describe the addition polymerisation of alkenes, for example ethene and propene.
- GCSE
  - CCEA Chemistry
    - Unit 2: Further Chemical Reactions, Rates and Equilibrium, Calculations and Organic Chemistry
      - 2.5 Organic chemistry
        2.5.19 deduce the structure of an addition polymer from a simple alkene monomer and vice versa.
  - CCEA Double award science
    - Unit C2: Further Chemical Reactions, Rates and Equilibrium, Calculations and Organic Chemistry
      - 2.5 Organic chemistry
        2.5.19 deduce the structure of an addition polymer from a simple alkene monomer and vice versa.
Republic of Ireland
- Leaving Certificate
  - Chemistry
    - Option 2A: Materials
      - 2A.2 Addition Polymers
        Depth of treatment
        Addition polymers. Monomers.
        Polymerisation of alkenes: poly(ethene) (low density and high density), poly(chloroethene), poly(phenylethene), poly(tetrafluoroethene), poly(propene).
        Social and Applied Aspects
        The industrial and domestic importance and advantages of these polymers in plastics and fibres (two examples of uses of each polymer).
        Brief history of the discovery of poly(tetrafluoroethene).

Resource
Anecdotes: Aluminium

The story of the discovery of the Hall-Heroult process for purifying aluminium.
Resource
Chromatography and developing vaccines | In context | 14–16

By Lyn Nicholls

Put chromatography into context with questions based on vaccine development
Poster
Investigate commercial production of aspirin

2026-05-11T06:17:00Z By Karen Marshall

Link a practical your post-16s are familiar with to real-world chemistry