Why doesn’t anything stick to Teflon? - Ashwini Bharathula

譯者: Hsun Ying Tsai 審譯者: 瑞文Eleven 林Lim

Nothing stuck to Mafia boss John Gotti

黑幫老大「約翰．高帝」無人能擋

who evaded justice for years by bribing and threatening jurors and witnesses.

他靠著威脅利誘 陪審團和目擊證人逍遙法外

That earned him the name the Teflon Don

因此得到「鐵氟龍教父」的稱號

after one of the slipperiest materials on Earth.

因為鐵氟龍是地球上 最光滑的物質之一

Teflon was in the spacesuits the Apollo crew wore for the moon landing,

鐵氟龍製品包括 阿波羅登月計畫的太空裝

in pipes and valves used in the Manhattan Project,

曼哈頓計劃（研發原子彈） 中的管線和閥門

and maybe in your kitchen as the nonstick coating on frying pans and cookie sheets.

或許你家廚房的 不沾鍋和烤盤表面也有

So what is this slippery solid, and why doesn't anything stick to it?

這種光滑固體是什麼？ 為什麼東西黏不上去？

Teflon is a brand name for polytetrafluoroethylene,

鐵氟龍的全名為「聚四氟乙烯」

or PTFE.

簡稱 PTFE

It was stumbled upon accidentally in 1938 by a 27-year-old American chemist

由 27 歲的美國科學家 在 1938 年意外發現

named Roy Plunkett

他的名字叫做羅伊．普朗克特

while he was trying to develop a non-toxic refrigerant fluid for DuPont,

他當時在杜邦化學公司研發無毒冷媒

a chemicals company.

在實驗室容器裡合成出 一種奇怪的白色物質

The strange, white substance that formed inside his lab canister

was chemically inert,

它屬於活性很低的物質

meaning it wouldn't react with other substances.

就是不會與其他的物質反應

It also had an extremely low coefficient of friction,

摩擦係數也非常低

making other materials slide right off it.

所以其他物質會從它的表面滑落

Teflon's properties make it perfect when you need something slippery,

鐵氟龍的特性能使物體非常光滑

chemical resistant,

擁有耐化學性

or waterproof,

或是防水性能

which means it has a lot of applications.

具有十足的功能性

It can be found all over the place,

鐵氟龍隨處可見

as a coating on raincoats,

例如雨衣的外層

industrial ball bearings,

工業用軸承

artificial joints,

人工關節

circuit boards,

電路板

and even the Rocky Mountains-themed roof of the Denver International Airport.

甚至連丹佛國際機場 仿洛磯山脈的屋頂也是

The incredible properties of PTFE come from its molecular structure.

聚四氟乙烯令人難以置信的特性 源自其分子結構

它是一種聚合物

It's a polymer,

meaning it's made of long chains of repeating units of atoms strung together.

代表它有一長串重複的原子單位長鏈

A PTFE chain has a backbone of carbon atoms,

聚四氟乙烯鏈以碳原子作為骨幹

each of which is attached to two fluorines.

每個碳原子都連接兩個氟原子

The fluorine atoms surround the carbon like armor,

氟原子圍繞著碳原子像是盔甲般

spiraling around the chain,

呈現螺旋狀環繞長鏈

and the bond between carbon and fluorine is incredibly tight.

碳和氟之間的鍵結無比的緊密

Like a couple that ignores everyone except each other,

像夫婦眼中只有彼此 完全忽略他人的存在

carbon and fluorine interact so strongly

碳和氟如此強烈的互動

that the normal, intermolecular forces that help substances stick to each other

讓一般分子間連結物質的力量

don't stand a chance.

根本沒有機會越軌

Even the famously adhesive feet of geckos usually can't get a grip.

就連壁虎有名的強力吸盤腳趾 也無法抓牢

But wait!

先等一下

如果鐵氟龍無法沾黏任何物質

If PTFE doesn't stick to anything,

how can it be so firmly attached to something like a pan?

它如何能緊緊附在

像是鍋子這種東西呢？

One method involves sandblasting the pan

有一種方法是在鍋子上噴砂

or etching it with chemicals to make it rough.

或用化學物質蝕刻，讓它變粗糙後

Then, a special primer is applied, which acts like glue.

再用特殊的底漆當作膠水黏合

Its exact composition is a trade secret guarded by each manufacturer.

其確切的製造方法是 每個製造商的商業機密

The pan is sprayed with liquid PTFE

在鍋子噴灑上聚四氟乙烯液體後

and heated to around 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

再加熱到大約華氏 800 度 （攝氏 427 度）

The layers then solidify into a smooth, slick coating.

就會硬化成光滑的塗層

When you later cook eggs in this PTFE-coated pan,

當你用鐵氟龍塗層的鍋煎蛋時

the extra tight carbon-fluorine bonds

超緊密緊的碳─氟鍵

just ignore the water and fat and protein molecules in the eggs.

不理會雞蛋裡的 水、 脂肪和蛋白質分子

Without those interactions,

沒有這些產生相互作用

the food just slides around without sticking.

食物就只會滑來滑去而不沾黏

You might wonder if it's safe to cook in a PTFE-coated pan.

你可能想知道 用鐵氟龍塗層鍋煮飯是否安全

The answer is yes, if you're careful.

如果你小心使用，那就是安全

PTFE is stable at moderate temperatures, like you'd use to cook eggs or fish,

鐵氟龍在你煮雞蛋 或魚的溫度下還算穩定

but above 500 degrees Fahrenheit, it starts to degrade,

但華氏 500 度以上會開始降解 （攝氏 260 度）

and heating it further releases fumes that can make you feel sick.

再持續加熱就會進一步釋放煙霧 讓你感到不舒服

An empty pan can reach 500 degrees fast over high heat,

高溫加熱一口空鍋可以快速升溫 到華氏 500 度 （攝氏 260 度）

but most kitchens are ventilated well enough to dissipate the fumes.

還好大多數的廚房都有通風的設備

People used to also think that accidentally consuming PTFE

過去人們還認為不小心吃到鐵氟龍

that flaked off a scratched pan was bad for you,

就是吃到鍋子刮傷所剝落的物質 對人體有害

but the current consensus is that it's harmless.

但目前的觀點一致覺得這是無害的

Because PTFE doesn't interact with other chemicals very well,

因為鐵氟龍並不容易 和其他化學物質產生相互作用

it isn't thought to break down inside your body.

它不會在你的體內分解

Whether it's safe to manufacture Teflon is another story.

但是否能安全製造出鐵氟龍 又是另一個故事了

DuPont and its spin-off company Chemours

「杜邦化學公司」 和它的子公司 「科慕公司」

now face lawsuits worth millions of dollars.

面臨數百萬美金的法律訴訟

They've been accused of polluting the environment for decades

他們被控訴幾十年來污染環境

and exposing employees and local communities

並讓員工和當地社區暴露在

to health risks associated with a toxic chemical called PFOA.

造成危害健康的有毒化學物質中 稱為全氟辛酸銨

That chemical was involved in manufacturing Teflon.

這種化學物質被加入 製造鐵氟龍的過程中

As for John Gotti,

至於約翰．高帝

in 1992, the Mob boss was finally convicted of five counts of murder,

這位黑幫老大終於在 1992 年 以五起謀殺案件被判刑

among other charges.

以及其他的起訴案件

That prompted the head of the FBI office in New York City to announce,

這促使紐約美國聯邦調查局 辦公室主任宣佈

"The Teflon is gone.

「鐵氟龍一去不復返了」

The don is covered in Velcro, and all the charges stuck."

「鐵氟龍教父像是穿上魔鬼氈 所有指控都可以沾上他」