If nothing sticks to Teflon, how do they get it to stick to the pan?
DuPont scientist, Dr. Roy Plunkett, accidentally created the recipe for Teflon in 1938, while attempting to produce a better coolant gas than the one currently on the market. In doing so, he tried with different combinations of gases and left one batch of gasses in a container overnight. The following morning, he found that the gasses in the container had “vaporized,” and in their stead, found a slippery, waxy solid, which remained intact when exposed to corrosive chemicals which normally eat through things with which they come into contact.
The substance Dr. Plunkett discovered in the container that day was tetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), a solid version of fluorocarbons, or freon. For pronunciation’s sake, the doctor shortened the name for the substance to Teflon.
About the only thing that sticks to PTFE is PTFE. So, the 3-coat process used in Silverstone forms an inseparable bond between the PTFE layers and the primer coat bonds to the rough, grit-blasted metal surface.
To get Teflon to stick to pan, first they sandblast the pan to create a lot of micro scratches on its surface. Then they spray on a coat of Teflon primer. This primer is thin, enabling it to flow into the micro-scratches. The primed surface is then baked at high heat, causing the Teflon to solidify and get a reasonably secure mechanical grip. Next you spray on a finish coat and bake that. This causes the bonds between some of the carbon atoms to break, giving other undesirable stuff a chance to bond.