“Better Living through Chemistry?" DuPont & Teflon

Marilyn A. Dyrud

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS) Technical Session _ Monday June 26, 1:30 - 3:00
Tagged Division: Engineering Ethics Division (ETHICS)
Page Count: 15
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--42315
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/42315
Download Count: 516

Paper Authors

biography

Marilyn A. Dyrud Oregon Institute of Technology

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Marilyn Dyrud retired in 2017 as a professor emerita in the Communication Department at Oregon Institute of Technology, where she taught classes in writing, speech, rhetoric, and ethics for four decades. She received her BA in 1972 from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, and her graduate degrees from Purdue University: MA in 1974 and PhD in 1980. She became involved in engineering education by joining ASEE in 1983 and is currently active in two divisions: Engineering Ethics and Engineering Technology. She is an ASEE fellow (2008), winner of the James McGraw and Berger Awards (2010, 2013), the communications editor for the Journal of Engineering Technology, and the ETD mini-grant coordinator.

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Abstract

In 1961, DuPont, in collaboration with American entrepreneur Marion Trozzolo, introduced the “Happy Pan,” to the delight of housewives all over the country, especially those with a penchant for burning food. Coated with a new substance, Teflon, food magically slid from the pan, leaving little residue and ending the onerous task of scouring. Early ads touted Teflon as “an amazing new concept in cooking” and an antidote for young couples who want more time together: “Happy the young homemaker (and her husband, too!) who gets full set of [brand name]’s TEFLON-Coated Aluminum Cookware.” In addition to cookware, Teflon is used in numerous industries, ranging from pharmaceuticals to textiles to the military.

As a result, virtually every living creature on the planet is contaminated with Teflon. It has been associated with numerous cancers, such as kidney, bladder, ovarian, prostate, and testicular, due to the PFOAs (also known as C8) used in manufacturing the substance. This came as no surprise to DuPont, as the company was fully aware of the danger posed by Teflon and engaged in a decades-long cover-up to hide the problem from the public and employees alike.

This paper will recount the facts of the case, examine the ethical issues involved, and offer suggestions for classroom usage. Audience members will learn about a new case to use in curricula such as chemical engineering, a case that literally affects every person is the world.

Citation
Format

Dyrud, M. A. (2023, June), “Better Living through Chemistry?" DuPont & Teflon Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--42315