FEATURE
Mobilizing Laboratories to Protect Communities
by Nancy Maddox, MPH, writer
In the 1930s—when manufacturers began a frenzied period of product development, creating vinyl, nylon and
a host of other synthetic materials—scientists made a seminal discovery: bonding fluorine atoms to a simple
carbon backbone yields compounds with amazing chemical properties, such as ultra-low friction, fierce water
repellency and exceptionally long half-lives.
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LAB MATTERS Winter 2019
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