In his search for a nontoxic refrigerant, R.J. Plunkett of duPont opened a cylinder of tetrafluoroethylene, but no gas came out. Because the weight of the tank showed there was something inside, he sawed the tank open and found a white powder with inert properties. He discovered that the tank valve was the material that catalyzed polymerization of the gas to form the useful product TeflonTM. It should be noted, however, that these serendipitous discoveries were made by scientists who were interested in these compounds and could recognize the conditions under which they were produced. It is true that "chance favors the prepared mind."