Innovation: Teflon that sticks

Australian scientists have overturned another of life's certainties by making Teflon sticky. Best known as a non-stick coating for pots and pans, Teflon is also used for mounting printed circuit boards in microwave and satellite communications systems, where it reduces interference. The problem is how to bond the circuit board to the Teflon. A process developed at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation in Salisbury, South Australia, alters the chemical properties of a very fine surface layer of the Teflon base, allowing a bond to be made between the metal circuit and the Teflon.