“Our approach is simple, fast, and uses inexpensive materials,” study co-author Erli Lu said in a statement. The first step for Lu and colleagues is to place sodium metal fragments and Teflon waste into a sealed steel container called a ball mill. Teflon’s nonstick, nonreactive characteristics hinge on its immensely strong carbon-fluorine bonds, but the ball mill can break these bonds apart by grinding them with the sodium metal. A combination of harmless carbon and sodium fluoride—a stable, inorganic salt frequently used for toothpaste and drinking water fluoridation. Aside from toothpaste and water, the compound can be used to create other fluorine-containing molecules for pharmaceuticals and medical diagnostic treatments.