You've really got Dr. Bill's attention with this 'plasticity' thread, tsuwm. He thinks teflon should be mentioned:

From Dr. Bill [wwh]:

Teflon -- makes an insulating material for
electrical wiring that makes possible greatly more
efficient electric generators and motors. The tiny motors
we have today would not be possible without it.
And todays big generators have several times the output
of fifty year old generators the same size and weight.