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Industries use natural gas, coal, wood, and crude oil as raw materials. Natural gas is efficient and environmentally safe, coal has a competitive advantage due to its lower cost, wood is extensively used, and crude oil is refined to create various products. Alternative sources of raw materials are being sought after due to pollution and fear of scarcity. Solar and wind energy are potential alternatives.
The different sources of raw materials include natural gas, coal, wood and crude oil. Manufacturing industries around the world need raw materials to create the products used in millions of households and in industry. As the population continues to increase, the demand for raw materials continues to increase and researchers are looking for alternative sources of raw materials.
Natural gas plays an important role in world energy consumption. Demand for natural gas remains high because it is an efficient and environmentally safe energy source. Energy experts say natural gas is one of the cleanest burning conventional fuels. Unlike heavy carbon-based fuels, such as oil or coal, natural gas produces much lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Consumers use this raw material source to power electric generators, provide heat for homes, and create plastics.
Nearly half of the world’s coal reserves are located in China, India and the United States, and coal has a competitive advantage over other sources of raw materials due to its lower cost. It can be made into a gas and also produces propylene and ethylene, which can be used in thousands of products. Power plants generate electricity by producing heat from coal that drives turbine blades.
Trees provide wood, a raw material used extensively in various manufacturing industries. Paper products and the materials used to build houses would not be available without this source of raw material. Studies reveal that 300 million tons of paper are consumed each year. Environmentalists generally do not support the use of wood in manufacturing as harvesting timber disturbs animal habitats and damages forests. Additionally, paper mills emit millions of pounds of toxic chemicals into the air and water every year.
One of the most important sources of raw materials in the chemical industry is crude oil. This raw material can be refined to create automotive gasoline, and a small percentage of refined crude oil produces plastics. Other products made with crude oil include asphalt oil, jet fuel and petroleum coke. Chemists use specific boiling points to isolate these various materials from crude oil.
Due to pollution and fear of scarcity, alternative sources of raw materials are highly sought after. Using sunlight to power solar cells does not emit harmful chemicals into the air. Wind is also another natural alternative energy source and can be used to power wind turbines that produce electricity.
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