Which products we use in our daily lives consist of petroleum?

Petroleum is indeed an important raw material for our society. Not only for heating us or driving to school, but also for making materials. It is our main source of so-called carbon compounds and in a refinery crude oil is converted into a multitude of compounds. These compounds are then further converted by yet other chemical processes into building blocks for antibiotics, painkillers, cancer medicines, etc. In fact, almost all medicines we know are ultimately derived from petroleum. But also the building blocks to make plastics that are used to make plastic bags, salad bowls, toys, telephone casings or those of computers, balloons, the exterior of cars, airplanes, furniture. Metals cannot be made with petroleum, so metal cutlery is not possible, but plastic cutlery is.

The bottom line is that petroleum is essential for much of the materials we use.

Regards