Many people think petroleum is only used to fuel cars, trucks, and airplanes. However, oil touches almost every part of our daily lives through everyday objects. At an oil refinery, special chemical units produce petrochemicals. These chemicals are the basic building blocks used to manufacture thousands of modern products that we use at home, school, and work.
Plastic is the most famous product made from oil. Look around your bedroom or classroom right now. Your plastic water bottle, your computer keyboard, your television frame, and the case protecting your mobile phone all come from refined oil. Without petrochemicals, these light, cheap, and durable materials would not exist in such abundance.
Petroleum also makes synthetic fabrics for clothing. Materials like polyester, nylon, and spandex are made from petroleum fibers. These fabrics make warm winter jackets, strong backpacks, and flexible running shoes. Furthermore, oil helps create cosmetics, soap, toothbrushes, paints, fertilizers for farm crops, and even protective coatings on medical pills. Petroleum plays a massive role in providing the materials that make modern human life comfortable, safe, and convenient.
