Products Made From Fossil Fuel

Fossil fuels have been used for centuries to power industries and machines, as well as to make products that consumers use every day. Many of these products have more recently been made using other materials out of concern of the sustainability of fossil fuels, yet products made from fossil fuels continue to be produced on a worldwide scale.

Natural Gas Products

• In recent history, the acceleration of manufacturing consumer products from fossil fuels has led to the use of natural gas for making plastics as a valuable aid for ensuring the integrity of the product. The presence of moisture during the processing of plastic can cause blemishes and other breakdowns in the makeup of the manufactured substance. Natural gas acts as a desiccant in this process, removing any moisture from the material.

Petroleum Products

• Petroleum has been used for making products for over 150 years. One of the first uses of petroleum in the manufacture of consumer products was invented by Robert Chesebrough, a chemist whose use of balm from an oil well in 1872 gave birth to Vaseline. Vehicle tires are colored black from a process that involves the combustion of oil. This introduction of "carbon black" by the B.F. Goodrich Company in 1910 changed the standards for tire production, which previously were colored white.

Coal Products

• Coal has been in use as a heating fuel for centuries, and is probably one of the first fossil fuels to be adapted to the manufacture of products for consumer use. Early coal processing produced the by-products coal tar and coke. Coal tar is used for making insecticides, paint thinner, disinfectants, batteries and insulation. Coke is used in the manufacture of synthetic rubber materials, artificial silk and soda water.

Products Made from Oil

• Oil is one of the most-often used fossil fuels for the manufacture of consumer products. Toys, telephones, floor coverings, contact lenses, dyes, upholstery, dishes, diapers, analog recording tape, shower curtains and a variety of chemical products such as paints, varnishes, and adhesives are just a few of the products made from oil.

Recognized Products

• Of course, the earliest of all consumer products made from fossil fuels is vehicle fuel. Gasoline products were developed hand-in-hand with the automobile as the main fuel for the internal combustion engine. Later innovations in engine technology have forced the gasoline-producing industry to keep up with changes in engine performance and fuel economy guidelines and mandates demanded by both vehicle manufacturers and consumers.