Future of synthetic materials: the petroleum connection

Book · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6437912

Flavin, C

The worldwide growth in production and use of synthetic materials has transformed daily life in the past two decades, but their reliance on petroleum and natural gas tie them to a world oil situation that is increasingly unstable. Synthetic materials, while one of many steps in a long history of substitutions and modifications, are a particularly radical step because they must first be broken down into their basic hydrocarbons. The history of this development and the shifts in materials markets are traced to illustrate the significance of the oil and gas connection to this revolution and to worldwide economic expansion. Simple energy efficiency will not likely be an adequate drive to return to natural materials because the depletion of cropland and many essential minerals will make substitution costly and because synthetic materials are often responsible for many energy-saving developments. Government policies can help by discouraging the non-essential uses of oil and gas, by helping synthetics-producing plants to be made more efficient, and by guaranteeing producers access to oil and gas. Society can help by restricting synthetics to uses which conserve resources. 86 references, 3 tables. (DCK)

• OSTI ID: 6437912
• Resource Relation: Related Information: Worldwatch Paper 36
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
MATERIAL SUBSTITUTION
CHEMICAL FEEDSTOCKS
PETROCHEMICALS
SYNTHETIC MATERIALS
PLASTICS
PRODUCTION
FIBERS
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
NATURAL GAS
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
RESOURCE DEPLETION
TEXTILES
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
MATERIALS
290400* - Energy Planning & Policy- Energy Resources
020500 - Petroleum- Products & By-Products
030400 - Natural Gas- Products & By-Products