Task 4. Write an Abstract to FROM CARBON BLACK TO PVC

Write an abstract (100-120 words) to the following article. 

FROM CARBON BLACK TO PVC

Before oil and gas were freely available, people made everyday things from natural materials. Clothes were made from cotton, wool, and leather. Containers, for example bottles and cups, were made from metal, glass, and clay (soft earth that becomes hard when cooked). Paints and cosmetics were made from plants and minerals.

One example of a natural product is carbon black. It's a colouring used in ink for writing and drawing and for paint. It is made by burning wood, oil, or other natural materials. It was discovered in prehistoric times, and it's commonly used today.

The first petrochemical factory was built in 1872, and it made carbon black from natural gas. Carbon black wasn't a new product, but using a factory was a new way of making it. It became possible to make large amounts of it cheaply because natural gas was plentiful and inexpensive. At that time, carbon black was used to make ink, paint, and crayons. It is now used mostly to make car tyres.

In the early 1900s, the petrochemical business began to grow. There were a lot of oil refineries, and they created chemical by-products. Oil companies wanted to find ways to use these chemicals.

Soon scientists and engineers learned to change the hydrocarbon molecules in coal, petroleum, and refinery by-products. From the 1920s to the 1940s, familiar man-made products like nylon, polystyrene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) were developed. Synthetic dyes, paints, and medicines were invented.

Today, petrochemical products are everywhere. They are very useful, but they also have some problems. People throw away a lot of plastic products because they are inexpensive. One problem with plastics is that generally they do not rot or break up like natural materials. Plastic bags are already polluting oceans and killing wildlife. They cannot easily be remelted and reused. Scientists and petrochemical manufacturers continue their work to develop safe and useful products.

Abridged from: Naunton, J, Pohl, A. Oil and Gas 1, Oxford University Press, 2011