NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Although crude oil is a source of raw material (feedstock) for making plastics, it is not the major source of feedstock for plastics production in the United States. Plastics are produced from natural gas, feedstocks derived from natural gas processing, and feedstocks derived from crude oil refining.

Detailed explanation-2: -Scientists have discovered a previously unknown way that some bacteria produce the chemical ethylene – a finding that could lead to new ways to produce plastics without using fossil fuels.

Detailed explanation-3: -Plastics are made from raw materials like natural gas, oil or plants, which are refined into ethane and propane. Ethane and propane are then treated with heat in a process called “cracking” which turns them into ethylene and propylene. These materials are combined together to create different polymers.

Detailed explanation-4: -Petroleum contains a lot of a chemical called propylene. To make plastic, refiners heat the propylene together with a catalyst – a substance that speeds up chemical reactions. This causes individual molecules of propylene to hook together like beads on a string.

Detailed explanation-5: -Over 99% of plastic is made from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels, and the fossil fuel and plastic industries are deeply connected.