Examples of Raw Materials Used in Industries

Industries draw on a wide range of raw materials, including metals (iron ore, bauxite, copper), nonmetallic minerals (limestone, silica sand, gypsum), energy sources (crude oil, natural gas, coal, uranium, biomass), petrochemical feedstocks (naphtha, ethane, benzene, ethylene), agricultural products (timber, cotton, natural rubber, vegetable oils, grains), critical minerals (lithium, cobalt, rare earths), chemicals and industrial gases (salt, sulfur, chlorine, ammonia, oxygen), and recycled inputs (metal scrap, cullet, recycled plastics and paper). These inputs underpin everything from construction and transportation to electronics, packaging, textiles, and food processing.

Why raw materials matter across industries

Raw materials are the base inputs that are transformed into intermediate and finished goods. They determine product performance, cost, and sustainability, and they shape supply chains—from mines and fields to refineries, mills, and factories. Understanding the main types and examples helps clarify how sectors source, substitute, and secure their essential inputs.

Core categories and examples

Metals and mining inputs

The metals category includes ferrous and non‑ferrous ores and concentrates, plus scrap that serves as secondary raw material for smelting and refining.

• Iron ore (hematite, magnetite) and metallurgical coal/coke for steelmaking
• Bauxite and alumina for primary aluminum
• Copper concentrates (e.g., chalcopyrite)
• Nickel ores (laterite and sulfide)
• Chromite and manganese ore for alloying
• Zinc and lead concentrates
• Titanium ores (ilmenite, rutile)
• Tin ore (cassiterite), molybdenum, tungsten, vanadium-bearing feeds
• Secondary metals: steel scrap, aluminum scrap, copper scrap

These materials feed steel mills, foundries, and non‑ferrous smelters, enabling infrastructure, transport, machinery, and consumer goods.

Nonmetallic minerals and construction inputs

Nonmetallic minerals provide essential inputs for cement, glass, ceramics, fillers, and construction aggregates.

• Limestone, dolomite, and gypsum for cement and plaster
• Silica sand/quartz for glass and foundry molds
• Clays (kaolin, bentonite) and feldspar for ceramics
• Soda ash (trona/nahcolite) for glass and chemicals
• Phosphate rock and potash for fertilizers
• Talc, mica, barite, and natural graphite as industrial minerals
• Aggregates (crushed stone, sand, gravel) and dimension stone (granite, marble)

These mineral inputs are the backbone of buildings, infrastructure, packaging glass, sanitaryware, and a wide range of industrial applications.

Energy and fuels

Energy commodities are burned for power or heat and also serve as feedstocks for chemicals and process heat in heavy industry.

• Crude oil and condensates
• Natural gas and natural gas liquids (ethane, propane, butane)
• Thermal coal
• Biomass (wood chips, pellets, bagasse)
• Uranium oxide (yellowcake) for nuclear fuel fabrication

These fuels power manufacturing, enable high‑temperature processes, and supply base chemicals in the case of oil and gas.

Petrochemical and polymer feedstocks

Hydrocarbon feedstocks and monomers are the starting points for plastics, fibers, elastomers, and solvents.

• Naphtha, ethane, and propane (steam‑cracking feedstocks)
• Ethylene, propylene, butadiene (olefins for PE, PP, SBR)
• Benzene, toluene, xylenes (aromatics for styrenics, nylons, PET)
• Paraxylene, purified terephthalic acid (PTA), monoethylene glycol (MEG) for polyester/PET
• Styrene, vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), acrylonitrile, caprolactam
• Methanol (to formaldehyde, acetic acid, olefins)

These substances flow into resins, fibers, films, foams, and numerous chemical derivatives across packaging, automotive, textiles, and consumer goods.

Agricultural and forest‑sourced materials

Bio‑based materials span feedstocks for food, textiles, paper, rubber, and bio‑chemicals.

• Timber logs, pulpwood, and wood chips; market pulp and dissolving pulp
• Cotton, jute, flax, hemp fibers
• Wool and leather hides
• Natural rubber latex
• Vegetable oils (palm, soybean, rapeseed/canola, sunflower) and tall oil
• Starches (corn, potato, tapioca) and sugars (sugarcane, sugar beet)
• Grains (corn, wheat, barley) and specialty crops (cacao, coffee) for food and beverage industries
• Cellulose, lignin, and other biorefinery streams

These inputs support packaging, textiles, tires, food processing, biofuels, and emerging bio‑based chemicals and materials.

Critical and electronic materials

High‑tech manufacturing and the energy transition rely on specialized minerals and refined materials with constrained supply.

• Lithium (spodumene concentrates, brines), cobalt, nickel, manganese, graphite (natural and synthetic) for batteries
• Rare earths (e.g., neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium) for permanent magnets
• Gallium, germanium, indium, tellurium, selenium for semiconductors and photovoltaics
• Tantalum and niobium for capacitors and superalloys
• Silicon metal and high‑purity quartz for solar and electronics
• Tin for solder and chemicals

These materials enable EVs, wind turbines, smartphones, data centers, and solar panels, where purity and supply security are critical.

Chemicals and industrial gases

Basic chemicals and gases act as universal process inputs, reagents, and building blocks across sectors.

• Sodium chloride (rock salt, brine) for chlor‑alkali
• Chlorine, caustic soda, and hydrochloric acid
• Sulfur (often recovered from oil and gas) and sulfuric acid
• Ammonia (for fertilizers and chemicals), urea, ammonium nitrate
• Phosphoric and nitric acids
• Solvents: ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, acetone
• Carbon black and silica for rubber and plastics
• Industrial gases: oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen

These inputs support refining, metals, pulp and paper, water treatment, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and electronics manufacturing.

Recycled and secondary raw materials

Secondary feedstocks reduce demand for virgin materials and are increasingly integrated into manufacturing.

• Ferrous and non‑ferrous metal scrap (steel, aluminum, copper)
• Recovered paper and OCC (old corrugated containers)
• Recycled plastics (rPET flakes, rHDPE pellets, PP regrind)
• Glass cullet
• Crumb rubber from end‑of‑life tires
• E‑waste derived metals (gold, silver, palladium, copper)

Recycling closes material loops, lowers energy use and emissions, and improves supply resilience for many industries.

Sourcing trends and considerations (2024–2025)

Raw material sourcing is shifting with electrification, geopolitics, sustainability rules, and logistics realities. The following themes are shaping procurement and investment decisions.

• Energy transition demand: Strong growth in lithium, copper, nickel, graphite, and rare earths; battery chemistries like LFP are moderating cobalt and high‑nickel needs in some applications.
• Supply diversification: Policies such as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and the EU Critical Raw Materials Act are encouraging new mining, refining, and recycling capacity closer to end markets.
• Circular economy: Scaling of aluminum and steel recycling, PET bottle‑to‑bottle, and battery materials recovery to cut emissions and reduce import dependence.
• Traceability and compliance: Expanding ESG and due‑diligence requirements (e.g., deforestation‑free sourcing for select agri‑commodities, carbon border adjustments, scope‑3 reporting) are raising data and certification needs.
• Logistics and risk: Freight disruptions and longer routes have periodically tightened supplies and increased costs, prompting higher inventories and multi‑sourcing strategies.

Together, these trends are reshaping which raw materials are preferred, where they are sourced, and how resilient supply chains must be to meet demand reliably.

Summary

Across industries, raw materials range from metals and minerals to hydrocarbons, chemicals, bio‑based inputs, high‑tech minerals, and recycled feedstocks. Key examples include iron ore, bauxite, copper, limestone, silica sand, crude oil, natural gas, coal, uranium, naphtha, ethylene, timber, cotton, natural rubber, vegetable oils, lithium, rare earths, salt, sulfur, ammonia, industrial gases, and a wide array of recycled materials. The mix companies choose reflects performance needs, regulatory pressures, cost, and the drive to decarbonize and secure supply.

What are the examples of raw materials in industry?

Examples of raw materials include steel, oil, corn, grain, gasoline, lumber, forest resources, plastic, natural gas, coal, and minerals.

What are the four types of raw materials?

What Are the 4 Types of Raw Materials?

• Agricultural Products: These are raw materials derived from farming. Examples include cotton, wheat, and corn.
• Mineral Resources: These are extracted from the earth.
• Energy Resources: Materials that are sources of energy.
• Forest Products: Raw materials obtained from forests.

What are the 17 strategic raw materials?

The European Critical Raw Materials Act focuses on 17 “strategic” minerals or elements: bauxite (key to aluminum production), bismuth, boron, cobalt, copper, gallium, germanium, lithium, magnesium, manganese, graphite, nickel, platinum, silicon, titanium, tungsten, and rare earth elements (which in turn include 17 …

What are raw material industries?

These industries are represented by metal industries, non-metallic minerals industries, minerals and non-energy extractive industries and forest-based industries.