What is used for manufacturing synthetic fibers, synthetic rubber, plastics, dye-stuffs, drugs and pharmaceuticals?

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC GD Constable (2022) Official Paper (Held On : 12 Jan 2023 Shift 3)

Answer 1

The correct answer is petrochemicals.

Key Points

Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum and natural gas.
They are used as raw materials in the manufacture of a wide variety of products, including synthetic fibers, synthetic rubber, plastics, dye-stuffs, drugs, and pharmaceuticals.

Additional Information

Sugar cane:
- Sugar cane is a tropical grass that is processed to extract sugar.
- The by-products of sugar production, such as molasses and bagasse (the fibrous residue after sugar extraction), can be used to produce a variety of products including rum, biofuel, and paper.
Natural gas:
- Natural gas is a fossil fuel used primarily for heating and electricity generation.
- It can also be used as a feedstock for producing petrochemicals, but its use is less common than petroleum because it requires more processing to create useful petrochemicals.
Coal:
- Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock primarily used for electricity generation and steel production.
- Coal can also be used to produce certain types of petrochemicals through a process called coal gasification, but this is less common than using petroleum because it is more expensive and environmentally damaging.