The term “industrial materials” serves as a broad and inclusive descriptor, aiming to categorize any raw material employed in the fabrication, production, manufacturing, or configuration of a service or product. Despite its extensive and general nature, this term encompasses a vast array of materials integral to the manufacturing of various items or products.
Although “industrial materials” is a comprehensive and all-encompassing term, the things it describes can be categorized into four groups, two of which involve consumables and materials intended for conversion into other products. Consumables encompass items like fuel, various liquids, and water, serving as supplies utilized in the manufacturing process but not incorporated into the end product. Raw materials adaptable for reshaping or reconfiguring to function as part of a larger device fall into the category of industrial materials convertible into other products.
Consumables, such as energy sources (electrical, fossil fuel, gas, etc.), are unseen components of the final product yet are essential for the production process. On the opposite end of the spectrum are raw materials that become integral components of the final product, influencing its quality, usefulness, and proper functionality. This group comprises an extensive list of raw materials, including minerals, metals, and ores.
Industrial materials convertible into various shapes and forms are typically individual pieces, like brackets, or components of more extensive devices. Their adaptability and configurability make them ideal for creating practical and useful products, fostering innovation in the process.
Beyond the groups of industrial materials used for creating other products, the third category encompasses both products and consumables, denoted as organic natural resources. This group involves animals cultivated for food, crops, and textiles, taking on diverse forms and functions as either final products or components processed before reaching that stage. For example, trees serve dual purposes as fuel and building materials.
Yet another facet of industrial materials involves those manually processed to be used in the creation of other products. This group includes mined and refined minerals like aluminum, utilized in the production of various devices and equipment. Industries falling into this category exist to convert raw natural minerals into industrial materials for use in manufacturing commercial and industrial products.
While “industrial materials” is an overarching term for the materials used in creating everyday items, it can be neatly classified into four groups: supplies, convertible materials, organic resources, and refinable minerals. This categorization facilitates a clearer understanding of the origins and utilization of industrial materials, offering insights into industrial, manufacturing, and production processes.
