World Materials Materials used in the world. Jun 8, 2020 Last updated: Jul 5, 2020 Table of Contents I think at some point, it is going to be worthwhile to map an extensive value chain from raw materials to finished products. Meanwhile, I'm collecting a flat list of items.
Also see Sustainable Materials of the Future .
Organisms
CO2 _2 2 ​
Key macronutrients - NPK
CaCO3 _3 3 ​ (calcite/aragonite) - marine biomineralizers
Si(OH)4 _4 4 ​ (silicic acid) - opal structures
Prehistoric
Obsidian, flint - cutting, piercing
Basalt, rhyolite, greenstone - pounding, pulverizing
yew, white ash, black locust, osage orange - bows
quicklime CaO - pottery
hydrated lime - whitewash, mortar, plaster
Cotton, wool
Medieval
Silt, Limestone
Copper, Tin - ornaments, military
Iron - tools, weapons, nails for ships, houses houses
Clay Bricks
Porcelain
Glass
Bronze, brass
Gunpowder - mixture of charcoal, sulphur, and potassium nitrate
Early Modern
Metallurgical coke - for "industrial" scale iron-smelting
Gold
Silver
Modern
Cylinder glass, crown glass --> Flat grass
Asbestos
Tin
Asphalt
Concrete, reinforced concrete
Steel
Aluminium - Bauxite (Al2 _2 2 ​ O3 _3 3 ​ )
Paper - with mechanical pulping, chemical pulping
Gas Liquefaction
Fuelwood & Wood
SiO2 _2 2 ​ - optical fibers, sandstone, quartz
Stainless steel - cutlery, surgical implants
Titanium
Copper - wiring, plumbing
Zinc
Lead - tetraethyl-lead to prevent engine knocking
Silicon
Plastic
Styrene
Cellulose Acetate
Polyvinylidine Chloride
Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon)
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
Mylar
nitrogen