Types of Raw Materials

Types of Raw Materials

Types of Raw Materials Jonathan Poland

A raw material is a basic and unprocessed resource that is used as an input in the production of goods and services. Raw materials can include minerals, metals, forest products, agricultural products, chemicals, and other natural resources. These materials are often considered to be the building blocks of the economy, as they are used to produce the products, buildings, and infrastructure that support economic activity. For example, steel is a raw material that is used in the construction of buildings and vehicles, while oil is a raw material that is used to produce a wide range of products, including plastics and fuels. Raw materials are an essential part of the economy, and their availability and quality can have a significant impact on the success of businesses and industries.

In some cases, raw materials are processed and/or manufactured. For example, petrochemicals are used to make plastic but from the perspective of most industries, plastic is a raw material. Rare earths are 17 nearly-indistinguishable soft heavy metals that are difficult to mine because they are seldom found in large deposits. They are considered rare for this reason but are more abundant than copper in the Earth’s crust. Raw materials are extracted at great scale and can have significant environmental and social impact. As such, responsible selection/sourcing of raw materials is a basic sustainability practice.

The following is a list of major raw materials.

  • Abrasives
  • Almonds
  • Aluminium
  • Bamboo
  • Bauxite
  • Beans
  • Butter
  • Cement
  • Chemicals
  • Chromium
  • Clay
  • Cobalt
  • Cocoa
  • Coffee
  • Construction Aggregate (sand, gravel, crushed stone etc..)
  • Copper
  • Corn
  • Cotton
  • Diamond
  • Diatomite
  • Dyes
  • Feldspar
  • Fish
  • Fruit Juices
  • Fruits
  • Gemstones
  • Glass / Silica
  • Gold
  • Graphite
  • Gravel
  • Gypsum
  • Honey
  • Iron
  • Lime
  • Limestone
  • Lithium
  • Lumber
  • Magnesium
  • Manganese
  • Marble
  • Meet
  • Metal Alloys
  • Milk
  • Millet
  • Molasses
  • Molybdenum
  • Natural Gas
  • Natural Rubber (latex)
  • Nickel
  • Nitrogen
  • Nuts
  • Oats
  • Palladium
  • Peanuts
  • Peat
  • Petroleum
  • Phosphate Rock
  • Pigments
  • Plastics
  • Platinum
  • Potash
  • Quartz Crystal
  • Rare Earths
  • Rice
  • Rocks
  • Salt
  • Sand
  • Silicon
  • Silk
  • Silver
  • Soda Ash
  • Sorghum
  • Soybeans
  • Spices
  • Steel
  • Stone
  • Sugar
  • Sulfur
  • Synthetic Fibers
  • Synthetic Rubber
  • Talc
  • Tea
  • Tin
  • Titanium
  • Vegetables
  • Water
  • Wheat
  • Wool
  • Zinc
Learn More
Marketing Technologies Jonathan Poland

Marketing Technologies

Marketing technology, or “martech,” refers to the tools and software used to support marketing efforts, such as advertising, brand management,…

Market Penetration Jonathan Poland

Market Penetration

Market penetration refers to the process of increasing the market share of a company’s existing products or services within a…

Hyperinflation Jonathan Poland

Hyperinflation

Hyperinflation is a situation in which there is a rapid and significant increase in the price of goods and services,…

Rites of Passage Jonathan Poland

Rites of Passage

A rite of passage is a ceremony or event that marks an important transition or milestone in a person’s life.…

Building Trust Jonathan Poland

Building Trust

To build trust, it is necessary to engage in ongoing behavior that helps people trust you. In general, people tend…

Customer Relationships Jonathan Poland

Customer Relationships

Customer relationships refer to the interactions between a business and its potential, current, and former customers. These interactions can take…

Managing Expectations Jonathan Poland

Managing Expectations

Managing expectations is the practice of communicating information to prevent gaps between stakeholder perceptions and business realities. It is common…

Capitalist Realism Jonathan Poland

Capitalist Realism

Capitalist realism is the theory that capitalism is the only economic system that is realistically possible or viable. This term…

Employability Jonathan Poland

Employability

Employability refers to the value that an employee brings to an employer. It is the collection of attributes, skills, and…

Content Database

Search over 1,000 posts on topics across
business, finance, and capital markets.

Generic Brand Jonathan Poland

Generic Brand

A generic brand is a type of brand that does not have a distinct or unique image. Instead, it is…

Research Skills Jonathan Poland

Research Skills

Research skills are abilities that enable individuals to effectively investigate, analyze, and communicate knowledge. These skills are essential for success…

Target Costing Jonathan Poland

Target Costing

Target costing is a cost management approach that involves setting a target cost for a product or service and then…

Product Development Jonathan Poland

Product Development

Product development is the process of designing, creating, and launching new products. It typically involves a number of different steps,…

Management Efficiency Jonathan Poland

Management Efficiency

Management efficiency refers to the ability of a company or organization to effectively utilize its resources, such as capital, labor,…

Administrative Skills Jonathan Poland

Administrative Skills

Administrative skills are abilities and personality traits that enable a person to be efficient and organized in a workplace setting.…

Praxeology Jonathan Poland

Praxeology

Praxeology is the study of human action, particularly as it pertains to decision-making and the pursuit of goals. The term…

What is Progress? Jonathan Poland

What is Progress?

Progress is the advancement of positive and lasting change that has a significant impact. It can be challenging to determine…

Pricing 101 Jonathan Poland

Pricing 101

Pricing refers to the process of determining the value that a business will receive in exchange for its products or…