Raw material

What is the raw material?

The raw material is matter extracted from nature what, After going through transformation processes, it becomes a good.

This transformation provides value to the initial product and contributes with the development of the economy. For example, oil is the raw material for fuel.

Characteristics of the raw material

The characteristics that define the raw material are the following:

• Its production depends on the season, because there are products that are only obtained at a certain time of the year.
• It is part of the means of production of final goods for consume.
• It can be renewable or non-renewable.
• It fulfills a fundamental role in the production process.
• It is extracted from nature by the primary sector and transformed for consumption by the secondary sector.

Types of raw material

We can classify the raw material as follows:

The raw material can be classified based on its origin.

• Vegetable: that matter that is extracted from vegetation, such as wood, fruits, seeds, wheat, soy, among others.
• Animal: matter that comes from animals, such as skins, milk, wool, silk, meat, among others.
• Mineral: matter that originates from the earth from natural processes that occur in the soil, resulting in gold, silver, iron, copper, among others.
• Liquid or gaseous: materials such as water, oxygen, hydrogen and all those products found in nature in these states.
• Fossil: matters such as oil, diamonds, natural gas and those originated from plants and organisms who live on earth.

Importance of raw material

Raw material plays an extremely important role in people's lives, since constitutes the main means for the production of goods used for basic consumption. So, without these matters, the survival of man would not be possible.

In addition, it is the main link in the economic sectors that develop the production process, which would not be possible without the existence of raw material.

Examples of raw materials

Some examples of raw materials are the following: