what is in common with crude oil separation and the production of plastics.
Plastics generally start with crude oil distillation products
Carbon. Carbon is in common with crude oil and plastics. Crude oil is the feedstock for the plastics industry, as well as the pharmaceutical industry, not to mention the fuels industry. Carbon is found in crude oil and carbon is literally the backbone of plastics. Plastics exist because carbon atoms can bond with themselves to make long chains of carbon atoms which are necessary for the production of plastic.