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Materials are physical substances used as inputs to production or manufacturing. Raw materials are first extracted or harvested from the earth and divided into a form that can be easily transported and stored, then processed to produce semi-finished materials. These can be input into a new cycle of production and finishing processes to create finished materials, ready for distribution and consumption.

An example of a raw material is cotton, which can be processed into thread, which can then be woven into cloth, a semi-finished material. Cutting and sewing the fabric turns it into a garment, which is a finished material. Steelmaking is another example—raw materials are mined, refined and processed into steel, a semi-finished material. Steel is then used as an input in many other industries to make finished products.

See also

• Biomaterial
• Commodity
• List of building materials
• Materials science
• Natural resource

Wikipedia content modification information:

• This page was last modified on 28 August 2008, at 15:11.

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