How Many Petroleum Products Did You Use Today? The petroleum industry keeps America moving, working, playing and so much more. Most people associate petroleum with just transportation, but every day, we use thousands of other products that are made from this integral natural resource. In fact, oil and natural gas are an essential part of our everyday lives. Almost 150 years ago, “Colonel” Edwin Drake discovered oil near Titusville, Pennsylvania, now known as the birthplace of America’s petroleum industry. This launched the industry and shaped the modern world as we know it. In 1872, Robert Chesebrough, a young chemist, patented a method for turning the waxy residue from oil wells into a balm. He called it Vaseline. Then, in 1913, Thomas Williams watched his sister, Mabel, mix Vaseline with burnt cork to color her eyebrows and lashes. This inspired him to create a cosmetic line, and before long, he was selling “Lash-Brow-Ine” by mail order catalog. His company went on to become Maybelline. Another interesting fact: until 1910, automobile tires were white. Then B.F. Goodrich Co. introduced carbon black into the vulcanizing process, which changed the color and dramatically increased the strength and durability of tires. The carbon black material came from a controlled combustion of both oil and natural gas. Today, there are well over 6,000 petroleum products being used in households and businesses across the country. 16 UPDATE
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