raw material
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raw material
An unprocessed substance obtained from nature that serves as the basis for the industrial production of goods or for energy generation.
Erdöl ist ein wichtiger Rohstoff für die chemische Industrie.
Petroleum is an important raw material for the chemical industry.
The word is made up of 'roh' (raw) and 'Stoff' (material/substance). So it literally means 'raw material' or 'unprocessed material'.
Holz ist ein vielseitiger und nachwachsender Rohstoff.
Wood is a versatile and renewable raw material.
Common verbs used in connection with raw materials are 'fördern' (to extract), 'gewinnen' (to obtain/extract), 'verarbeiten' (to process), and 'importieren' (to import). Typical adjectives are 'wertvoll' (valuable), 'selten' (rare), or 'natürlich' (natural).
Viele Länder müssen wichtige Rohstoffe importieren.
Many countries have to import important raw materials.
The term 'Rohstoff' (raw material) is very often used in economic, industrial, and geological contexts when referring to the basis of production.
Die Preise für viele Rohstoffe sind in den letzten Monaten gestiegen.
The prices of many raw materials have risen in recent months.
material
Material and Rohstoff can both refer to a substance from which something is made. Rohstoff, however, emphasizes that the substance is obtained from nature and is still unprocessed, while Material is more general and can also refer to substances that have already been processed, such as plastic or fabric. Use Rohstoff for the natural basis of production and Material in the more general context of manufacturing.
Erdöl ist ein wichtiger Rohstoff für die Herstellung vieler Kunststoffe.
Crude oil is an important raw material for producing many plastics.
Für die neuen Stühle verwendet die Firma robustes Kunststoffmaterial.
The company uses durable plastic material for the new chairs.
