Indoor and outdoor leisure
Hobbies, sporting equipment and DIY materials have also benefited considerably from petrochemistry. Fitness centres, athletic clubs, swimming pools all rely heavily on petrochemistry for their fittings and equipment. The DIY enthusiast has easy access to off-the-shelf paints, varnishes, adhesives, household wiring etc. that come in handy packages, guaranteeing a long life and a minimum of mixing and messing. Very often, petrochemicals enter both into the products themselves and their packaging. TV sets, radios, CD players, CDs (made from polycarbonate), audio and videotapes, musical instruments depend on specialised petrochemicals. Artists, both professionals and amateurs, use colour pencils, paints and inks that have been manufactured thanks to the input of the petrochemicals industry. Dyes and pigments are also essential for colour printing, photography and dyeing. Some petrochemicals are used as intermediates when manufacturing paints, like acrylic acid or acetyls; some are used as solvents that make paints flow and inks dry.
For more information, see Plastics in sport and Plastics, a material of innovation for the electrical and electronic industry
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