10 Surprising Uses of Commodities

Commodities play an important role in our everyday lives—our houses are made of many resources, such as lumber and aluminum, and are heated with coal or natural gas. We eat foods made from corn and wheat, we wear jewelry made from gold or silver. Crude oil powers our automobiles and several metals are needed for our computers, cell phones and flat screen TVs.

Companies are continually striving to use commodities in innovative ways. While the use of corn as ethanol would be one unexpected use, did you know that scientists are finding that other resources contain superpowers to fight cancer, kill bacteria and protect against radiation? Read further to discover surprising uses of commodities in our daily lives.
Aluminum has been used in antacid tablets such as Maalox and Equate, as aluminum and magnesium work together to lower the acid in the stomach and relieve heartburn symptoms. Source: heartburn.com
Did you know that combining gold and tea can cure cancer? Researchers found that when gold nanoparticles were mixed with a certain compound found in tea, the nanoparticles effectively destroyed aggressive forms of prostate cancer. Source: goldkings.com, geology.com, phys.org
Without crude oil, we wouldn’t have water bottles, baby diapers and ink. While 88 percent of crude oil is used and processed as fuel, the other 12 percent is converted into an assortment of other materials, but mainly plastics. Source: roadandtravel.com/earthtones/2006/crudeoil
Starches from corn provide the velvety feel that is soft and smooth to the touch in lots of beauty products. The corn-on-the-cob that Americans dip in butter and sprinkle with salt is found in lotions, baby powders, makeup and lip balms. Source: www.ingredion.com, agron.iastate.edu
Did you know that copper is naturally antibacterial? This important quality inhibits the spread of bacteria in water and air distribution systems that are made from it. So when you see brass doorknobs, handrails and fingerplates in schools, hospital and other public places, know that your risk of bacterial transfer has just been naturally minimized. Source: eurocopper.org
Can’t believe your margarine contains nickel? Because vegetable oils and margarines contain high proportions of polysaturated and monounsaturated fats, they are liquid at room temperature, making them nearly impossible to spread on bread or toast. Adding a nickel catalyst ‘hardens’ these oils by hydrogenating them. Source: www.chemguide.co.uk
The starch found in wheat makes it suitable to be used as an adhesive. Wheat starch is what holds the bottom of paper grocery sacks together—it’s also the adhesive found on postage stamps. Source: kswheat.com
This precious metal has the ability, in certain chemical forms, to inhibit the division of living cells. Since discovering this property in 1962, a wide range of cancers has been treated with platinum-based drugs, including satraplatin, which will soon be used in the treatment of prostate cancer. Source: platinum.matthey.com/applications
Palladium helps purify groundwater by removing the hydrocarbons that are used as solvents and degreasers and used in the production of paints and adhesives. With the addition of hydrogen gas, palladium is used as a catalyst to promote the chemical conversion of contaminants into something more benign. Source: Stillwaterpalladium.com
Did you know that natural gas played an important role in the doubling of agricultural yields between 1950 and 1990? When you apply high pressure and intense heat to air and natural gas over an iron oxide catalyst, you’ll get ammonia, essential for nitrogen fertilizers. Source: wired.com/ wiredscience/2008/05/how-to-make-nit/