Oil refining has a lot of byproducts. That industry has been developing uses for those byproducts for decades with all sorts of chemicals and production developments. And because it is a byproduct, most of those synthetic materials are cheaper than they might otherwise be. They have given healthy bonuses to people who come up with ideas on using waste product. I have been told they sometimes put bounties out to come up with uses for waste products. I don't know if some people realize just how much development has gone into these things and how many people (rich and poor) have made good money off that industry.