This 1976 ” better living through chemistry ” film from BP Chemicals showcases the petroleum industry and the impact petroleum-based products have made in other industries. The film serves to commemorate “the foundation of a factory, a company, and an industry” following BP’s ethylene plant going into production in April 1951 in Grangemouth, Scotland. The film opens with an Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde moving on a runway, taking off, and flying through the sky. Viewers see a ship at sea, cars on freeways, and power cables running over a rural landscape. There is an aerial shot of an oil refinery plant with furnaces, reactors, and more (02:20). Inside a control room, a man operates a monitor. The film shows a closeup shot of vials of various chemical compounds, including Propanol, Acetone, Methanol, and Cumene (03:53). Polyethylene granules are fed into a tube (04:38), and then transformed into a fluid. Synthetic rubber is produced from a machine. Several men prepare a hose to pump chemicals into tanker cars (05:33). A man monitors synthetic threads at a factory. Fibers are spun on spools (06:40), made from petrochemicals. Fabrics are dyed at another facility (07:42). The film shows various patterns of fabric from the dyes. Silk screen prints push dye through fabric. Men observe finished bolts of fabric after printing. Women pull on pantyhose (09:06), and the film shows women and men shopping for clothes in a department store. A body of a car is moved at a production plant, which appears to belong to the Ford Motor Company (10:20). Men spray quick-drying paint on the body of a car. The film shows the interior of a car and a close-up shot of a tire tread. Plastics are molded and pressed (11:36), as viewers see the production of molds, tubs, and plastic jugs. Plastic cups are mass-produced on a machine. The film shows some of the new plastic tools and devices found in homes, including a laundry basket, kitchenware, and plumbing pipes. There are several shots of perfumes in various bottles (13:30). Women purchase perfumes at a store. A woman tries on eye shadow. The film then shows several record players, a television, and a cassette player. Children ride a carousel (14:43). A man skydives out of a plane. The film shows other sports, including alpine skiing, motorbike racing, and hang gliding (15:40). A man sits in front of a massive computer in an open room. Women shop at a grocery store (16:35), showcasing the various plastic-related packaging designs used. A man drives a tractor pulling a pesticide sprayer (16:58). The film shows an aerial view of a petrol-chemical facility. A man switches out tapes at an audio-recording station for noise monitoring (18:09). On a ship out at sea, men take samples of water to check for pollution from the nearby petrol plant. Pharmaceutical pills are produced in mass at Beechams Pharmaceuticals (19:07). At what appears to be the Royal Free Hospital, surgeons operate on a patient, replacing a bone knee-cap with a plastic one. A doctor and a nurse check a newborn baby boy (20:40). The film concludes with a shot of an oil refinery plant.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com