What Some Chemical Engineers Do for a Living

What is Chemical Engineering?

Chemical engineering is the management of processes which are used to

upgrade materials by changing their physical and chemical properties. It is a
key engineering discipline, which combines knowledge of basic chemistry
and mathematics with engineering principles and real world economic
considerations.
Chemical engineering applies the principles of the mathematical, physical,
and life sciences together with the principles of engineering, economics,
and social sciences, to the development of the optimum use of natural
resources.
Chemical engineers concern with the chemical processes that turn raw
materials into valuable products.

Chemical engineering is concerned with the design, construction, and

management of factories in which the essential processes consist of
chemical reactions.
Like all engineers, chemical engineers use math, physics, and economics to
solve technical problems.
The difference between chemical engineers and other types of engineers
is that they apply a knowledge of chemistry in addition to other
engineering disciplines.
Chemical engineers sometimes are called 'universal engineers' because
their scientific and technical mastery is so broad.

What chemical engineer do

• make designs and invent new processes

• construct instruments and facilities.
• plan and operate facilities.

Chemical engineers help to develop

atomic science, polymers, paper, dyes, drugs, plastics, fertilizers, foods,
petrochemicals... pretty much everything.

Chemical engineers can make processes more cost effective or more

environmentally friendly or more efficient

Job opportunities
_ large chemical, petrochemical, pulp and paper, plastics and other
materials, textile manufacturing firms, pharmaceuticals, paints and dyes,
and cosmetics, among many other products.
_ government agencies and design and consulting firms (many
specializing in environmental regulation and pollution control)
_ companies in fields such as microelectronics and biotechnology that
have not traditionally been associated with chemical engineering.
_ graduation at school in chemical engineering.
The masters degree candidates will get advanced education in traditional
chemical engineering areas (thermodynamics, chemical reactor analysis
and design, fluid dynamics, mass and heat transfer, and chemical process
design and control), and in about two years most of them will graduate and
get jobs doing process or control systems design or product development.
The doctoral degree candidates will get advanced education and work on
major research projects, and in four to five years most will graduate and
either go into industrial research and development or join a universityfaculty.
Working areas

Production and utilization of energy

Environmental protection
Pulp and paper
Advanced materials (catalysts, alloys, enzymes, nanomaterials...)
Manufacture of chemicals (dyes, paints, fertilizers, acids....)
Plastics and fibers manufacture
Food Processing
Rubber Industry
Consulting
Metallurgy
Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals
Cosmetics, perfumes and flavors
Instrumentation Development and Marketing
Manufacture of Medical Devices
Government
Patent Law

Significant Achievements of Chemical Engineering

• Splitting the atom, isolating isotopes (medicine, biology, archaelogy)

• The plastic age (bakalite, polyethylene, polystyrene...)
• Human reactor, analogy with complex chemical processes
• Wonder drugs for the masses (low price, high volume)
• Sythetic fibers (textiles industry)
• Liquified air (nitrogen, oxygen, argon)
• Environmental protection (catalytic converters, waste treatment)
• Food (fertilizers, biotechnology, food processing)
• Petrochemicals (gasoline, plastics, rubber, synthetic fibers...)
• Synthetic rubber (tires, gaskets, hoses, conveyor belts, shoes

Where do the chemical engineers work?

_ 45% do ``traditional'' ChE: chemical, petroleum,
plastic, paper, consumer goods

_ 35% do ``new'' ChE: environment, consulting,

microelectronics, biotechnology, materials

_ 10% go to ChE graduate school

_ 10% go to other graduate school (law, medicine,

business)
Code of Ethics (American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public and protect the
environment in performance of their professional duties.
• Formally advise their employers or clients (and consider further disclosure, if
warranted) if they perceive that a consequence of their duties will adversely
affect the present or future health or safety of their colleagues or the public.

• Accept responsibility for their actions, seek and heed critical review of their
work and offer
objective criticism of the work of others.

• Issue statements or present information only in an objective and truthful

manner.

• Act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or

trustees, avoiding
conflicts of interest and never breaching confidentiality.

• Treat fairly and respectfully all colleagues and co-workers, recognizing their
unique contributions
and capabilities.

• Perform professional services only in areas of their competence.

• Build their professional reputations on the merits of their services.

• Continue their professional development throughout their careers, and provide

opportunities for
the professional development of those under their supervision.

• Never tolerate harassment.

• Conduct themselves in a fair, honorable and respectful manner.