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What chemical engineering has in store for you
With a wide range of training, analytical skills, and focus on understanding processes, chemical engineers can work successfully in areas ranging from financial analysis to environmental science to process engineering.
To the chemical engineer, a process is any operation that changes raw materials into finished products. This change can either be a chemical reaction or a physical manipulation of materials to yield new products. They find: new ways to improve product quality; new methods to cut production costs; new techniques to improve efficiency and reduce waste; and new routes to reduce the environmental effects of manufacturing.
The impact of chemical engineers is felt on the processes (and resultant products) in a wide range of industries, including petrochemicals, inorganic chemicals and materials, material electronics, pharmaceuticals and biomedical engineering, environmental science, food processing and materials science.
A chemical engineer can work on tasks as varied as designing a distillation column for a new product, preparing an environmental impact statement, or analyzing financial data. The objective is always the same-take the existing process, and then make it better, cheaper, safer, or faster.
Chemical engineering is closely associated with chemistry, but it is a distinct discipline. It appeared during the late 19th century as the needs of mechanical engineers, applied chemists, and chemical plant operators converged. Each group contributed a different piece to what would become chemical engineering.
The formal discipline was established in 1888, when specific courses in chemical engineering were introduced at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Other universities soon followed, as chemical engineering departments grew out of chemistry departments. This growth was driven by the need for applied processes to move chemistry discoveries from the laboratory to commercial production.
Focused as it is on applying chemical discoveries to industrial processes, chemical engineering has also provided training in economic analysis as well. Using this training, chemical engineers evaluate the economics of new processes. Determining the return on investment of new projects places chemical engineering art the intersection of science and business.
The basic educational requirement to work as a chemical engineer is a BE degree. In the four-year degree program, the first two years are dedicated to building a strong foundation in chemistry, physics and mathematics. The student also takes courses in chemical processes as well as computer programming, economics and business management.
In the final two years, the student takes mainly chemical engineering courses that cover fluid flow, heat transfer, mass transfer, chemical reaction engineering, process control, and computer-aided design.
Professional roles
Chemical engineers work in many different positions, though all build on chemical engineering fundamentals. Some of the more common job functions are:
— Process engineer design new manufacturing equipment and processes, as well as run plant trials to test process modifications and new products. They also gather feedback from operations personnel to discover new ways to improve plant efficiency or product quality.
— Manufacturing engineers support the day-to-day operation of a production facility. This includes troubleshooting operating problems, evaluating plant operating efficiencies, training operators, and maintaining product quality.
— Project engineers manage the installation and construction of new equipment and plants. They work with contractors, equipment vendors, and maintenance personnel to estimate and schedule new installations, as well as prepare mechanical design packages.
— Technical service engineers support customers in the use of the company’s products. This support includes troubleshooting problems with product use and analyzing the impact of a product on the customer’s process.
— Sales engineers market and sell a company’s products. They also work with new customers to explain proper use or installation of new products, and follow up with customers to solve any problems that develop.
Chemical engineers find employment in a wide variety of industries including: traditional chemical industries (fertilizers, acids, etc); the oil industry (oil recovery, oil refining, etc.); energy industries (hydroelectric, nuclear, etc); the pulp and paper industry (paper, cardboard, etc, from wood); the mining industry (silver, gold, nickel, etc); the food industry (processing, preservation, etc); medical fields (artificial organs, prostheses, dental materials, pharmaceuticals, etc); environmental fields (prevention and clean-up of pollution, water purification, etc); plastics, rubber and coatings industries (clothing, automobile parts, paint, etc); the biotechnology industry (for example, fermentation in brewing processes, production of enzymes); manufacture of computer components (for example, microchips); computer control of chemical processes (safety, stability, etc); teaching, sales, marketing, research, management and many other.
Chemical engineering is a versatile degree, providing many career options and long-term advancement opportunities. The problem-solving techniques and generalist nature of chemical engineering also lend themselves to employment outside of the chemical industry. For many chemical engineers, a Master’s of Business Administration is a popular choice to add in-depth business knowledge to a technical background. As chemical engineers, having a strong background in process economics, gives the big picture view of a business process.
The added benefit with the MBA is a focus on outside-of-the-fence market opportunities. There are significant benefits to engineers who can align the internal capabilities of their process with the external market opportunities.
Consulting is a significant function within the chemical engineering professional community. This work includes environmental analysis and improvements for private industry and the government, as well as process plant design and installation. Consulting engineers responsibilities include: checking that equipment arrives and is installed properly; commissioning new equipment; training new operators.
Chemical engineers are well suited to addressing environmental science and pollution control. The chemical engineer brings a unique perspective to environmental issues. By combining chemistry-related training with analytical thinking, the chemical engineer can serve many diverse roles in the various facets of environmental protection.
The combined background in chemistry and engineering gives chemical engineers the training to understand environmental processes and the chemical reactions that underpin them.
Chemical engineers are found in many roles concerning the environment, including: designing, installing, and operating pollution control equipment and treatment facilities; developing environmental mitigation and remediation plans; analyzing the environmental impact of new production; developing plans for environmental resource management.
A typical chemical engineering job is to take a discovery from a chemical laboratory, and turn them into a commercial scale process. But chemical engineering has expanded to many non-traditional fields. Now chemical engineering has expanded into fields that traditionally belong to other engineering disciplines, as well as new disciplines.
As technology keeps getting more and more complex, and interdisciplinary teams of scientists and engineers can only solve many of today’s challenges. With their diverse skill sets, chemical engineers will maintain their leading role in the development of advanced technology.
The writer
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