What Is Chemical Engineering
What Is Chemical Engineering
For many years, most chemical engineers took jobs in the oil or petrochemical industry. Job functions
typically involved the development or operation of processes to convert oil-based feedstocks into energy or
other useful chemical products ranging from fibers for clothing to lubricants to fertilizers. In recent decades,
however, job descriptions have become far more diverse. Chemical engineers often develop or operate
processes to create products ranging from integrated circuits to disease-fighting drugs to fuel cells. Some
recent graduates use a chemical engineering bachelor's degree as a launching pad for careers as physicians
or patent attorneys.
The ladder idea provides more than a simple picture of the conceptual structure of chemical engineering,
however. The idea also illustrates an important point about the use of this structure. Consider how a house
painter uses a ladder. The skilled painter moves continually up and down the rungs as circumstances
dictate. When carrying materials and brushes to the third floor, the painter may climb rapidly, covering a
great deal of territory. When scraping the stubborn shavings from an old window, however, the painter may
need to stay on one particular rung for a long time. Good painting requires a constellation of climbing skills
integrated judiciously: knowing when to climb, when to descend, when to overlap ladder segments, how to
lean, how to reach. Although these skills can be described and listed, they cannot be used algorithmically.
Judicious ladder use requires judgment and experience (i.e., "ladder wisdom").
In a similar way, when we want to transform chemical substances, the "ladder" of chemistry/transport,
balances, and optimization offers a versatile tool. The skilled chemical engineer moves continually over the
span of length scales from atomic to factory-level as circumstances dictate. When designing or optimizing an
overall process flow, the chemical engineer may move rapidly up and down the span of length scales. When
troubleshooting a particular unit operation, however, the chemical engineer may need to stay at that level for
a long time with just a few balance equations. Good chemical engineering requires a constellation of
intellectual skills integrated judiciously: knowing what kind of balance equation to write, what control volume
to use, what terms to neglect, when to overlap tools from different length scales, what mathematics to use.
Although these skills can be described and listed, they cannot be employed algorithmically. Judicious
chemical engineering requires judgment and experience (i.e., "chemical engineering wisdom"). Thus,
chemical engineering has been aptly called the "liberal arts of engineering."
The ability to think quantitatively and integratively about chemistry and transport over many length scales,
with wise judgment born of experience, underpins the true value-added contribution of chemical engineering.
This ability probably forms part of the reason chemical engineers continue to enjoy high entry-level salaries.
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The ability to think quantitatively and integratively about chemistry and transport over many
length scales, with wise judgment born of experience, underpins the true value-added
contribution of chemical engineering. This ability probably forms part of the reason chemical
engineers continue to enjoy high entry-level salaries
"chemistry" refers to the rates and extents of transformation among substances;"transport" refers to the
movement of mass, energy or momentum.
The ladder idea provides more than a simple picture of the conceptual structure of chemical engineering,
. The rungs of the ladder represent the mathematical balance equations that connect chemistry and
transport. The balance equations can be time-dependent or steady-state. Whatever their nature, however,
these balance equations are rarely written in their own right; they are almost always written to optimize or
control some variable within them. The rungs, therefore, also represent the use of balance equations for the
optimization and control of useful commercial processes.
most chemical engineers took jobs in the oil or petrochemical industry. Job functions typically involved the
development or operation of processes to convert oil-based feedstocks into energy or other useful chemical
products ranging from fibers for clothing to lubricants to fertilizers. In recent decades, however, job
descriptions have become far more diverse