Chemical Engineering Essay Research Paper Chemical EngineeringScopeChemical

Chemical Engineering Essay, Research Paper

Chemical Engineering

Scope

Chemical engineering is broader in scope than electrical, civil, or mechanical engineering, because it more or less consists of the equal use of the three main engineering cornerstones (mathematics, physics, and chemistry), while other professions are based on primarily the first two. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) describes chemical engineering as .that branch of engineering concerned with the development and application of manufacturing processes in which chemical or certain physical changes of materials are involved. Chemistry, physics, and mathematics are the underlying sciences of chemical engineering, and economics its guide in practice .. The chemical engineer is considered an engineering generalist because of a unique ability (among engineers) to understand and exploit chemical change. Familiar with all forms of matter and energy and their manipulation, the chemical engineer leaves detailed specialization in one area of technology, such as construction, machine, design, or electronics to others.

History

Chemical engineering, which in most general terms is applied chemistry, existed even in early civilizations. Chemical engineering is the newest of the four big engineering professions, which are civil, mechanical, and electrical. Chemical engineering dates back to Ancient Greece where they distilled alcoholic beverages, as did the Chinese, who had learned to distill alcohol from rice by 800 BC. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher of the fourth century BC, wrote about the process of obtaining fresh water by evaporating water for m the sea.

Chemical engineering evolved form two main roots. The earlier was industrial chemistry, in which the work of the chemical engineer emerged from what was previously done by a team of chemists and a mechanical engineer. The other main root came around because of the great innovations from the US, which consisted of a connected approach to unit operations. These were physical separations such as distillations, absorption, and extraction in which the principles of mass transfer, fluid dynamics, and heat transfer were combined in equipment design. The foundations of the modern field of chemical engineering were laid out during the Renaissance, when experimentation and the questioning of accepted scientific theories became widespread. This period saw the development of many new chemical processes, such as those for sulfuric acid (for fertilizers and textile treatment) and alkali (for soap). The atomic theories of John Dalton and Amedeo Avogadro, developed in the early 1800.s, became and important theoretical underpinning for both chemistry and chemical engineering.

With the birth of large scale manufacturing in the mid-nineteenth century, modern chemical engineering began to take shape. Chemical manufacturers were soon required to seek out chemists who also had knowledge of manufacturing processes. These early chemical engineers were call chemical technicians or industrial chemists. The first course in chemical engineering was taught tin 1888 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and by 1900 chemical engineer had become a widely used job title.

In the twentieth century chemical engineers were employed in increasing numbers to design new and more efficient ways to process chemicals and chemical products. In the US, chemical engineers were especially important in the development of petroleum-based fuels for the automotive industry. The achievements of chemical engineers–from large-scale production of plastics, antibodies (including penicillin), and synthetic rubbers to the development of high-octane gasoline.have gratefully affected our daily lives.

Nature of Work

Chemical engineers work in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, design and construction, pulp and paper, petrochemicals, food processing, specialty chemicals, polymers, biotechnology, and environmental health and safety industries, among others.

It is the smallest of the four major engineering disciplines (the others in order of size are electrical, mechanical, and civil). Because chemical engineers are rigorously trained in not only chemistry but also physics, mathematical and other physical and natural sciences, such as biology or geology, they are among the most versatile of all engineers, with many specialties and job roles and employed by many different industries. The largest share of chemical engineers, however, is involved in manufacturing industries, transforming raw materials into desired products.

Chemical engineers rely on their knowledge of mathematics and science.particularly chemistry. to overcome technical problems safely and economically. They use and apply their engineering knowledge to solve any technical challenges they may encounter. Their expertise is also applied in the areas of law, education, publishing, finance, and medicine, as well as in many other fields that require technical training.

Chemical engineers also construct the synthetic fibers that make our clothes more comfortable and water-resistant. They develop methods for mass-producing drugs, making them more affordable, and they create safer, more efficient methods of refining petroleum products, making energy and chemical sources more productive and cost effective. Chemical engineers also