a history of chemical engineering

8/2/2019 A History of Chemical Engineering

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A History of ChemicalA History of Chemical

EngineeringEngineering

CHEE 2404


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CHEE 2404:Industrial Chemistry 2

What is a Chemical Engineer?What is a Chemical Engineer?

a) AnEngineerwho manufactures

chemicals

b) A Chemistwho works in a factory

c) A glorifiedPlumber?


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None of the aboveNone of the above

No universally accepted definition of ChE.

However, aimed towards design of processes that

change materials from one form to another moreuseful (and so more valuable) form, economically,safely and in an environmentally acceptable way.

Application of basic sciences (math, chemistry,

physics & biology) and engineering principles tothe development, design, operation & maintenanceof processes to convert raw materials to usefulproducts and improve the human environment.


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Chemical EngineeringEngineering

ChE involves specifying equipment, operating

conditions, instrumentation and process control for

all these changes.Mathematics

Chemistry

PhysicsBiology

Econom

ics

Natural GasAir

Coal

EnergyMinerals


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What are the fields of Ch E?What are the fields of Ch E?

The traditional fields of ChE are:

petrochemicals, petroleum and natural gas

processing plastics and polymers

pulp and paper

instrumentation and process control energy conversion and utilisation

environmental control


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What are the fields of Ch E?What are the fields of Ch E?

Biotechnology

Biomedical and Biochemical

food processing

composite materials, corrosion and protective

coatings

manufacture of microelectronic components Pharmaceuticals


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What do Chemical Engineers do?What do Chemical Engineers do?

Regarding Engineers: it is not what we do, but how we think about

the world, that makes us different. We use all that we know to

produce the best solution to a problem (problems that engineers face

usually have more than one solution). Engineers use techniques of Quantitative Engineering Analysis to

design/synthesize products (materials, devices), services, and processes even though they have an imperfect understanding ofchemical, physical, biological, or human factors affecting them.

Engineers operate under the constraint of producing a product orservice that is timely, competitive, reliable, within the financialmeans of their company, and is consistent with its philosophy.


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What do Chemical Engineers do?What do Chemical Engineers do?

Thus, they are involved in a wide range of activities

such as:

design, development and operation of processplants

research and development of novel products and

processes management of technical operations and sales


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Chemical engineer is either currently, or has

previously, occupied the CEO position for:

3M

Du Pont

General ElectricUnion Carbide

Texaco

Dow Chemical

Exxon

BASFGulf Oil

B.F. Goodrich


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Where do Chemical Engineers work?Where do Chemical Engineers work?

The majority of Chemical Engineers work in businesses known collectively as

the Chemical Process Industries (CPI) Chemicals,

Oil and Gas (upstream and downstream) Pulp and Paper, Rubber and Plastics, Food and Beverage, Textile, Electronics/IT Metals, mineral processing

Electronics and microelectronics Agricultural Chemicals Industries Cosmetics/ Pharmaceutical Biotechnology/Biomedical Environmental, technical, and business consulting


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Where do Chemical Engineers work?Where do Chemical Engineers work?

Many Chemical Engineers also work in supplier, consulting and

governmental agencies related to the CPI by engaging in equipment

manufacture, plant design, consulting, analytical services and

standards development. Chemical Engineers hold lead positions in industrial firms and

governmental agencies concerned with environmental protection since

environmental problems are usually complex and require a thorough

knowledge of the Social Sciences, Physics, Biology, Mathematics and

Chemistry for their resolution. Chemical engineers have been referred to as universal engineers.


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Where do Chemical Engineers work?Where do Chemical Engineers work?Initial placement of 2001/1999 graduates (USA)

3.9

5.8

2.4

1.8

5.6

2.1

9.3

3.1

10.6

15.9

15.7

23.3

4.8Other Industries

6.4Business Services

2.6Engineering Services (Environmental Engng.)

2.4Engineering Services (Research & Testing)

4.8Engineering Services (Design & Construction)

2.4Pulp & paper

6.9Biotech & Related Inds.

3.3Materials

11.4Food/Consumer Prods.

15.6Electronics

12.6Fuels

26.7Chemical


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How much money do ChemicalHow much money do Chemical

Engineers make?Engineers make?Starting salaries (USA)The National Association of Colleges andEmployers (NACE) reported that, between Sept1999 - Jan 2000, the average starting salary offermade to graduating chemical engineering studentsin the USA was:

$49,418 with a Bachelor's degree

$56,100 with a Master's degree $68,491 with a Ph.D.


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What is an Industrial Chemist?What is an Industrial Chemist?

Industrial Chemists are Applied Scientists.

Typically, they undertake optimization of complex

processes, butunlike engineers, they examine andchange the chemistry of the process itself.

Industrial Chemists are capable of fulfilling a

multiplicity of roles - as research scientists,development chemists, technical representatives

and as plant/company managers.


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As the Industrial Revolution (18th Century to the present)steamed along certain basic chemicals quickly becamenecessary to sustain growth.

Sulfuric acid was first among these "industrial chemicals".It was said that a nation's industrial might could be gaugedsolely by the vigor of its sulfuric acid industry

With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that Englishindustrialists spent a lot oftime, money, and effort inattempts to improve their processes for making sulfuricacid. A slight savings in production led to large profits

because of the vast quantities of sulfuric acid consumed byindustry.

Early Industrial ChemistryEarly Industrial Chemistry


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The German chemical industry experienced a period of rapid growth during the19th Century. It was focused on the production of fine chemicals or complicateddyestuffs based on coal tar. These were usually made in batch reactors (somethingall chemists are familiar with). Hence, their approach to running a chemical plant

was based on teaming research chemists and mechanical engineers. However, the English and American chemical industries produced only a few

simple but widely used chemicals such as sulfuric acid and alkali (both made incontinuous reactors, something chemists have little experience with). These bulkchemicals were produced using straightforward chemistry, but requiredcomplex engineering on a large scale. The chemical reactors were no longer just

big pots, instead they involved complex plumbing systems where chemistry andengineering were inseparably tied together. Because of this, the chemical andengineering aspects of production could not be easily divided; as they were inGermany.


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Economics drives industry and

technological developments.

Sulfuric Acid (Oil of Vitriol) & "Fuming"Sulfuric Acid (Oleum) (H2SO4)

Required for the production of alkali salts

(used in fertilizers) and dyestuffs


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Lead Chamber Process

1749 John Roebuck developed the process to make

relatively concentrated (30-70%) sulfuric acid in lead lined

chambers rather than the more expensive glass vessels.

air, water, sulfur dioxide, a nitrate (potassium, sodium, or

calcium nitrate, and a large lead container.


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The nitrate was the most expensive ingredient becauseduring the final stage of the process, it was lost to theatmosphere (in the form of nitric oxide).

Additional nitrate (sodium nitrate) was imported fromChile - costly!

In 1859, John Glover helped solve this problem with amass transfer tower to recover some of this lost nitrate.

Acid trickled down against upward flowing burner gaseswhich absorbed some of the previously lost nitric oxide.When the gases were recycled back into the lead chamberthe nitric oxide could be re-used.


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Notice how sulfuric acid production closely mirrors historical events effecting the American economy. Sulfuric acid production dropped after the American involvement in World War I (1917-1919) and open world trade

resumed. The stock market crash of 1929 further stagnated growth which was restored at the outbreak of World War II (1938). As the U.S. entered the war (1941) economy was rapidly brought up to full production capacity. The post war period (1940-1965) saw the greatest economic growth in America's history, and this was reflected in ever

increasing sulfuric acid production. Massive inflation during the late sixties and the energy crisis and economic recession of the early seventies also reveal

themselves in the sulfuric acid curve

Figure 1-1, Source: "US Bureau of the Census, Historical Statistics from Colonial Times to 1970."


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Making soap a luxury It has been suggested that some form of soap, made by boiling fat with

ashes, was being made in Babylon as early as 2800BC, but probablyused only for washing garments.

Pliny the Elder (7BC53AD) mentions that soap was being producedfrom tallow and beech ashes by the Phoenicians in 600BC.

Oils or fats are boiled with alkali in a reaction which produces soapand glycerin

Saponification is hydrolysis of an ester under basic conditions,forming an alcohol and salt

Soap acts to reduce surface tension (surfactant) of water to make itwetter and emulsifiying dirt (holding it in suspension)


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Historically,Na2CO3 was used


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1700s the demand for soap increased due to washing of clothes,requiring Na2CO3

The Alkali compounds, Soda ash (Na 2CO3) and potash (K2CO3),were used in making glass, soap, and textiles and were therefore in

great demand. This alkali was imported to France from Spanish and Irish peasants

who burned seaweed and New England settlers who burned brush,both to recover the ash

At the end of the 1700's, English trees became scarce and the onlynative source of soda ash in the British Isles was kelp (seaweed).

Alkali imported from America in the form of wood ashes (potash),Spain in the form of barilla (a plant containing 25% alkali), or fromsoda mined in Egypt, were all very expensive due to high shippingcosts.


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Nicolas Leblanc was a poor young man working in achemistry research lab established by the wealthiest man inFrance, the Duke of Orleans.

It took Leblanc 5 years to stumble upon the idea of reactingNaCl with sulfuric acid to form sodium sulfate, and thenconverting to sodium carbonate with limestone.

In 1789 he went to collect his prizeunfortunately this wasduring the time of the French Revolution.

A factory was built, but the Duke was executed and thefactory seized.

King Louis XVI of France offered an award (equivalent

to half a million dollars) to anyone who could turn

NaCl (common table salt) into Na2CO3 because French

access to these raw materials was threatened.


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Alkali and the Le Blanc ProcessAlkali and the Le Blanc Process

Dependence on imported soda ended with the Le Blanc Process

whichconverted common salt into soda ash using sulfuric acid,

limestone and coal as feedstock (raw materials) and produced

hydrochloric acid as a by-product.

2 NaCl (salt) + H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) => Na2SO4 (saltcake,

intermediate) + 2 HCl (hydrochloric acid gas, a horrible waste

product)

Na2SO4 (saltcake) + Ca2CO3 (calcium carbonate, limestone) + 4 C(s)

(coal) => Na2CO3 (soda ash extracted from black ash) + CaS (dirty

calcium sulfide waste) + 4 CO (carbon monoxide)


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In many ways, this process began the modern chemical industry.

From its adoption in 1810 it was continually improved over the next

80 years through elaborate engineering efforts mainly directed at

recovering or reducing the terrible by-products of the process, namely:hydrochloric acid, nitrogen oxides, sulfur, manganese, and chlorine

gas.

Indeed because of these polluting chemicals many manufacturing sites

were surrounded by a ring of dead and dying grass and trees.


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A petition against the Le BlancProcess in 1839 complained that:

"the gas from these manufactories is of such a deleteriousnature as to blight everything within its influence, and is alike

baneful to health and property. The herbage of the fields intheir vicinity is scorched, the gardens neither yield fruit norvegetables; many flourishing trees have lately become rottennaked sticks. Cattle and poultry droop and pine away. Ittarnishes the furniture in our houses, and when we are exposedto it, which is of frequent occurrence, we are afflicted with

coughs and pains in the head...all of which we attribute to theAlkali works."


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Soda Ash and the Solvay ProcessSoda Ash and the Solvay Process

In 1873 a new process - the Solvay Process - replaced Le Blanc'smethod for producing Alkali.

The process was perfected in 1863 by a Belgian chemist, ErnestSolvay. The chemistry was based upon an old discovery by A. J.Fresnel who in 1811 had shown that Sodium Bicarbonate could beprecipitated from a salt solution containing ammonium bicarbonate.

This chemistry was far simpler than that devised by Le Blanc,however to be used on an industrial scale many engineering obstacleshad to be overcome. Sixty years of attempted scale-up had failed until

Solvay finally succeeded. Solvay's contribution was therefore oneof chemical engineering.


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Soda Ash and the Solvay ProcessSoda Ash and the Solvay Process

The heart of his design was an 80 foot tall high-efficiency

carbonating tower in which ammoniated brine trickled down and

carbon dioxide flowed up. Plates and bubble caps created a large

surface area (contacting area) over which the two chemicals could

react forming sodium bicarbonate.

Solvay's engineering resulted in a continuously operating process

free of hazardous by-products and with an easily purified final

product.

By 1880 it was evident that it would rapidly replace the traditional LeBlanc Process.


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The dawn of Chemical EngineeringThe dawn of Chemical Engineering

English industrialists spent a lot oftime, money, and effort in

attempts to improve their processes for making bulk chemicals

because a slight savings in production led to large profits because of

the vast quantities of sulfuric acid consumed by industry.

The term "chemical engineer" had been floating around technical

circles throughout the 1880's, but there was no formal education for

such a person.

The "chemical engineer" of these years was either a mechanical

engineer who had gained some knowledge of chemical processequipment, a chemical plant foreman with a lifetime of experience but

little education, or an applied chemist with knowledge of large scale

industrial chemical reactions.


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The dawn of Chemical EngineeringThe dawn of Chemical Engineering

In 1887 George Davis, an Alkali Inspector from the "Midland" region

of England molded his knowledge into a series of12 lectures on

chemical engineering, which he presented at the Manchester

Technical School. This chemical engineering course was organized

around individual chemical operations, later to be called unit

operations. Davis explored these operations empirically and

presented operating practices employed by the British chemical

industry.


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A new profession ChemicalA new profession Chemical

EngineeringEngineering For all intents and purposes the chemical engineering profession began

in 1888 when Professor Lewis Norton of the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology (MIT) initiated the first four year bachelor

program in chemical engineering entitled "Course X" (ten). Soon

other colleges, such as the University of Pennsylvania and Tulane

University followed MIT's lead in 1892 and 1894 respectively.


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First US Chemical EngineeringFirst US Chemical Engineering

educationeducation 1888, Lewis M. Norton at MIT, as part of

Chemistry Department.

In response to rapid rise of the industrialchemical industries. Based on descriptive industrial chemistry,

of salt, potash, sulfuric acid, soap, coal.

Graduates lacked concepts and tools tosolve new problems in the emergingpetroleum and organic chemical industries.


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First Canadian Chemical EngineeringFirst Canadian Chemical Engineering

educationeducation 1878 Toronto (Analytical and Applied Chemistry) 1902 Queens (Department of Chemical Engineering) 1904 Toronto (Department of ChE and Applied Chemistry) 1912 Ecole Polytechnique (from Diploma dingenieur-chimiste granted

through Laval) 1942 Ecole Polytechnique (Industrial Chemistry) 1958 Ecole Polytechnique (Department of chemical Engineering)

1914 McGill 1915 UBC

1926 Alberta 1934 Saskatchewan 1940 Laval (Nova Scotia Technical College 1947)


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A new profession ChemicalA new profession Chemical

EngineeringEngineering From its beginning chemical engineering was tailored to fulfill the

needs of the chemical industry which, in the USA, was mostly based

on petroleum derived feedstocks. Competitionbetween manufacturers

was brutal, and all strove to be the "low cost producer." However, to

stay ahead of the pack chemical plants had to be optimized. This

necessitated things such as; continuously operating reactors (as

opposed to batch operation), recycling and recovery of unreacted

reactants, and cost effective purification of products. These advances

in-turn required plumbing systems (for which traditional chemists

where unprepared) and detailed physical chemistry knowledge(unbeknownst to mechanical engineers). The new chemical engineers

were capable of designing and operating the increasingly complex

chemical operations which were rapidly emerging.


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Unit operationsUnit operations

In transforming matter from inexpensive raw materials to highlydesired products, chemical engineers became very familiar with thephysical and chemical operations necessary in this metamorphosis.

Examples of this include: filtration drying distillation crystallization grinding sedimentation combustion

catalysis heat exchange coating, and so on.

Physical

Chemical operations


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Unit OperationsUnit Operations

These "unit operations" repeatedly found their way into

industrial practice, and became a convenient manner of

organizing chemical engineering knowledge.

Additionally, the knowledge gained concerning a "unitoperation" governing one set of materials can easily be

applied to others

driving a car is driving a car no matter what the make.

So, whether one is distilling alcohol for hard liquor orpetroleum for gasoline, the underlying principles are the

same!


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Unit operationsUnit operations

The "unit operations" concept had been latent in the chemicalengineering profession ever since George Davis had organized hisoriginal 12 lectures around the topic.

But, it was Arthur Little who first recognized the potential of using

Unit Operations" to separate chemical engineering from otherprofessions

While mechanical engineers focused on machinery, and industrialchemists concerned themselves with products, and applied chemistsstudied individual reactions, no one, before chemical engineers, hadconcentrated upon the underlying processes common to all chemical

products, reactions, and machinery. The chemical engineer,utilizing the conceptual tool that was unit operations, could now makeclaim to industrial territory by showing his or her uniqueness andworth to the American chemical manufacturer.


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Paradigm: a pattern or modelParadigm: a pattern or model

Paradigmis a constellation that defines a professionand an intellectual discipline

Firm theoretical foundations, triumphant applications tosolve important problems

Universities agree on core subjects taught to allstudents, standard textbooks and handbooks,accreditation of degrees

Professional societies and journals Organize research directions - what is a good research

problem, and what are legitimate methods of solution?


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Chemical engineering paradigmsChemical engineering paradigms

Pre-paradigm - engineers with no formal education

1. The first paradigm - Unit Operations, 1923

2. The second paradigm - Transport Phenomena, 19603. The third paradigm - ?


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Pre-paradigmPre-paradigm

Fire (300,000 BC) as the first chemical technology

Led to pyro-technologies: cooking, pottery, metallurgy,

glass, reaction engineering

Chemical technology as empirical art, with no

reliable scientific foundation or formally educated

engineers. Ecole des Ponts et Chausee, 1736, first modern

engineering school.


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The first paradigm

Arthur D. Little, industrialist and chair ofvisiting committee of chemical engineering

at MIT, wrote report in 1908Unit Operations should be the foundation

of chemical engineering

First textbook Walker-Lewis-McAdamsPrinciples of Chemical Engineering 1923


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The first paradigm: early success

Becamecore of chemical engineering curriculum, unit

operations, stoichiometry, thermodynamics

principle to organize useful knowledgeinspiration for research to fill in the gaps in

knowledge

Effective in problem solvinggraduates have a toolbox to solve processing

problems in oil distillation, petrochemical, newpolymers


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The first paradigm: later

stagnation World War II creation of new technologies by

scientists without engineering education: atomic

bomb, radar. Engineering students needed to master new

concepts and tools in chemistry and physics.

Unit Operations no longer created streams of

exciting new research problems that werechallenging to professors and students, and useful

in industry.


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The second paradigm

First textbook Transport Phenomena by Bird-Stewart-Lightfoot, 1960, based on kinetic theory ofgases


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The second paradigm

Textbook by AmundsonMathematical Methods inChemical Engineering,(1966).

A new burst of creativeresearch activities.

American chemicalindustry dominated world,DuPont and Exxon content

to recruit academicallyeducated graduates, willingto teach them technology.


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The second paradigm: early

success The Engineering Science movement

became dominant in the US, and was taught

at all the leading universities. AIChE accreditation requires differentialequations, transport phenomena.

Research funding agencies and journals turntheir backs on empirical and qualitativeresearch as old fashioned.


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Chemical Engineering

accomplishments Production of Synthetic Ammonia and Fertilizers, Production of petrochemicals, Commercial-scale production of antibiotics (biotechnology/ pharmaceuticals), Establishment of the plastics industry,

Establishment of the synthetic fiber industry, Establishment of the synthetic rubber industry, Electrolytic production of Aluminum, Energy production and the development of new sources of energy, Production of fissionable isotopes, Production of IT products (storage devices, microelectronics, ultraclean

environment), Artificial organs and biomedical devices, Food processing, Process Simulation tools.


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Undergraduate curriculum

Designed to provide students with a broad background in the

underlying sciences of Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics

Detailed knowledge ofengineering principles and practices, along

with a good appreciation ofsocial and economic factors Laboratory involvement is an important component

Develop team work skills,

Development of problem-identification and problem-solving

skills.

Stress the preparation of students for independent work and

development of interpersonal skills necessary for professional

engineers.


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Undergraduate curriculum

Elective courses provide an opportunity to obtain additional training in

areas of emphasis:

Environment

Computers and Process Control Energy

Biotechnology

Petroleum

Research & Development


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Curriculum

Basic Sciences Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry

Engineering Sciences Thermodynamics (Heat, work, phase equilibrium, chemical

equilibrium) Transport Phenomena (heat transfer, fluid mechanics, mass

transfer) Numerical Analysis

Engineering Design

Computer-Aided Design Chemical Reaction Engineering Separation Processes Process Control Process Design


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Co-operative education

Co-operative education integrates on-campus studies with practical work experience

Results in a degree solidly grounded in both theory and practice

Acquiring skills that are complementary to academic training

Facilitates getting a desirable job upon graduation (50% of jobs are not advertised)

Co-op is a challenging and rewarding way to earn your degree and the necessary workexperience to gain an edge on the career market at graduation

FALL WINTER SUMMER

Year 1 AT1 AT2 FREE

Year 2 AT3 AT4 FREE

Year 3 WT1 AT5 WT2

Year 4 AT6 WT3 WT4

Year 5 AT7 AT8

Students also have the ability to do a 12 or 16 month internship in which all work terms

are done at once


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Skills required

Technical skills are vital.

But all employees will have a high level of technical competence

(otherwise they arent employed for long).

Soft Skills advance careers Leadership (self motivated),

Ability to work in groups,

Communication

With such a broad education, Chemical Engineers are well prepared toaddress problems involving all types of changes to the physical and/or

chemical state of materials.


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Chemical Engineering: New

Directions? Phasing out of formerly successful products: tetra-ethyl

lead, DDT, cellophane, freon or CFC. End of the parade of new polymers: celluloid, bakelite,

nylon, kevlar. To attract the best students, the lure of new products to

enhance lives - laptop computers, cellular phone andinternet.

Cost-cutting and environmental protection is no match forglamorous new products.

We need to give chemical engineers the intellectual toolbox,to innovate exciting new products that people will learn tolove.


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Product Engineering: a third

paradigm? Product engineering is innovation and design of

useful products that people want

1. Define a product, study the customers &needs

2. Understand property-structure

3. Design and innovate the product


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CHEE 2404 I d i l Ch i 58

AIChE www.aiche.org

CSChE www.chemeng.ca

IChemE www.icheme.chemeng.ed.ac.uk

Join the student chapter of CSChE

Talk to Chemical Engineers

Read Chemical Engineering magazines

How do I find out more information?How do I find out more information?

a history of chemical engineering

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