Chemical Engineers are engineers associated with converting raw materials into valuable products using fundamental sciences like chemistry, physics, maths and biology. Chemical Engineers add value to raw materials so they can be sold for a higher price than the raw material or repurposed in a more useful way. This involves a huge range of different activities, including, but not limited to:
- Converting raw materials into valuable products
- This usually involves turning cheap, raw materials into something more valuable. Here are some examples:
- Crude oil —> diesel/kerosene/gasoline/etc.
- Excipients (bulking agents/fillers) + API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) —> Pharmaceutical drugs. Microorganisms can also be used to make drugs. This is where microorganisms that already exists are “coaxed” into creating different chemicals by putting them into certain conditions and environments.
- Monomers (small molecules, like ethylene) —> Polymers (larger molecules, like polyethylene), which are used to make many materials from styrofoam to teflon.
- Creating inorganic materials (non-carbon containing materials)
- This usually involves turning cheap, raw materials into something more valuable. Here are some examples:
- Designing and manufacturing useful products
- This involves the mass production of a product or material. This should be efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly (in theory, but this isn’t always the case). Examples include:
- Biomedical devices (artificial kidneys, hearts, vessels)
- Chemical plants (plastic, paper, refineries, pharmaceuticals, herbicides, pesticides)
- Electronics (Intel microprocessors)
- Drug delivery devices
- Energy devices (batteries, fuel cells)
- Process Control & Monitoring Systems
- Nano-structures
- Food & Beverages
- This involves the mass production of a product or material. This should be efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly (in theory, but this isn’t always the case). Examples include:
- Protecting the Environment
- Chemical Engineers have an inherent responsibility to protect the environment. Considering a lot of what a Chemical Engineer does involves hazardous chemicals and toxic materials, which have huge potential to damage the environment, it is their responsibility to ensure that the environment is protected.
- Waste created during manufacture of products or materials should be treated and disposed of correctly. Similarly to turning raw materials into more valuable final products, waste can be treated and turned into other products, which can then be used. Some examples include:
- Turning sewage into clean water and biomass, where biomass is a solid that can burned to make energy or used as fertiliser (although using biomass as fertiliser is quite controversial – we won’t get into it here!)
- Recycling used plastics to create new products. Nike and Adidas have famously created runners/trainers from plastic bottles. Chemical Engineers were definitely involved in doing that!
- Chemical Engineers also design & operate pollution preventative technologies. For example, Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS), Catalytic Converters, Zero Emission Design
Chemical Engineering Careers
Chemical Engineers have great skill sets, including:
- Problem solving, Critical thinking & Analytical skills
- Teamwork/Collaboration
- Adaptability & Being Agile (able to think, act & make decisions quickly & effectively)
- Project Management
- Broad STEM related knowledge
Because of these skill sets, there are large career opportunities for Chemical Engineers, such as in the following sectors:
- Pharmaceuticals
- Wastewater
- Oil, Gas & Petrochemicals
- Metals
- Fibres & Polymers
- Paper & Printing
- Cosmetics
- Medical Devices
- Food & Beverages
Outside of being a “Chemical Engineer”, job titles may include:
- Process Engineer
- Biochemical Engineer
- Food/food hygiene Engineer
- Pharmaceutical Engineer
- Thermo-fluid Engineer
- Chemical Technologist
- Chemical Technician
- Process Safety Engineer
- Production Specialist
The work a Chemical Engineer can do is not set in stone. Chemical Engineers can operate within different disciplines of Engineering. For example, a Chemical Engineer has learned the Engineering foundations of problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, etc. Even if a graduated Chemical Engineer decides they don’t want to work in any of these fields, they are extremely sought after in other sectors because of their skill set. Other sectors where Chemical Engineers work include:
- Economics & Finance
- Business & Accounting
- Project Management
- Consulting
Biochemical, or Bioprocess, Engineers
Biochemical Engineers, or Bioprocess Engineers, do similar roles to Chemical/Process Engineers, but specialise in biological processes, systems and material more than synthetic, or chemical based versions.
Chemical Engineering Institutions
Chemical Engineers usually have a Bachelor/Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering, or Process Engineering, or similar. These degrees are awarded by the relevant Universities/Colleges, and are typically accredited by affiliated bodies. These affiliated bodies ensure that the subjects and modules being taught at the Universities/Colleges are of a certain standard so that the graduating Chemical Engineers have a certain skill set. This means that the graduating Chemical Engineers are entering industry with the skills they need to perform their roles.
The affiliated bodies include the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
Further Reading & References
If you would like to read more about this topic, I recommend these resources:
Institute of Chemical Engineering website. Available at: https://www.icheme.org/
American Institute of Chemical Engineers website. Available at: https://www.aiche.org/