ECH 80

Chemical Engineering Profession

HUMG March 2023
Class Instructor: Prof. Tonya Kuhl, Bainer [email protected]

Text = NONE – some references if you are interested

1. The Expanding World of Chemical Engineering, Furusaki, S.,
Garside, J., and Fan, L. S. editors; Taylor and Francis.
2. Engineers and Their Profession, Kemper, J. D., and Sanders, B. R.;
Oxford Press.
Grading: grade based upon class written essay assignments.
 Advance Program
Partnership between HUMG and
UC Davis

Advance Program brings UC Davis Thermodynamics

Faculty to teach the same Chemical Conversion of
energy/heat
Engineering courses at HUMG as Transport Phenomena Kinetics
are taught at UC Davis Movement of fluids,
energy (heat), mass
Making stuff through
chemical reactions
Location
Come visit – lots of nice things close by

Napa and
Sonoma Valley
0.75 hrs Lake Tahoe 2.5 hrs

Rafting on the San Francisco 1.5

American River 1 hr hrs

Yosemite
3 hrs
 About me
• I’ve been a professor at UC Davis since 2000
• I have a BS in Chemical Engineering from
University of Arizona in Tuscon
• My PhD is from UCSB (that’s when I had my
daughters)
• Before the PhD I:
– Worked as a consultant for a biotech company
– Had internships at British Petroleum (BP) and
Exxon-Mobile
– Happy with BS but decided to get a PhD – Dr. Kuhl
 Why am I an Engineer
• Liked science and math
• I’m really logical and like problem solving
• Careers are challenging and worthwhile –
Engineers make the world a better place and
serve society!
• There’s a clear pathway from undergraduate
degree to career and then in your career
advancement
 First, what IS chemical engineering?
• Chemical engineers design ways to convert matter into a more useful
form.
• Chemical engineers use chemistry, math, physics, biology, and
economics to solve technical problems.
• Chemical engineers can make processes more cost effective, more
efficient, and more environmentally friendly.

Historically, chemical engineering developed as a discipline

focused on petrochemicals…
…but today chemical engineering is extremely diverse

Drug Discovery Pharmaceuticals

Barley Hops Beer

…but today chemical engineering is extremely diverse

Silicon Integrated circuits

Bacteria Poop Plastic

So What is a Chemical Engineer?
The term "chemical engineer" is not intended to describe the type of
work a chemical engineer performs. Instead it is meant to reveal
what makes the field different from the other branches of
engineering.

All engineers employ mathematics, physics, and the engineering

art to overcome technical problems in a safe and economical
fashion. Yet, it is the chemical engineer alone that draws upon the
vast and powerful science of chemistry to solve a wide range of
problems. The strong technical and social ties that bind chemistry and
chemical engineering are unique in the fields of science and
technology.

The breadth of scientific and technical knowledge inherent in the

profession has caused some to describe the chemical engineer as the
"universal engineer." Despite a title that suggests a profession
composed of narrow specialists, chemical engineers are actually
extremely versatile and able to handle a wide range of technical
problems.
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineers concern themselves with the chemical
processes that turn raw materials into valuable products. The
necessary skills encompass all aspects of design, testing, scale-up,
operation, control, and optimization, and require a detailed
understanding of the various "unit operations", such as distillation,
mixing, and biological processes, which make these conversions
possible. Chemical engineering science utilizes mass, momentum,
and energy transfer along with thermodynamics and chemical
kinetics to analyze and improve on these "unit operations."

Corner Stones of Chemical Engineering

1. Transport phenomena – transport of heat, fluids,
and mass
2. Thermodynamics – heat and its relation to
energy and work
3. Kinetics – chemical reactions
 Chemical Engineers Make Stuff
Petrochemicals Consumer Specialty
Products Chemicals/Product
s
Gas EVERYTHING Pharmaceuticals
Jet fuel Pampers Plastics
Diesel Orange Juice Medical devices
Motor oil Toothpaste Wine/Beer
Heating oil Cosmetics Semi-conductor
& Upstream part = Soaps and Starting Materials
Find oil and extract Detergents for plastics,
it from the earth reactions, etc
Just a few examples!
Where do chemical engineers work?
Chemical Engineers by Industry
 Chemical Engineering Job Types
Research: Research engineers work with chemists to develop new products or new ways to make
existing products more efficiently.

Design: Design engineers create processes that convert a raw material into a final product.
Chemists invented the many synthetic fibers we use today, but chemical engineers designed the
plants that produce them at an affordable cost.

Development: Chemical engineers look for ways to improve new or existing processes. The
"greening" of much of the Third World is due to a big reduction in the cost of ammonia production,
which made it possible for poorer nations to manufacture this important fertilizer.

Production: The manufacture of chemicals requires continuous supervision. Is the product of

specified purity? Is the production rate what it should be? Are control instruments performing
properly? Is the process as safe as it can be? Production engineers are always answering such
questions.

Technical Sales: Why isn't our product doing what it is supposed to for our customers? Could our
new product be used more economically than current materials? Why did that new paint peel from
one house? Sales engineers answer such questions. People skills, as well as technical ability, are
very important for these chemical engineers.

Management: Many chemical engineers are promoted to management positions. While less
involved in technology, they make policy and business decisions, train new engineers, and solve
human, rather than technical, problems.
General Classifications for Chemical Engineers

• Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering

• Catalysis and Reaction Dynamics
• Electrochemical and Interfacial Engineering (Dr. Kuhl )
• Environmental Engineering including
Bioremediation and Pollution Prevention
• Molecular Modeling and Simulations
• Phase Equilibrium and Thermodynamic Properties
• Separations Science and Technology
• Process Control and Systems Engineering
• Research
• Sales/Marketing
• Management
 Chemical Engineering Personality
Team Player
Creative
Ethical

Independent Environmentally
Active
Hard Problem
Working Solver
Good
Communicator

Engineers don’t have

jobs, they have a career!!
ECH 80 – Chemical Engineering Profession
Chemical engineering is one of the most exciting and multi-faceted
career paths of our time. Because chemical engineering interfaces with
biology, chemistry, materials science, civil and electrical engineering, it is
widely regarded as the central engineering discipline. The opportunities
are limitless.

Chemical engineers are unique individuals. They have a wide range of

interests, but are most often drawn to mathematics, physics, chemistry,
and biology. They are fascinated by chemical transformations and
molecular processes, and have the ability to isolate the most important
phenomena within a problem. They have a keen interest in process
invention, and apply their solutions across broad sets of scale.

As central players in a wide range of technologies, chemical engineers

move comfortably from high tech fields such as advanced materials and
biotechnology to entrepreneurial endeavors within business and finance
sectors. Their careers will unfold to include a breadth of expertise and a
multitude of unequaled experiences.
Course Description:
Introduction to the professional opportunities and professional responsibilities of
chemical engineers. Opportunities and needs for post-bacalaureate education.
Relationship of chemical engineering to contemporary issues.

Course Goals:
This course is designed to develop an awareness of the role of chemical
engineers in society. Students should become familiar with the breadth of
potential careers in chemical engineering, and the professional and ethical
responsibilities associated with those careers. Students should develop an
appreciation of the need for life-long learning and the tools and opportunities for
such learning. Students are expected to demonstrate knowledge of contemporary
social issues and their relationship to the profession.
Chemical engineers have been improving our well-being
for more than a century. From the development of smaller,
faster computer chips to innovations in recycling, treating
disease, cleaning water, and generating energy, the
processes and products that chemical engineers have
helped create touch every aspect of our lives.

http://www.chemicalengineering.org/
This Web site celebrates the many significant
advancements that chemical engineers have made to our
world. Explore the site to learn more about chemical
engineering’s great achievements, bold innovators, and
new frontiers in the fields of energy, the environment,
biomedicine, electronics, food production, and materials.
Assignment #1 – “Why I want to be a chemical engineer”

Essay 1 due Friday, March 24 at start of class – turn in

paper assignment. Use a computer to write the essay,
but pen on paper is ok, if necessary.

Write a 1 page summary of why you want to be a

Chemical Engineer. Your essay should describe why
you think Chemical Engineering is a good major for you;
what specific aspects of a career in Chemical Engineering
interest you; and any other information you would like to
share about your personal decision to pursue a degree in
Chemical Engineering.
DO NOT COPY SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK – that will lead
to failing this class.
Format 1” margins, 12 point Times font, 1.5 line spacing