ECH 80

Chemical Engineering Profession

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

Lecture 2 on March 24, 2023

Where do chemical engineers work?
Chemical Engineers by Industry
 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!!
So What Exactly Does This "Universal Engineer" Do?
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) has
compiled a list of the "10 Greatest Achievements of
Chemical Engineering."
The American Institute of
Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
has compiled a list of the
10 Greatest Things Done by
Chemical Engineers for
world…...so far.
1. The Atom, as Large as Life:
split the atom and isolate isotopes

Atomic bomb Detect cancer

1. The Atom, as Large as Life:
Biology, medicine, metallurgy, and power generation have all been
revolutionized by our ability to split the atom and isolate isotopes.
Chemical engineers played a prominent role in achieving both of
these results. Early on facilities such as DuPont's Hanford Chemical
Plant used these techniques to bring an abrupt conclusion to World
War II with the production of the atomic bomb. Today these
technologies have found uses in more peaceful applications. Medical
doctors now use isotopes to monitor bodily functions; quickly
identifying clogged arteries and veins. Similarly biologists gain
invaluable insight into the basic mechanisms of life, and
archaeologists can accurately date their historical findings.
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2. The Plastic Age: Be able to cheaply produce plastics

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2. The Plastic Age:

The 19th Century saw enormous advances in polymer chemistry.
However, it required the insights of chemical engineers during the
20th Century to make mass produced polymers a viable economic
reality. When a plastic called Bakelite was introduced in 1908 it
sparked the dawn of the "Plastic Age" and quickly found uses in
electric insulation, plugs & sockets, clock bases, iron cooking
handles, and fashionable jewelry. Today plastic has become so
common that we hardly notice it exists. Yet nearly all aspects of
modern life are positively and profoundly impacted by plastic.
3. The Human Reactor: Example – artificial kidney

Every day, your kidneys filter

about 110 to 140 liters of blood
to produce about 1 to 2 quarts
of urine, composed of wastes
and extra fluid.
3. The Human Reactor:
Chemical engineers have long studied complex chemical
processes by breaking them up into smaller "unit operations."
Such operations might consist of heat exchangers, filters,
chemical reactors and the like. Fortunately this concept has also
been applied to the human body. The results of such analysis
have helped improve clinical care, suggested improvements in
diagnostic and therapeutic devices, and led to mechanical
wonders such as artificial organs. Medical doctors and chemical
engineers continue to work hand in hand to help us live longer
fuller lives.
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4. Wonder Drugs for the People:

Chemical Engineers make drugs to help people
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4. Wonder Drugs for the Masses:

Chemical engineers have been able to take small amounts of
antibiotics developed by people such as Sir Arthur Fleming (who
discovered penicillin in 1929) and increase their yields several
thousand times through mutation and special brewing
techniques. Today's low price, high volume, drugs owe their
existence to the work of chemical engineers. This ability to bring
once scarce materials to all members of society through
industrial creativity is a defining characteristic of chemical
engineering.
5. Synthetic Fibers Example – Goretex
5. Synthetic Fibers, a Sheep's Best Friend:
From blankets and clothes to beds and pillows, synthetic fibers
keep us warm, comfortable, and provide a good night's rest.
Synthetic fibers also help reduce the strain on natural sources
of cotton and wool, and can be tailored to specific applications.
For example; nylon stockings and bullet proof vests.
6. Liquefied Air, Yes it's Cool: Example – Liquid Nitrogen
6. Liquefied Air, Yes it's Cool:
When air is cooled to very low temperatures (about 320 deg F
below zero) it condenses into a liquid. Chemical engineers can
then separate out the different components. The purified nitrogen
can be used to recover petroleum, freeze food, produce
semiconductors, or prevent unwanted reactions while oxygen is
used to make steel, smelt copper, weld metals together, and
support the lives of patients in hospitals.
 7. The Environment, We All Have to Live Here:
Chemical engineers provide economical answers to clean up
yesterday's waste and prevent tomorrow's pollution.

Catalytic Converter – decrease polution

7. The Environment, We All Have to Live Here:
Chemical engineers provide economical answers to clean up
yesterday's waste and prevent tomorrow's pollution. Catalytic
converters, reformulated gasoline, and smoke stack scrubbers
all help keep the world clean. Additionally, chemical engineers
help reduce the strain on natural materials through synthetic
replacements, more efficient processing, and new recycling
technologies.
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8. Petrochemicals Extracting and processing fossil fuel

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8. Petrochemicals, "Black Gold, Texas Tea":

Chemical engineers have helped develop processes like catalytic
cracking to break down the complex organic molecules found in
crude oil into much simpler species. These building blocks are
then separated and recombined to form many useful products
including: gasoline, lubricating oils, plastics, synthetic rubber,
and synthetic fibers. Petroleum processing is therefore
recognized as an enabling technology, without which, much of
modern life would cease to function.
9. Food, "It's What's For Dinner": Fertilizer
9. Food, "It's What's For Dinner":
Plants need large amounts of nitrogen, potassium, and
phosphorus to grow in abundance. Chemical fertilizers can help
provide these nutrients to crops, which in turn provide us with a
bountiful and balanced diet. Fertilizers are especially important
in certain regions of Asia and Africa where food can sometimes be
scarce. Advances in biotechnology also offer the potential to
further increase worldwide food production. Finally, chemical
engineers are at the forefront of food processing where they help
create better tasting and most nutritious foods.
10. Running on Synthetic Rubber:
Chemical engineers played a prominent role in developing today's
synthetic rubber industry. During World War II, synthetic rubber
capacity suddenly became of paramount importance. This was
because modern society runs on rubber. Tires, gaskets, hoses,
and conveyor belts (not to mention running shoes) are all made
of rubber. Whether you drive, bike, roller-blade, or run; odds are
you are running on rubber.
 Ashton Kucher
studied BioChemE

Kevin Brown Cindy Crawfold was

Alex Lowe Dolph Lungren BS ChemE studying ChemE but
Climber BS & MS ChemE
BS ChemE left for modeling
Some Famous Chemical Engineers:

Jack Welch
CEO of GE
BS, PhD ChemE
Andrew Grove
co-founder of Intel Terrence
BS & PhD ChemE Linus Pauling Howard 3
BS ChemE credits short
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
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.
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.