Where did Chemical Engineering come from?
Chemical Engineering (ChE) evolved during the 20th century in response
to the need to analyze and design processes for the large scale
manufacturing of products that involve physical, chemical, and biochemical
transformations. While ChE is clearly rooted in Chemistry, it's
important for students to appreciate that ChE is a distinct discipline.
Concerns about efficient utilization of raw materials, cost-effective
and safe processing strategies, and environmental impact have, over
time, shaped the evolution of the following unique set of skills
that characterize ChE:
- Understanding of molecular transformations;
- Ability to work over a wide range of scales - from molecular
to global;
- Quantitative analysis skills; and
- A viewpoint by which large, complex systems are synthesized
and analyzed.
Where is Chemical Engineering going?
The tools imparted by a ChE education have proven to be extremely
versatile and productive. As a result, today's chemical engineer
is highly sought after to work in a wide array of industries and
technologies extending far beyond the profession's roots in large
scale chemical processing. This includes: environmental protection,
biotechnology & bioengineering, pharmaceuticals, food processing,
consumer products, electronic materials, and even employment in
the financial sectors. A major theme, profession-wide, is the ever-expanding
application of ChE principles to biological problems.
Further descriptions of Chemical Engineering, in the context of
the activities ChEs pursue professionally, is available from the
American Institute of Chemical
Engineers website.
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