Needed: All information on chemical Eng.

[authentic]

Hi all. Been browsing the forums for a while and really like what I have read so far.
In my reading I have been on the hunt for any topics or threads involving chem. eng. but have been sadly dissapointed. I really am interested in this area but could not find many threads involving it except very vague subjects or threads that only the original poster began with no response. Hope this isn't another one of those threads
Some information i would like to know includes:
1. what all does the curriculum involve in typical chem. eng. classes?
2. how rigiourous is this field in comparison to any other eng. field when it comes to math and physics?
3. Please name as many career paths the typical chem. eng. tend to take and is it mostly process engineering?
4. Could i get a precise definition on process engineering?

Any and all other information is gladly appreciated and well received from current chem.eng students, graduates, or people who are just in the know.
thanks in advance

 

[leumas614]

This is a great question since this is the field I am interested in and I too cannot find that much information on it here.

Since I am a chemistry major, all I can say about ChemE is that it involves scaling up chemical reactions to turn a less desirable product into a more desirable product. I think ChemE's take classes in Transport Phenomena and Fluid and Thermodynamics in addition to a few chemistry classes like General or Organic.

If anyone else here has more information I would also really like to hear it. Thanks.

 

[las3rjock]

leumas614 summarized the discipline and curriculum quite well. Chemical engineering is about scaling up chemical reactions from the lab scale to the industrial scale, and designing the facilities to perform those reactions. The curriculum is a combination of chemistry coursework like general, organic, and physical chemistry and engineering coursework like fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and transport phenomena. The math and physics requirements are pretty much the same as any other engineering discipline: four semesters of math (single- and multi-variable calculus, linear algebra, and differential equations) and four semesters of physics (mechanics, electromagnetism, basic thermodynamics, and modern physics [relativity and basic quantum theory]).

Process engineering is basically the name given to the task of scaling up a chemical reaction or sequence of chemical reactions from the lab scale to the industrial scale. As such, it's likely to be an important component of any chemical engineering job.

 

[Nick M]

Here is some info from my school...
http://www.ecs.umass.edu/index.pl?id=3790&isa=Category&op=show

 

[authentic]

WOW! The responses are greatly appreciated and informative!
Keep em comin I'm learning a lot.

 

[authentic]

...

 

[Fearless]

1. what all does the curriculum involve in typical chem. eng. classes?

a lot of maths. A serious CHEM-eng is mathintensive. a miniscule amount of physics, but still a bit of mechanics, a bit of wave-physics your standard fare physics for a eng-major. Then it's a lot of chemistry and here it depends on what focus you have, in what courses you take.

2. how rigiourous is this field in comparison to any other eng. field when it comes to math and physics?

Theoretical chemistry IS VERY rigourous visavi mathematics and physics. It's almost no chemistry anymore, but rather physics. Although not as hard as theoretical physics.

Organic chemistry is very relaxed towards these things (it depends on the department, but generally, give or take some, it's more relaxed).

Then you got a couple of specialisations in between these two.

3. Please name as many career paths the typical chem. eng. tend to take and is it mostly process engineering?

name as many career paths? I could think of mathematician, physicist (if you got a specialized program, rather rare, one in the US and one in sweden), chemist, chemical engineer of various sorts (organic, process, lab, etc)

Nope. But process engineering is always good to at least have the basics, like chemical thermodynamics, reactor-calculations, transport processes in chemical industry etc.

4. Could i get a precise definition on process engineering?

process engineering is the art of developing something that goes into a factory (raw materials, goods etc) and goes out at the other end as finished products, or bi-products going to other facilities for more refinement.

 

[authentic]

appreciate the response fearless
very helpful

 

[Fearless]

If you got any more questions just fire away. As a freebie I can say that a lot of women in northern europe study process, chem/bio engineering. They are not exactly the prettiest northern europe got to offer, but it's girls anyways. :)

 

[authentic]

lol cool fearless thanks for the heads up
are you an engineering major yourself?

 

[turbo]

From my old engineering school

http://www.umche.maine.edu/chb/undergrad/BSCHE.htm