What do chemical engineers do?

Chemical engineers develop economic ways of using materials and energy as opposed to ordinary chemists who are more interested in the basic composition of materials and synthesis of products from such. Chemical engineers use chemistry and engineering to turn raw materials into usable products, such as medicine, petrochemicals and plastics. They are also involved in waste management and research. Both applied and research facets make extensive use of computers.

In the field of engineering, a chemical engineer is the profession in which one works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment to perform such work. In general, a chemical engineer is one who applies and uses principles of chemical engineering in any of its various practical applications; these often include 1) design, manufacture, and operation of plants and machinery in industrial chemical and related processes ("chemical process engineers"); 2) development of new or adapted substances for products ranging from foods and beverages, from cosmetics through cleaners to pharmaceutical ingredients, among many other products ("chemical product engineers"); and 3) development of new technologies such as fuel cells, hydrogen power and nanotechnology, as well as working in fields wholly or partially derived from chemical engineering such as materials science, polymer engineering and biomedical engineering. Chemical engineers sometimes are called 'universal engineers' because their scientific and technical mastery is so broad.

 

Comprehension Aspect

Ex.1. Match the following words on the left with the appropriate definitions on the right:

fuel cell	to combine two entities so that there are no longer two distinct elements
process industry	to facilitate the introduction
unit operations	To make people angry or to inspire and encourage specific behavior.
to merge	one of numerous aspects, as of a subject
to incite	the basic physical operations of chemical engineering in a chemical process plant, that is, distillation, fluid transport, heat and mass transfer, evaporation, extraction, drying, crystallization, filtration, mixing, size separation, crushing and grinding, and conveying.
to pave way	a large-scale business involving extraction of raw materials, their transport and their transformation (conversion) into other products by means of physical, mechanical and/or chemical processes using different technologies.
facet	an electrochemical generator that produces direct current from a chemical reaction, as from combining oxygen and hydrogen

 

Ex. 2. Some of the following sentences can be incorrect. Find the mistakes and correct them.

1. Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with physical science and life sciences, it also studies the process of investigation of the composition of substances.

2. The term “chemical engineer” suggests a person with chemical knowledge working in the chemical industry.

3. Some degree courses in chemical engineering at the City and Guilds of London Institute failed because its graduates were not demanded by employers.

4. Further on, unit operations became an important aspect of chemical engineering at MIT and other US universities but later it turned out that they were insufficient.

5. Chemical process engineers are those who develop new or adapt other substances for products ranging from foods and beverages, from cosmetics through cleaners to pharmaceutical ingredients

 

Ex. 3. Complete the following passage using the words from the box.

environmentally, raw materials, effective, fertilizers, facilities, dyes, increase, invent, minimize, controlling pollution, designing, performing experiments

 

A chemical engineer may be involved in industry or university research where he or she is tasked in designing and (1)…. to create new and better ways of production, (2)…, conserving resources and making these processes safer. He/she may be involved in (3)… and constructing plants as a project engineer. In this field, the chemical engineer uses his/her knowledge in selecting plant equipment and the optimum method of production to (4) … costs and (5) … profitability. After its construction, he/she may help in upgrading its equipment. He/she may also be involved in its daily operations. Some chemical engineers make designs and (6) … new processes. Some construct instruments and (7) …. Some plan and operate facilities. Chemical engineers have helped develop atomic science, polymers, paper, (8) …, drugs, plastics, (9) …, foods, petrochemicals... pretty much everything. They devise ways to make products from (10) … and ways to convert one material into another useful form. Chemical engineers can make processes more cost (11) … or more (12) … friendly or more efficient. As you can see, a chemical engineer can find a niche in any scientific or engineering field.

 

Ex. 4. Speak on the historical background of chemical engineering.

Dwell on different educational establishments for chemical engineers.

Specify the main areas of activity for chemical engineers.

 

Part II

RESEARCH CHEMISTS

 

Pre-Reading Task