Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A History of Chemical Engineering: CHEE 2404
A History of Chemical Engineering: CHEE 2404
Engineering
CHEE 2404
What is a Chemical Engineer?
a) An Engineer who manufactures
chemicals
b) A Chemist who works in a factory
c) A glorified Plumber?
Natural Gas
Coal
Economics
Minerals
Energy
Physics
Biology
CHEE 2404:Industrial Chemistry 4
What are the fields of Ch E?
The traditional fields of ChE are:
• petrochemicals, petroleum and natural gas
processing
• plastics and polymers
• pulp and paper
• instrumentation and process control
• energy conversion and utilisation
• environmental control
CHEE 2404:Industrial Chemistry 5
What are the fields of Ch E?
• Biotechnology
• Biomedical and Biochemical
• food processing
• composite materials, corrosion and protective
coatings
• manufacture of microelectronic components
• Pharmaceuticals
3M Dow Chemical
Du Pont Exxon
General Electric BASF
Union Carbide Gulf Oil
Texaco B.F. Goodrich
• Pliny the Elder (7BC–53AD) mentions that soap was being produced
from tallow and beech ashes by the Phoenicians in 600BC.
• Oils or fats are boiled with alkali in a reaction which produces soap
and glycerin
• Saponification is hydrolysis of an ester under basic conditions, forming
an alcohol and salt
• Soap acts to reduce surface tension (surfactant) of water to make it
“wetter” and emulsifiying dirt (holding it in suspension)
• 1914 McGill
• 1915 UBC
• 1926 Alberta
• 1934 Saskatchewan
• 1940 Laval
• (Nova Scotia Technical College 1947)
• Co-op is a challenging and rewarding way to earn your degree and the necessary work
experience to gain an edge on the career market at graduation
• Students also have the ability to do a 12 or 16 month internship in which all work terms
are done at once
CHEE 2404:Industrial Chemistry 54
Skills required
• Technical skills are vital.
– But all employees will have a high level of technical competence
(otherwise they aren’t employed for long).
• “Soft Skills” advance careers
– Leadership (self motivated),
– Ability to work in groups,
– Communication
With such a broad education, Chemical Engineers are well prepared to
address problems involving all types of changes to the physical and/or
chemical state of materials.