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CHEE 2404
Chemical Engineering
ChE involves specifying equipment, operating conditions, instrumentation and process control for all these changes.
Air Natural Gas Coal Minerals Energy
Economics Chemistry Mathematics
Physics
Biology
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Chemical engineer is either currently, or has previously, occupied the CEO position for:
3M Du Pont General Electric Union Carbide Texaco Dow Chemical Exxon BASF Gulf Oil B.F. Goodrich
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The German chemical industry experienced a period of rapid growth during the 19th Century. It was focused on the production of fine chemicals or complicated dyestuffs based on coal tar. These were usually made in batch reactors (something all chemists are familiar with). Hence, their approach to running a chemical plant was based on teaming research chemists and mechanical engineers. However, the English and American chemical industries produced only a few simple but widely used chemicals such as sulfuric acid and alkali (both made in continuous reactors, something chemists have little experience with). These bulk chemicals were produced using straightforward chemistry, but required complex engineering on a large scale. The chemical reactors were no longer just big pots, instead they involved complex plumbing systems where chemistry and engineering were inseparably tied together. Because of this, the chemical and engineering aspects of production could not be easily divided; as they were in Germany.
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Economics drives industry and technological developments. Sulfuric Acid (Oil of Vitriol) & "Fuming" Sulfuric Acid (Oleum) (H2SO4) Required for the production of alkali salts (used in fertilizers) and dyestuffs
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The nitrate was the most expensive ingredient because during the final stage of the process, it was lost to the atmosphere (in the form of nitric oxide). Additional nitrate (sodium nitrate) was imported from Chile - costly! In 1859, John Glover helped solve this problem with a mass transfer tower to recover some of this lost nitrate. Acid trickled down against upward flowing burner gases which absorbed some of the previously lost nitric oxide. When the gases were recycled back into the lead chamber the nitric oxide could be re-used.
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Notice how sulfuric acid production closely mirrors historical events effecting the American economy. Sulfuric acid production dropped after the American involvement in World War I (1917-1919) and open world trade resumed. The stock market crash of 1929 further stagnated growth which was restored at the outbreak of World War II (1938). As the U.S. entered the war (1941) economy was rapidly brought up to full production capacity. The post war period (1940-1965) saw the greatest economic growth in America's history, and this was reflected in ever increasing sulfuric acid production. Massive inflation during the late sixties and the energy crisis and economic recession of the early seventies also reveal themselves in the sulfuric acid curve
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Figure 1-1, Source: "US Bureau of the Census, Historical Statistics from Colonial Times to 1970."
Pliny the Elder (7BC53AD) 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)
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1700s the demand for soap increased due to washing of clothes, requiring Na2CO3 The Alkali compounds, Soda ash (Na 2CO3) and potash (K2CO3), were used in making glass, soap, and textiles and were therefore in great demand. This alkali was imported to France from Spanish and Irish peasants who burned seaweed and New England settlers who burned brush, both to recover the ash At the end of the 1700's, English trees became scarce and the only native source of soda ash in the British Isles was kelp (seaweed). Alkali imported from America in the form of wood ashes (potash), Spain in the form of barilla (a plant containing 25% alkali), or from soda mined in Egypt, were all very expensive due to high shipping costs.
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King Louis XVI of France offered an award (equivalent to half a million dollars) to anyone who could turn NaCl (common table salt) into Na2CO3 because French access to these raw materials was threatened.
Nicolas Leblanc was a poor young man working in a chemistry research lab established by the wealthiest man in France, the Duke of Orleans. It took Leblanc 5 years to stumble upon the idea of reacting NaCl with sulfuric acid to form sodium sulfate, and then converting to sodium carbonate with limestone. In 1789 he went to collect his prizeunfortunately this was during the time of the French Revolution. A factory was built, but the Duke was executed and the factory seized.
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Unit operations
In transforming matter from inexpensive raw materials to highly desired products, chemical engineers became very familiar with the physical and chemical operations necessary in this metamorphosis. Examples of this include: filtration drying distillation crystallization grinding sedimentation combustion catalysis heat exchange coating, and so on.
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Unit Operations
These "unit operations" repeatedly found their way into industrial practice, and became a convenient manner of organizing chemical engineering knowledge. Additionally, the knowledge gained concerning a "unit operation" governing one set of materials can easily be applied to others driving a car is driving a car no matter what the make . So, whether one is distilling alcohol for hard liquor or petroleum for gasoline, the underlying principles are the same!
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Unit operations
The "unit operations" concept had been latent in the chemical engineering profession ever since George Davis had organized his original 12 lectures around the topic. But, it was Arthur Little who first recognized the potential of using Unit Operations" to separate chemical engineering from other professions While mechanical engineers focused on machinery, and industrial chemists concerned themselves with products, and applied chemists studied individual reactions, no one, before chemical engineers, had concentrated upon the underlying processes common to all chemical products, reactions, and machinery. The chemical engineer, utilizing the conceptual tool that was unit operations, could now make claim to industrial territory by showing his or her uniqueness and worth to the American chemical manufacturer.
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Pre-paradigm
Fire (300,000 BC) as the first chemical technology
Led to pyro-technologies: cooking, pottery, metallurgy, glass, reaction engineering
Chemical technology as empirical art, with no reliable scientific foundation or formally educated engineers. Ecole des Ponts et Chausee, 1736, first modern engineering school.
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Undergraduate curriculum
Designed to provide students with a broad background in the underlying sciences of Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics Detailed knowledge of engineering principles and practices, along with a good appreciation of social and economic factors Laboratory involvement is an important component Develop team work skills, Development of problem-identification and problem-solving skills. Stress the preparation of students for independent work and development of interpersonal skills necessary for professional engineers.
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Undergraduate curriculum
Elective courses provide an opportunity to obtain additional training in areas of emphasis: Environment Computers and Process Control Energy Biotechnology Petroleum Research & Development
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Curriculum
Basic Sciences Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry Engineering Sciences Thermodynamics (Heat, work, phase equilibrium, chemical equilibrium) Transport Phenomena (heat transfer, fluid mechanics, mass transfer) Numerical Analysis Engineering Design Computer-Aided Design Chemical Reaction Engineering Separation Processes Process Control Process Design
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Co-operative education
Co-operative education integrates on-campus studies with practical work experience
Results in a degree solidly grounded in both theory and practice Acquiring skills that are complementary to academic training Facilitates getting a desirable job upon graduation (50% of jobs are not advertised)
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
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 FALL AT1 AT3 WT1 AT6 AT7 WINTER AT2 AT4 AT5 WT3 AT8 SUMMER FREE FREE WT2 WT4
Students also have the ability to do a 12 or 16 month internship in which all work terms are done at once
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Skills required
Technical skills are vital.
But all employees will have a high level of technical competence (otherwise they arent employed for long).
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