Versatility of Chemical Engineers
By Ir . Ts . Shum Keng Yan
Did you know that a chemical engineer can be found in almost every industry ? When I was flipping through Shreve ’ s “ Chemical Process Industries ” in my undergraduate years , I was surprised at the breath and scale of the industries covered . In fact , the chemical engineer has branched into even more industries today .
Let us look at what makes chemical engineers so versatile . Let ’ s begin with the chemical engineering programme .
The chemical engineering programme is not well understood by the general public . I recall when I was contemplating which engineering programme to pursue , my career counsellor advised me that since I wanted to be an engineer and I enjoyed chemistry , I should pursue a chemical engineering degree ! Over 25 years later , some of the chemical engineering undergraduates I met still share the same story with me . One common surprise that we found out was it was more than just chemistry !
Creating Versatility So , what is chemical engineering ? What does the programme prepare us for ?
Chemistry and the understanding of the physical laws provide the fundamentals that define a process . In addition to the chemistry of things , the chemical engineering programme prepares the future engineer to : 1 . Understand what needs to be produced ; 2 . Design the optimal process that considers cost , efficiency , quality , environmental , health , safety , sustainability and social impacts ;
3 . Determine the best choice and quantity of raw materials ; 4 . Select the necessary equipment ; 5 . Maximise the use of resources ( energy , water , utilities ) during the manufacturing process ;
Chemical engineers can apply skills in various industries
6 . Work with almost all the other branches of engineering , as well as finance , regulators , IT and the list goes on …. to put everything together ;
7 . Engage various stakeholders to “ sell ” the process ; and
8 . Manage the project to make all the above a reality !
It is a remarkable balancing act and it requires understanding of the various branches of engineering .
Thus , a chemical engineer brings forth certain skill sets in : 1 . Process design ; 2 . Process integration ; 3 . Process control ; 4 . Equipment selection ; 5 . Technical problem solving ; 6 . Analytical problem solving ; 7 . Environmental , Health , Safety and
Sustainability ; 8 . Optimisation ; and 9 . Value creation . Professor Ir . Dr Abdul Aziz , the Deputy Vice
Chancellor ( Student Affairs ) of Universiti Malaya
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