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In the most simple of terms, chemical engineers study ways to convert raw mate¬rials into finished products. Specifically, chemical engineers invent new types of materials, synthesize new or existing materials, transform combinations of elements of matter, and then develop the process by which these same chemical changes can occur safely, efficiently, and on a large scale. Whether they work for a plastics manufacturer, a processed-foods corporation, or a drug development company, chemical engineers are concerned with applying their scientific and technical knowledge in innovative ways to solve problems. The end result is always the creation of a useful material; be it a garbage bag that rapidly decomposes, a fat- free dessert, or a cure for the common cold. Finding the solution isn't valuable if that solution can't be applied in practical situations. For example, Dr. Selman Waksman discovered in the late 1930s that certain chemical combinations were successful at destroying harmful bacteria. Calling his chemical warriors "antibiotics," he envisioned saving millions of lives. Unfortunately, the chemical compounds Dr. Waksman had discovered could only be produced in small quantities in his laboratory. Of what use were they to the average man if they were too expensive to mass-produce and distribute? Thankfully, Dr. Waksman enlisted the help of chemical engineers who first designed a method of reproducing the chemicals en masse by mutating their structure, and then developed special methods for "brewing" the chemicals in huge, over sized tanks. Their efforts allowed these new wonder drugs to be produced in a cost-effective manner, guaranteeing their impact on human lives around the globe. Today, chemical engineers work on the large-scale preparation of substances in production plants. Their goal is to find safe, environmentally sound processes; to make the product in a commercial quantity; to determine the least costly method of production; and to formulate the material for easy use and safe, economic transport. For most chemical engineers, the steps outlined above translate into what is known as process engineering. Process engineering involves creating new processes to meet the specific needs of a given product, including selecting or designing the proper equipment, super¬vising the construction of a plant and/or the production system, and overseeing tests, or "pilot runs." In addition, the chemical engineer is often called upon to monitor the day-to-day operations of the production plant itself, or one of the areas within the plant. In the first two years of typical chemical engineering programs, students study chemistry, physics, mathematics, computers, and some basic engineering courses like materials science and fluid mechanics. Similar material is covered in high school, but these college courses present students with a much more advanced view. In the third and fourth years students take classes in advanced chemistry, heat balance, materials balance, reactor design, mass transfer, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and chemical process economics, to name but a few. Most programs require students to take some classes in the humanities, as well as a technical writing course, since communications and writing are an important part of the job. Classof1.com offers Chemical Engineering Homework Help
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