Why Chemical Engineering is called Universal Engineering?

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Have you sometimes wondered… the things that exist on the surface of the Earth, be it natural or man-made… are the combinations of various elements (to be specific 118 elements as of now) of PERIODIC TABLE! Well that’s not an exaggeration. When we talk about chemicals, they should not be perceived as “HARMFUL only”. From the water we drink to the air we breathe, they are chemicals. Each day we handle so many chemicals and reactions thereof; cooking of food, disinfecting our floors, washing clothes with detergent, plants producing oxygen via photosynthesis, animals breathing oxygen for their life processes, etc. In fact every animal is a chemical reactor. Isn’t it inspiring that we are all various chemical species. Studying these chemicals and engineering applications for various purposes towards making life better on the Earth is more than a study. No other branch of engineering is more fundamental than chemical engineering studies.

Chemical Engineering utilizes several fundamental subjects like physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, along with engineering, to build a clean and green world. The chemical engineers design and help to get the large-scale production of almost every product with cleaner and sustainable methods, thus affecting the lives of people. Chemical engineers have been improving our lives for more than a century. From the development of speedy and nano-sized computer chips to innovation in producing life-saving drugs or ready-to-eat food that help us save time. Chemical engineers are also involved in recycling & cleaning water, generating energy, which means that the processes and products which chemical engineers create, touch every aspect of our lives.

As a chemical engineer one can work as designer of processes, equipment designing for mass production of chemicals, in marketing/sales, purchase or in quality control and quality assurance or as a process designer, project leader, in import-export, as a patent scientist, research scientist, as a strategic leader, technologist, safety manager, HAZOP study leader, environmental professional, work as forensic expert, professor to name the few. One more aspiring field is simulations and designing that can help prediction for preparation of better chemicals and develop better processes through reducing time for research by the help of a simulation expert.

In my opinion a CHEMICAL ENGINEER CAN NEVER BE JOBLESS. Many chemical engineers are entrepreneurs having small / medium or large scale industries generating jobs and helping their countries to raise the economy. The industries that employ them may help you comprehend the scope of their work. Chemical engineers work in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, design and construction, pulp and paper, petrochemicals, food processing, specialty chemicals, dyes and paints, commercial chemicals, microelectronics, electronic and advanced materials, polymers, business services, biotechnology, and environmental health and safety industries, among others. It is also worth mentioning here that in the world patentable assets for chemicals have the highest share. There is a lot of demand for skilled and learned chemical professionals in the world. More and more youths should look forward to studying chemical engineering. In short, chemical engineers work towards the betterment of the society by improving quality of life, providing future medicines, food, convenience items as well as important materials for various purposes such as building supercomputer material.

This article is written by Dr. Ketkee Durve and Dr. Manishkumar Tiwari


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