Becoming a Chemical Engineer

Chemical engineers work on the design, development, installation, and operation of chemical production processes. Some carry out research on new process design; others plan the manufacture of new chemical plants or alter existing processes. These engineers manage chemical plants on a day to day basis.

The Job:

Chemical engineers work on a variety of tasks concerned with chemical processes. They are employed in chemical and pharmaceutical, food and brewing, and oil and related businesses.

Some work for contractors for whom they carry out the detailed design of new chemical plant, as well as commission and supervise its installation at a client's site. This type of project includes planning and scheduling, purchasing, the negotiation of contracts, the design, installation, and operation of the plant, and optimizing its working conditions to reach the production levels that are required.

Many chemical engineers are employed to research better processes for their employers, perhaps using cheaper raw materials or by reducing heating costs. They begin in the laboratory with chemical equipment and scale up the chemical reactions to pilot plant stage, designed to manufacture small amounts of the product (but not full-scale production). When all the parameters for successful production have been quantified and production difficulties overcome, the process is eventually transferred to a production plant.

The continuous running of a chemical plant is also the responsibility of chemical engineers. They are concerned with the safe operation of the process and the safe disposal of waste that emerges as a solid, liquid, or gas from the factory. If the by byproducts are unacceptable, they will process these chemically to reduce the risk of contaminating the environment.

Chemical engineers optimize the operation of a plant to produce products of the right quality and in sufficient quantity. This is achieved by having good raw materials and sometimes by making chemicals (intermediates) in one process that can then be used in the final production.

These engineers are concerned with the control of the process and use sensors and electronic equipment to provide information about what is happening, changing the conditions when necessary to keep it under control. Heat created by chemical reactions, which is either needed to make a process continue or must be dissipated, is an important factor. They are knowledgeable in the use of catalysts.

Health, safety and possible damage to the external environment are major issues for these engineers, and explosive situations must be avoided at all costs in a chemical plant.

Chemical engineers use their technical knowledge every day. Their work directly utilizes the skills they have learned through their studies of the subject. They use computers to simulate process design and for computer-aided design, and so must be computer literate.

Those installing or operating process a plant apply their problem-solving skills to situations so that they can overcome any difficulties that arise. Senior engineers lead project teams, often including engineers from other disciplines.

Chemical engineers working for contractors, and those involved in plant maintenance, have to plan ahead. International travel may be required when they are involved with the installation or optimization of a chemical plant in other countries.

Training Involved:

Industrial training usually includes working on pilot plant, shift work on operational plant, and periods in the design office. It usually takes at least 2 years to gain a thorough understanding of the risks involved in chemical processes and of all the relevant health and safety legislation.

To qualify as a professional engineer, chemical engineers also have to spend a period of time in a job with some responsibility such as supervising part of a plant, taking a chemical through pilot plant tests, or introducing a new control system.

Useful Qualifications to Have:

Useful subjects include: science and mathematics.

Salary Expectations:

The base salary range of a Chemical Engineer ranges from $60,925 to $84,392 annually, while the median salary for most Chemical Engineers is $72,500 annually. (US Base Pay)

Future Prospects:

Prospects for chemical engineers are at present very good. Potential employers include the water industry, oil companies, food and drink manufacturers, and an increasing number of specialized biotechnology companies. Pharmaceutical manufacturers, chemical and agrochemical companies, and organizations that are involved in the manufacture of products such as soap, toothpaste, and perfumes, all need chemical engineers.

In countries where mining for metals is an important industry chemical engineers work on plant that extracts the metal by processing the minerals. Petrochemical plant contractors who design, make, and install plant all over the world are also important recruiters of chemical engineers.

For further information, contact professional engineering institutions concerned with chemical engineering, as well as trade associations representing chemical, pharmaceutical, and food companies.