Chemical Engineering
Polytetraflouroethane. This was once mentioned in the Guinness Book of World
Records as the most slippery substance in the world. This was accidentally
discovered by a young researcher working in the DuPont research facility in New
Jersey in the US in 1938. This had extensive use in the World War, during man's
conquest of the lunar territory and this continues to enjoy the trust of
millions of housewives across the world even today. We better know this
compound as "Teflon", the way Du Pont named this polymer in 1945. Where is it
used in an average household - in the non-stick coating of a non-stick pan?
Polytetraflouroethane has the lowest coefficient of friction among solids
because of weak intermolecular forces. Now we are sure that you understand the
practical application of what you learn in your school text books!!
 |
|
Given above is an example of the
application of Chemical Engineering and its immense scope. Simply put, Chemical
Engineering deals with the application of the sciences of Physics, Chemistry
and Mathematics into altering the "chemistry" of substances using innovative
processes, thereby developing superior materials for highly specialized
applications. The high performance materials that are developed using different
chemical processes are used in biomedical, aerospace, environmental and
military applications. At a more commercial level, the employment opportunities
for Chemical Engineers exist in industries like Paints, Fertilizers, Medicines,
Refineries etc.
|
|
The legendary Chief Executive Officers of Intel (Andy Grove), GE
(Jack Welch), Exxon Mobil (Lee Raymond) etc are just some of the industry
stalwarts who studied and practiced chemical engineering during their careers.
Linus Pauling, Guilio Natta, Mario Molina are some exceptionally talented
people who practiced the discipline in some form and won Nobel Prizes for their
efforts.
|
Chemical Engineers who are involved
in the design and maintenance of chemical industries are called process
engineers. They have the responsibility of planning and managing the entire
production chain for optimizing costs.
Some of the subjects that a student of Chemical Engineering will study in
detail during his four year B.Tech course are - Chemical Process Technology,
Particle Technology, Chemical Separations, Process Control , Industrial Waste
Management etc. The emphasis on “Clean Technology” is on the increase in many
curriculums. Clean technology refers to the use of processes that will not
disturb the environment – ideally these are non-polluting processes. For
example, the heat generated from the Cathode Ray Tube in a computer can be used
as an input energy source for a process. The sensitivity on environment is also
on the rise. Pollution is a heavily debated topic in the industry. Automobile
companies are moving towards cleaner fuels – biodiesel for example. Compulsion
to use cleaner fuels is forcing compliance. Where in North-India would you find
a fleet of special type of battery operated three wheeler
|
|
supplied by BHEL ? Near the Taj Mahal. Because the automobile
exhaust can chemically act on the marble structure, there is a restriction to
vehicles near the historical monument. Applications are plenty for Cleaner
Technology and Cleaner Processes.
|
