What is a Chemical Engineer?
Chemical Engineers are solving the planets problems. We are innovative and resourceful and make a major contribution to improving the world in which we live.
Job Overview
"Chemical Engineering is all about changing raw materials into useful products you use everyday in a safe and cost effective way. For example petrol, plastics and synthetic fibres such as polyester and nylon, all come from oil.
Source: US Department of Labor
Chemical Engineers understand how to alter the chemical, biochemical or physical state of a substance, to create everything from face creams to fuels.
Biochemical Engineering, a more recent offshoot of Chemical Engineering, uses the very latest technology to produce pharmaceuticals and foods."
Source: IChemE
"Historically, the Chemical Engineer has been primarily concerned with process engineering. The modern discipline of Chemical Engineering, however, encompasses much more than just process engineering. Chemical Engineers are now engaged in the development and production of a diverse range of products, as well as in commodity and specialty chemicals. These products include high performance materials needed for aerospace, automotive, biomedical, electronic, environmental and military applications. Examples include ultra-strong fibers, fabrics, adhesives and composites for vehicles, bio-compatible materials for implants and prosthetics, gels for medical applications, pharmaceuticals, and films with special dielectric, optical or spectroscopic properties for opto-electronic devices.
Additionally, Chemical Engineering is often intertwined with biology and biomedical engineering. Many chemical engineers work on biological projects such as understanding biopolymers (proteins) and mapping the human genome."
Source: Wikipedia
The Type of Work
Chemical Engineers are often engaged as Process Engineers, involved in the design and commissioning of new processes and plant.
Chemical Engineers often progress into Plant Management and on a bigger scale, Operations Management.
Other types of work open to Chemical Engineers are consultancy positions, such as Risk Consultants or SHE Consultants.