Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering is inextricably connected with our lives in many distinct ways; involving ways of production from drugs to garments; food to healthcare products, from molecules to genes. It is a universal branch of engineering and aims at improving the quality of life by converting raw materials into more durable and usable products. Chemical Engineering plays a central role in the development of science and technology. Thus if a candidate is interested in nitty-gritty of chemical science that can help in making and improving just about everything that we see around us, then a career in Chemical Engineering can be a possible choice for you.

Chemical Engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction, and operation of machines and plants that perform chemical reactions to solve practical problems or make useful products. It deals with the application of physical science and life sciences with mathematic, to the process of converting raw materials or chemicals into more useful or valuable forms. Engineers in this field use math, physics, and economics to solve technical problems. They design and invent new processes. Engineers in this field are employed by almost all companies in the chemical process industry. Chemical Engineers can find jobs in chemical industries, petrochemical industries, manufacturing plants, mining industries, research Institutes, and Natural Gas industry etc.

This special feature of Careers360 brings to you an overview of this branch of Engineering, its career opportunities & scope, job profile details and top engineering colleges offering Chemical Engineering. We also bring you insights on job profiles and top recruiters for Chemical Engineering.

Core Subjects

Chemical Engineering as a discipline has come a long way. Various developments in chemical practices have paved the way for more advanced fields like Nano-Technology, Bio-Engineering, Bio-Molecular Engineering, Material processing or Meteorology and Industrial design. Thus, it is one of the most flourishing and fastest growing fields with global application in our everyday life. Modern innovations like human genome project, genetic engineering and DNA sequencing has changed the face how chemical engineering was earlier perceived.

The core subjects ofChemical Engineering are as follows:

• Solid Mechanics
• Complex Analysis
• Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
• Intro to Transport Phenomena
• Environmental Studies
• Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer
• Process Fluid Mechanics
• Introduction to Numerical Analysis
• Intro to Electrical and Electronics Circuits
• Molecular Cell Biology
• Chemical Reaction Engineering
• Mass Transfer Operations
• Material Science
• Process Control
• Process Equipment Design & Economics
• Chemical Processes
• Chemical Process Design

Higher Education

Almost all the IITs and NIT @ Agartala, Calicut, Durgapur, Raipur, Rourkela, Tiruchirapalli, Srinagar and Warangal offer M.Tech in Chemical Engineering. Other Than these institutes, renowned institutes like Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Jadavpur University, offer postgraduate courses in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering. Candidates who wish to pursue specialization after graduation (BE/B.Tech) can choose from any of the following fields:

• Chemical Engineering
• Bio Mineral Processing
• Chemical Synthesis and Process Technologies
• Chemical Technology
• Dyestuff Technology
• Fibre and Textile Processing Technology
• Technology in Polymer Science
• Technology in Surface Coating Technology
• Oils, Oleo chemicals and Surfactants Technology 

Job Prospects

The industry requires huge numbers of engineers to tap the untapped potential domestically and overseas. Since, India’s chemical sector is forecasted to grow at 8-9 percentover the next decade; the industry is seeking to spread its wings in every corner of the country. The industry has an increased international penetration besides meeting the advancing domestic demands.

Therefore, there is a rising demand of potential chemical engineers to fill the gaps having vast potential. Since the industrial expansion is phenomenal, chemical engineering is seen as a promising career option among the young aspirants.

Job profile

Chemical Engineers play a significant role in the advancement of systems that depend upon material response for their functioning. Chemical Engineer knows how to predict and tailor the outcomes of chemical reactions and synthesize chemicals. They use their wisdom to find the solutions to challenges involving everyday products.

The industry offers multiple roles for skilled professionals. Some of the job roles are as follows:

• Research on new products
• Designing, Installing, Commissioning and Maintaining new plants
• Production, Development, Operation and Conversion of different products into energy.
• Monitoring developments and trouble shooting
• Application of new technologies
• Assessing options for plant expansion
• Synchronizing work with other engineers for maximum output