Monday 11 November 2013

Chemical Engineering


Introduction

An incredible chain of comments was noticed on Facebook:

Person A’s status update read “I love heavy Heavy Metal”. His friend Person B’s first comment read “Heavy Metal is defined as a metal which has a potential negative impact or an environmental impact maybe termed as a heavy metal. Some examples are cobalt, chromium (not Ubuntu’s web browser) and lithium. “The very next comment read “He can say all that in a single breath.”

Does Person B sound like you? Can you recite the periodic table backwards? Are you thorough with formulae? In other words does working with chemicals seem like the most exciting job? If you answered yes to all these questions, then you might want to think about a career in Chemical Engineering.

Chemical engineering is a discipline which is uniquely poised at the interface between engineering and molecular sciences. It is linked to fundamental subjects like chemistry, biology, mathematics and physics- and is closely associated with other engineering disciplines such as materials science, computer science, mechanical, electrical and civil engineering. It has almost always been linked to fuel combustion and energy systems, today’s chemical engineers are at the forefront of new development, in fields like medicine, biotechnology, microelectronics, advance materials, energy, consumer products , manufacturing and environmental solutions.

Duration & Countries

Did Dexter from ‘Dexter’s Laboratory’ intrigue you? Have you ever wondered what chemicals Dexter used to create his signature mutant mixtures, which could turn ordinary people into animals, or super powered mutants? Dexter was a born chemistry genius and already had a laboratory at the tender age of 7. However, anything is possible in a cartoon, taken the other way around, if you ever dreamt of being a master scientist like Dexter, realistically you have to be prepared for four years of intensive study at a Chemical Engineering College.

Amongst all the courses in engineering, chemical engineering is one of the oldest and most recognised. There are plenty of options at your disposal, if you wish to study chemical engineering, both in India and abroad.

USA - There are many universities in USA which offer courses in Engineering. Universities like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University offer Bachelors in Science degrees. The duration of these courses is around 4 to 5 years and the fee is approximately $26,000 to $35,000 per annum. Associate degrees are also available in some universities

UK - U.K. has one of the leading educational systems in the world. The degrees given are recognised throughout the world. At the undergraduate level, chemical engineering can be studied as B.Eng. or M.Eng. The top universities for chemical engineering in UK are University of Cambridge, University of Oxford and Imperial College London. The courses are 3 to 4 years long and the fee per annum is approximately around 13,000 pounds to 16,000 pounds.

India - In India, courses in chemical engineering are offered at both the undergraduate and the post graduate levels. The basic eligibility criteria for BE/B.Tech programme in chemical engineering is 10+2 with science subjects, (Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics), or equivalent examination, with at least 60% marks in aggregate. It is also mandatory to qualify in the Joint Entrance Examinations (JEE), conducted by the IITs. Most colleges which offer engineering courses in aeronautics consider JEE score as the qualifying grade. Diploma courses are also available in chemical engineering. The BE/B.Tech courses are for a duration of four years while diploma programmes are for a duration of 2-3 years. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) at Mumbai, Kharagpur, Chennai, and Kanpur are the topmost colleges for chemical engineering in India

Training Areas

Remember Gunner from “The Expendables” series? He plays the chemical engineer with a chemical dependency. What if I told you he was a Chemical engineer, for real?

The actor in question ‘Dolph Lungdren’, has acted in more than 40 movies, and holds an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Sydney. ‘Harsha Bhogle’, international cricket commentator also holds a degree in chemical engineering from Osmania University.

There are certain areas that a chemical engineer is trained on; doing action movies and anchoring sports shows unfortunately is not part of the course yet. However, a few things are listed here:
  • Biology
  • Calculus
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Engineering
  • General Chemistry
  • Geometry
  • Materials
  • Mechanics
  • Organic Chemistry
  • Physical Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Reactor Design
  • Reactor Kinetics
  • Statistics
  • Thermodynamics

Opportunities

A chemical engineer can find jobs in the public and private sectors, both in India and abroad. There is no shortage of jobs for chemical engineers. As non-renewable sources of energy are dwindling, being a chemical engineer could prove to be extremely useful. A chemical engineer can help synthesise replacements or options for sources of energy. A chemical engineer can work in either the research or production of such chemicals. Additionally, a chemical engineer can work for a government organisation like ONGC, or even a private player like Reliance energy.

Many chemical engineers are selected as trainee engineers in Fortune 500 organisations like Intel, Texaco etc.

Career Prospects

The prospects of finding work are very bright indeed. Over the recent years Chemical Engineers have served as CEOs of leading energy, semiconductor and oil companies. Chemical engineers are required to play a variety of roles in an organisation:
  • A Scientist
  • A Researcher
  • A Chemical engineer
  • Subject matter expert
Chemical engineers have always been in demand, as chemical engineering is considered an extremely critical branch of engineering. There are huge opportunities for someone completing a course in Chemical engineering. One can easily find work in the pharmaceutical, bio-technology and energy industry.

Type of Companies

The work of Chemical Engineers, the most versatile of all engineers, involves the invention, development, design, operation and management of processes in industries. The work of several fields as chemistry, industrial engineering, materials engineering and electrical engineering is combined. Chemical engineers are responsible for the availability of modern high-quality materials that are essential for running an industrial economy.

There are many organisations you can work for, once you have completed a degree in chemical engineering. I have listed some of the organisations you could find work in once you have completed a course in chemical engineering.
  • 3M
  • DuPont
  • Intel
  • General Electric
  • Union Carbide
  • Dow Chemical
  • Exxon
  • BASF
  • Gulf
  • Texaco

Entrepreneurship

In the past, Chemical engineers worked as part of a team. This trend has changed over the past few years with many graduates starting out their own organisations. Chemical Engineering is one of the toughest fields of work. Chemical engineers are highly paid and respected.
Once you have completed a degree in Chemical engineering, you can easily pursue a course in business studies and start your own organisation. One of the most popular chemical engineers in India is Mukesh Ambani, CEO of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), which is ranked #99 in the Fortune Global 500. Mukesh Ambani as of 2012 is the richest man in India.
Though chemical engineers work as part of an organisation, one can always set up their own chemical organisation, or set up a bio-fuel plant, etc.

Remuneration

Ever wonder what money is made off? The paper used in currency notes, is a special blend of 75% cotton and 25% linen. While studying chemical engineering, you could learn how to mint money; conceptually at the very least. Chemical engineering is a highly paid career choice. Here is a generic remuneration of a chemical engineer’s salary in India:
 
Experience in YearsCompensation per annum
0 to 5 years2 to 7 lakhs
6 to 10 years8 to 13 lakhs
11 to 15 years13 to 20 lakhs
15 years20 lakhs and above

Ineligible Subjects

There are many options available to someone who chooses to study chemical engineering. Chemical engineering is a combination of molecular sciences and engineering. This should give you a fair idea about the kind of subjects you will be studying throughout your course.

Once you choose this field, you will not be able to opt for commerce, humanities, arts, political sciences etc as they have no relevance with this field in any regards. You cannot pursue master’s degree in MBBS, dentistry or commerce after you have graduated with chemical engineering.

Pros & Cons

There are a number of advantages of being a chemical engineer. You could easily create evil (non dangerous) chemical concoctions and test them on unsuspecting friends.
Following are some of the advantages of being a Chemical Engineer:
  • High Salary Packages
  • Good reputation
  • Serving energy fields
  • Regular inflow of knowledge, about technologies
  • High end perks
  • Travel opportunities
There are many disadvantages as well, like:
  • High responsibility
  • Excessive research
  • Longer study years
  • High quality has to be maintained
  • Longer working hours

Skill Sets

Mr. Hyde exhibits the archetypal monster. Chemicals have always been associated with shifts in personality. So much so, that one often wonders what is an ideal personality? Is it possible to walk into a chemical lab and cook up a vial of ideal personality? Let’s have look at the personality traits required to be successful in Chemical Engineering:
  • Open for a challenge
  • A keen observer
  • A consistent mind set
  • Ability to handle peer pressure at work
  • High end interpersonal skills
  • Leadership qualities
  • A creative and curious bent of mind
  • Ready to take initiative as and when needed
  • Can command respect of co-workers, juniors and team members
  • Can maintain a cool head
  • Ability to take charge of a situation
If working with chemicals excites you, and you often wonder whether the fabled philosopher’s stone can change any metal to gold, look no further, pursue a course in chemical engineering and give yourself the chance to experiment. With a little bit of luck, you just might find the chemical responsible for turning a metal to gold.


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