“Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers do them.” - James A. Michener

Chemical Engineering is a science that converts raw materials and chemicals into useful products with the help of subjects like Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Economics and Math. Engineers who practice this type of engineeering are called Chemical Engineers. Their job is to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products that are beneficial to mankind.

There are a lot of opportunities for Chemical Engineers in fields like chemical industries, oil industries, engineering industries, bio technology, pharmaceuticals and environmental engineering.

Chemical Engineers can be broadly categorized into two types:

Chemical Process Engineers
They are responsible for the designing, manufacturing and operation of plants, machinery and equipment in industrial chemical processes.

Chemical Product Engineers
They are responsible for creating new substances from raw materials as well as creating adapted substances from things that have been created earlier.

What do Chemical Engineers do?

Chemical Engineers are required to conceptualize designs, equipment and processes for the production, transportation and transformation of raw materials and other substances. They are often required to work in diverse fields like research, environmental studies, market research and data processing.

The primary job of a Chemical Engineer is to turn raw materials into useful products. This is the main aim of Chemical Engineering. Chemical Engineers have to transform substances at large scales for the improvement of human conditions.

Find out what it is like to be Working in the Manufacturing Industry.

Chemical Engineers design equipment and processes that can facilitate the transformation of raw materials into new, more useful materials. They think about the various ways through which the material can be made into a useful product and then use their concepts to come up with a suitable set of equipments and methods.

Another one of the main jobs of a Chemical Engineer is to find out new and innovative ways through which raw materials can be extracted from their resources in the fastest and cheapest manner possible.

Chemical Engineers have to constantly check whether the equipment is working properly or not. During the production of the product, they have to test its quality and figure out if there is anything wrong. If any problems do come up, it is their job to solve them.

It is the job of a Chemical Engineer to design processes and equipment that can help recycle products. Chemical Engineers have to make sure that the products they create do not harm the environment and can be used again without causing pollution. This is extremely important for substances like plastic.

Chemical Engineers supervise the production of the products and substances. They are involved with the project from day one. It is their job to see that the desired quality of the product is being met and there is nothing wrong with the production process.

Chemical Engineers are also responsible for creating new and innovative technologies such as nano - technology and hydrogen power.

Find out about the Top 7 Roles for Engineers.

How to become a Chemical Engineer?

Chemical Engineering is considered to be the broadest out of all other forms of engineering. This is because it is involved in the production of a wide range of products like paper, plastic, medicines, fertilizers, minerals, petro – chemicals etc. Chemical Engineers are also known as ‘Universal Engineers’ because they need to work in such diverse fields. Therefore they need to have some knowledge about a variety of subjects like Physics, Math, Biology, Geology etc.

To become a Chemical Engineer, you would focus on subjects like Chemistry, Math and Physics at school and choose the Science stream after your Class 10th. 

The next step you would take would be to get into an Undergraduate program in Chemical Engineering. You would clear the engineering entrance exams such as the JEE (Main) and JEE (Advanced) for admissions into IITs and NITs. Many states and private colleges have their own entrance exams.

Get an Overview of the Engineering Admissions in India.

Once you crack the entrance exam, you need to complete your Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering. You would most probably get a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering. After your Bachelor’s, you can choose to take up a job or study further. Pursuing a Master’s degree is advisable if you’re looking to work in a very specific field within Chemical Engineering.

It is advisable that you take up an internship whenever you get a chance during your studying period. Internships will not only give you valuable experience, but will also build up your lab skills and help you make contacts.

Chemical Engineering is a field that requires one to constantly study and research. You should be in constant touch with the advancements in all fields of science. It is also advisable that you start conducting your own experiments so as to gain valuable experience and develop lab skills.
The ability to network is an extremely vital skill to have in this field. It is important to stay in touch with people related to this field. You should subscribe to journals to be aware of the activities other engineers are up to. It can be very helpful if you join an association for chemical engineers. This will help you network and probably give you some job opportunities as well.

To become a Chemical Engineer, it is important to keep attending seminars related to your field. These seminars are extremely important as they help in developing the ability to think and reason scientifically.

Institutions:

India has many institutes that provide world class education in this field. The IITs are the best in the country for Chemical Engineering. Amongst the IITs, IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi are considered to be the two best institutions in India for Chemical Engineering. The IITs provide you with a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering. Apart from the IITs, the Birla Institute of Technology, Rajasthan is considered to be one of the best for this field. It provides you with a B.E (Hons.) in Chemical Engineering upon graduation.

What are the skills required to become a Chemical Engineer?

Becoming a Chemical Engineer requires a lot of hard work, determination and dedication. Chemical Engineers need to be innovative as they constantly have to create new products from raw materials. They should give importance to safety as Chemical Engineers are constantly working in laboratories. They need to have a thorough knowledge in wide variety of subjects like Math, Chemistry, Physics, Medicine, Computers etc. Chemical Engineers need to have the ability to think analytically and make decisions. They need to be accurate, organized and efficient. They should be comfortable with working in teams as well as alone. Most importantly, they should have a genuine desire to create new products from raw materials and older products.

Is this the right career for me?

The life of a Chemical Engineer is spent in a laboratory, working on new innovations. They have to work for long hours without any immediate success. Chemical Engineers have to constantly learn and update their knowledge base as the field of science is constantly evolving. The job requires a Chemical Engineer to travel to different plants all over the world for work. It is a well – paying job that requires an immense amount of flexibility and determination.

So if you’re interested in chemicals and their uses, and if you’re comfortable with working in factories and laboratories, then this might be the right job for you.

Fields related to Chemical Engineering:

Nano – Engineering is the manipulation of matter that is the size of a molecule or an atom. It is the practice of engineering on the ‘nano – scale’. Nano – Engineering helps us invent, design and utilize a large number of new materials and devices that can be innovatively used.

Material Engineering is the process of designing, producing and evaluating materials. Material Engineers are literally used in all fields. Material Engineering affects the cost, feasibility and environmental impact of materials. It is the process of creating new materials and improving older ones.

Ceramic Engineering is the process of creating objects from inorganic, non – metallic materials. It involves the purification of raw materials and production of concerned chemical compounds. It is used in making a vast amount of products such as Mobile Phones, Glass Fibers etc.

Polymer Engineering designs, analyzes and modifies materials made out of polymer. Polymers are large molecules with repeated sub – units. This field includes the production of plastics and other polymers such as rubber.