Career in Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering is concerned with the designing, supervision, construction, installation and operation of plants and equipments for manufacturing chemical products; and developing new methods of production for converting raw materials or chemicals into valuable forms.

Chemical engineers apply both the knowledge of chemistry and the principles of engineering to the chemical industry and thus form the link between science and manufacturing. The work of Chemical Engineers involves the invention, development, design, operation and management of processes in industries. They are responsible for the availability of modern high-quality materials that are essential for running an industrial economy. They design equipments and operate chemical plants as well as determine the problems and find the best methods of production.

Qualifications

To become a chemical engineer one should have a graduate degree (B.E / B.Tech) in Chemical Engineering. Diploma courses are always available. As it is a varied field Chemical engineers could do a postgraduate degree (M.E) and specialize in a particular chemical processes such as oxidation or polymerization or in a specific product such as plastic or rubber.

Personal Traits  

A successful chemical engineer must possess strong technical ability and excellent analytical skills. He should be hardworking, good at organizing and solving problems and conceptualizing forms and structures. Good computer skill is also essential as they use computer technology to optimize all phases of research and production.

Career Options

The scope for chemical engineers is very bright in future due to industrial expansion and the related scarcity of resources needed. They will be in huge demand as they work to create synthetic replacements for those natural materials and resources that are in short supply. Overall chemical engineers could make very important contributions for the improvement and maintenance of the quality of life.

Since Chemical engineering is a vast field, the job prospects and career options of a chemical engineer is varied and different. They are employed in a wide variety of industries: petroleum and gas, chemicals, minerals and metals, glass and ceramics, plastics and resins, soap and detergents, cosmetics, rubber and tire, food production, fertilizer and agricultural chemicals, nuclear energy, photographic products, microchip manufacturing, missile and space, synthetic fibers and textiles, paint, paper and cellulose, pharmaceuticals, and process equipment manufacture.

Employment opportunities await chemical engineers both in the public sector as well as the private sector. They can seek jobs in areas such as processing, operations or manufacturing, research and development, design and construction, finance and teaching. They may also pursue a management degree after B.Tech and take on marketing jobs. Candidates with an additional management degree are sought by private industries. In process industries they could work in positions such as a supervisor or manager, technical specialist, project manager or project engineers.

In the government sector, chemical engineers are employed to solve environmental problems such as waste and water treatment, environmental regulations and recycling; on energy sector such as energy conservation and research on alternate energy sources and health-related research projects, defense establishments and atomic power plants. They are also employed in service industries such as scientific research and development services, particularly in energy and the developing fields of biotechnology and nanotechnology.

Other work areas of chemical engineers include food processing, coal preparation and mineral processing, explosives manufacturing, chemical process industries such as fertilizer industry, dyes and dyestuff, paint, lubricants, steel and aluminum production. They are also employed in a variety of manufacturing industries other than chemical manufacturing, such as those producing electronics, photographic equipment, clothing, pulp and paper and even in the development of aircrafts.

Thus there is a huge range of career opportunities for Chemical engineers from conducting groundbreaking research, to holding a senior management position. There broad range of skills puts them in great demand throughout the world.