What is Chemical Engineering?

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is mainly concerned with the design, construction and operation of industrial scale process in which materials undergo chemical and physical changes, to give us products we need for every day life.  These include metals, fuels, plastics, pharmaceuticals, paper, clothes, food products - all of these are produced with the help of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineers.

Chemical and Biomolecular engineers are also very involved in many aspects of environmental engineering, including sustainable development, cleaner production, air pollution control and waste treatment by chemical and biological processes.  More and more, chemical and biomolecular engineers are discovering how well their understanding of chemical, physical and biological processes equips them to address today's environmental issues.

A world of opportunity
Are you a problem solver? Would you like your work to involve finding creative solutions? Do you want to be able to work all over the world in a whole range of roles and industries?
Click here for more information on what chemical engineers do

Did you know...

Chemical engineering as a profession began around the time of the Industrial Revolution when chemists were trained to apply fundamental science to large-scale chemical production.

Without chemical engineering we would not have many important advances in areas such as environmental control and biotechnology. Also, we wouldn't be enjoying some of the products we take for granted today - including plastics, pharmaceuticals, toiletries, processed food and drinks, fertilisers, paint and household cleaners.

Chemical and biomolecular engineering is used in a wide variety of industries and fields including:

• Biochemical engineering
• Biomedical engineering
• Chemicals and allied products
• Energy
• Environmental engineering
• Food manufacture
• Interfacial engineering
• Materials science
• Metal production
• Mining and metallurgy
• Nanotechnology
• Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
• Polymer engineering
• Process plant & equipment
• Water

What do chemical and biomolecular engineers do?

Does solving problems and implementing creative solutions that are economically viable, safe and environmentally friendly sound challenging to you?

• Better health
• Improving water quality
• Achieve technological breakthroughs
• Protect pristine environments
• Discover new energy resources
• Create new industries

Known as the 'universal engineer', chemical and biomolecular engineers are extremely versatile and take on a wide range of technical roles. From developing new products and techniques to providing solutions for environmental problems, chemical engineers work in areas such as:

• Research and development
• Product and process design
• Process development
• Construction/start up
• Operations and production
• Problem diagnosis
• Environmental management

Better health through biomedical engineering and pharmaceuticals

Chemical engineers at the University of Melbourne are pushing the boundaries to create a matrix in which body parts can be re-grown. Growth of tissues such as muscle and organs could prove a life-restoring breakthrough for victims of accident, disease or abnormality.

Improving water quality

From emergency procedures to clean up ocean fuel spills to new techniques for sewage treatment, chemical engineers design innovative and economical answers to improve water quality. Designing and operating devices to prevent and clean up industry and household waste, they are at the forefront of environmental strategies to protect the world in which we live.

Achieve technological breakthroughs

The University of Melbourne, with industry partner WMC Resources Ltd, has developed a novel cooling system technology that will improve safety and provide financial returns for the multimillion-dollar international pyrometallurgical industry. The unique system controls furnace wall temperature, delivering production uniformity and flexibility in furnace operation.

Protect pristine environments

Researchers at the University of Melbourne are working to preserve Antarctica's icy wonderland by cleaning up the contamination, waste disposal sites and abandoned stations of past expeditions. Working in an environment where winter temperatures can drop to lower than minus eighty degrees celsius, they are devising ways to remove suspended and dissolved pollutants from the water, and identifying the optimum treatment of areas contaminated by fuel spills.

Discover new energy resources

As the world-wide demand for energy and the need to protect the environment increases, chemical engineers are developing solutions for sustainable practices and renewable energy. With visions and achievements that include hydrogen-powered cars, chemical engineers are helping to shape a renewable future.

Create new industries

Chemical engineering contributes to the growth of new industries in areas such as renewable energy, biotechnology and nanotechnology. As well as providing economic opportunities, these new industries often provide environmental and social benefits, such as the genetic modification of food products to increase the amount and nutritive value of foods available to developing countries.

Research and development

Chemical engineers play a prominent role in research and development, both through contributions to university or government research programs, and as a key part of work within industry.

Chemical engineers work with the building blocks of matter and life - at the atomic, molecular and cellular level and through to space age materials.

Product and process design

At the forefront of advances such as the industrial development and manufacturing of plastics, chemical engineers are the designers who make new products happen.

Imagine a world without pharmaceuticals, medicine, synthetic fibres, plastics and mass produced food and beverages and you're starting to get an idea of what life would be like without chemical engineers.

Process development/pilot plant operation

One of the biggest challenges for any new development - from new synthetic fibres with fireproof properties to new drugs such as flu vaccines - is their large-scale production using cost-effective, safe and environmentally sound practices.

From investigation of operating conditions to economic analysis of alternatives, chemical engineers design and test the chemical and physical processes required to produce all sorts of materials.

Construction/start up

Chemical engineers also play an important role in the construction of full-scale manufacturing facilities, providing design expertise as well as acting as supervisors and trouble-shooters.

Using high level project management skills, chemical engineers are involved throughout the whole process - from working with architects and structural engineers on physical plant design to ensuring efficient and effective operations in the new facility.

Operations and production

Working as supervisors, production managers and control or plant engineers, chemical engineers play a key role in managing the day-to-day operations of manufacturing plants in industries such as food, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, petroleum, petrochemicals, plastics and metals.

Problem diagnosis

Strategic decision makers and creative problem solvers, chemical engineers are often called upon to provide solutions to economic, environmental, scientific and processing problems and issues.

Environmental management

Chemical engineers develop commercially viable solutions to clean up waste and prevent pollution. From devising new systems to decrease pollution in industry, to developing methods to clean up emergency oil spills in our oceans, as a chemical engineer you can help to protect the world in which we live.