Chemical engineering sounds like a big, fancy, complicated field that is only for the genius minds out there. Many people shy away from anything that involves the word “chemistry,” which leaves more jobs for people out there who love chemistry to its core. Chemical engineering is basically applied chemistry, which means that chemical engineers are the people out there who take the principals of chemistry and apply them to develop products across all kinds of industries.
Chemical engineers have to have at least a bachelor’s degree to enter the workforce. On the job, chemical engineers are involved with the development of new drugs, foods, chemicals, fuels, and other products. Often, chemical engineers are thought of as being the professionals who create products to make our lives easier.
Chemical engineers use their math and science skills to solve problems both safely and economically for a business. Many industries try to innovate and create products that help the business gain a profitable advantage over other companies. This often means creating products or processes to speed up manufacturing. Because the description of what chemical engineers can do is so big, they can end up working for all kinds of companies.
Chemical engineers are not just people who have created industrial products you’ve never heard of before. Chemical engineers are the people who have made products you likely use every day. Chewing gum, laundry detergent, DiGornio frozen pizza, shampoo, Smirnoff Ice, Kleenex, and Cheerios are all products that were created because of the work of chemical engineers.
Chemical engineers are different than other kinds of engineers. Mechanical engineers, for instance, tend to design machinery like cars or factory equipment. Computer engineers design and control computer devices. Optical engineers design devices that use electromagnetic radiation. All of these kinds of engineering jobs differ from chemical engineering. Chemical engineers use mathematics and natural sciences to manipulate, utilize, and convert raw materials into new substances that are useful to us.
Although chemical engineers were originally involved in biotechnical, fuel combustion, and energy renewal processes, they are spreading out into all kinds of industries. Chemical engineers are highly valued workers in many industries. Chemical engineers are the people who help companies and industries create innovative products and create faster mechanisms for creating products. Chemical engineers are hands-on, creative thinkers who have to utilize their knowledge-based training everyday on the job. If you are the type of person who finds chemistry, math, and other natural sciences fascinating, chemical engineering may be the field for you.
