Chemical Engineering: An

Introduction to the Major and

the Profession

Professor Donald J. Chmielewski Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering

Illinois Institute of Technology

Not All Engineers Drive Trains

Positions Held by

Chemical Engineers

• Process Engineer at Plastics Factory

• Manager at Waste Water Treatment Plant

• Research Scientist for a Chip Manufacturer

• Medical Doctor involved in Drug Research

• CEO of a Multi-National Corporation

Subjects Studied by

Chemical Engineers

• Analysis of Chemical Processes • Separations

• Reactions

• Thermodynamics

• Design of Chemical Processes • Economics

• Safety and the Environment

Chemistry of Crude Oil

H H H H

H-C – C – C – C-H

H H H H

H

H-C-H

H

H H

H-C – C-H

H H

H H H H

H-C – C – C – C-H

H H H H

H

H-C-H

H

H

H-C-H

H

H

H-C-H

H

H

H-C-H

H

H H

H-C – C-H

H H

H H

H-C – C-H

H H

H

H-C-H

H

H

H-C-H

H

Distillation of Crude Oil

H H H H

H - C – C – C – C - H

H H H H

H H

H - C – C - H

H H

H

H-C-H

H

H

H-C-H

H

H H H H

H - C – C – C – C - H

H H H H

H H

H - C – C - H

H H

Natural Gas

(to your stove)

Liquid Fuels

(to your car)

Tars (to the road)

H H H H

H - C – C – C – C - H

H H H H

H H

H - C – C - H

H H

H

H – C – H

H

The Refinery

V e r y S i m p l i f i e d

P e t r o l e u m a n d

P e t r o c h e m i c a l

F l o w c h a r t

O i l

W e l l

C r u d e

O i l S e p a r a t i o n s

Co

nve

rsio

ns

Sep

arat

ion

s

and

Pu

rifi

cati

on

s

N a t u r a l

G a s

P r o p a n e & B u t a n e

N a p h t h a

( C 5 - C 1 0 )

G a s S t o v e

F u e l

G a s o l i n e

J e t F u e l

F u e l

R X E t h y l e n e P o l y e t h y l e n e ( G l a d B a g s )

R X

R X P o l y m e r s ( 7 U P B o t t l e s )

( B a r b e q u e G r i l l s )

R X

R X O r g a n i c C h e m i c a l s

M o r e P o l y m e r s

( A s p i r i n , H a i r S p r a y )

( F o o t b a l l H e l m e t , A s t r o

T u r f , N y l o n )

H o m e H e a t i n g

O i l , L u b r i c a t i n g

O i l , W a x

D i e s e l F u e l s

K e r o s e n e &

G a s O i l s ( C 1 0 + )

C o k e

( C a r b o n M a t e r i a l S i m i l a r t o C o a l ) S t e e l M a k i n g

A s p h a l t R o a d s P o t H o l e s

P u r i f i c a t i o n s r e m o v e s u l f u r a n d h e a v y m e t a l s

R X = C h e m i c a l R e a c t i o n s

G r a p h i t e F i b e r s

( T e n n i s R a c q u e t s )

How Distillation Works

Distillation Columns

Economics of Refining

H H H H

H - C – C – C – C - H

H H H H

H H

H - C – C - H

H H

H

H-C-H

H

H

H-C-H

H

H H H H

H - C – C – C – C - H

H H H H

H H

H - C – C - H

H H

Natural Gas

(to your stove)

Liquid Fuels

(to your car)

Tars (to the road)

H H H H

H - C – C – C – C - H

H H H H

H H

H - C – C - H

H H

H

H – C – H

H

Cracking of Hydrocarbons

Gasoline

Tar

H H H H

H - C – C – C – C - H

H H H H

H H

H - C – C - H

H H H H H H

H - C – C – C – C - H

H H H H

High

Temperatures

Catalyst

Pellets

Fluidized Catalytic Cracker

Gasoline Out

Tar In

Catalyst

Regenerator

Fluidized

Reactor

( Carbon

Deposits

Removed

from

Catalyst

Particles ) ( Carbon

Atoms

Attracted

to

Catalyst

Particles )

FCC Reactor

Environmental Issues

Chemistry of Combustion

CH4 + 2 O2 2 H2O + CO2 + Heat

Other Chemicals in Oil

H H H H

H-C – C – C – C-H

H H H H

H

H-C-H

H

H H

H-C – C-H

H H

H H H H

H-C – C – C – C-H

H H H H

H

H-C-H

H

H

H-C-H

H

H

H-C-H

H

H

H-C-H

H

H H

H-C – C-H

H H

H H

H-C – C-H

H H

H

H-C-H

H

H

H-C-H

H

N

S

S

S

S

S

N

N

N

N

S S

S S

Chemistry of Combustion

CH4 + 2 O2 2 H2O + CO2 + Heat

S + 2 O2 SO2

Acid Rain

Smog

Ozone

N + 2 O2 NO2

N2 + 4 O2 2 NO2

from the Fuel

from the Air

Cleaning-Up the Fuel

S + H2 H2S

2 N + 2 H2 2 NH3

Heat

Dirty

Fuel H2

Clean

Fuel

Hydro-treating Reactor

Chemistry of Combustion

CH4 + 2 O2 2 H2O + CO2 + Heat

S + 2 O2 SO2

Acid Rain

Smog

Ozone

N + 2 O2 NO2

N2 + 4 O2 2 NO2

from the Fuel

from the Air

Green

House

Gas

Fuel Cell Technology

Hydrogen Generation

H2O

CH4 Reforming

Reactor

Fuel Cell

Fuel Side

Oxidant Side

Air In

( O2 )

CO2 H2 &

H2O

CO2

H H H

H H

H H

H H H H

CO2 H2 &

Chemistry of Combustion

CH4 + 2 O2 2 H2O + CO2 + Heat

S + 2 O2 SO2

Acid Rain

Smog

Ozone

N + 2 O2 NO2

N2 + 4 O2 2 NO2

from the Fuel

from the Air

Green

House

Gas

Efficiency in Power Generation

CO2

CO2

E

E

Alternative Energy Sources

H2O

CH4 Reforming

Reactor

Fuel Cell

Fuel Side

Oxidant Side

Air In

( O2 ) H2O

H H H

H H

H H

H H H H

CO2 H2 & CO2