Chemical Engineering
Jennifer Alvarado Consumers Ed Pd: 7/8
Duties
Chemical engineers typically do the following:
- Develop safety procedures for those working with potentially dangerous chemicals
- Troubleshoot problems with manufacturing processes
- Evaluate equipment and processes to ensure compliance with safety and environmental regulations
- Conduct research to develop new and improved manufacturing processes
- Design and plan the layout of equipment
- Do tests and monitor performance of processes throughout production
- Estimate production costs for management
- Develop processes to separate components of liquids or gases or to generate electrical currents using controlled chemical processes
Skills Required/Important Qualities
- Analytical skills- ability to find and solve problems.
- Deductive-reasoning skills- the ability to take a big concept and apply it to a specific problem.
- Interpersonal skills- the ability to communicate well with others and develop good relationships with coworkers in order to collaborate and put scientific principles together.
- Math skills- use math concepts and equations from calculus for analysis, design, and troubleshooting.
- Problem sensitivity- ability to figure out the problem and predict what will happen to prevent losses for employers..
- Problem-solving skills- ability to solve multiple problems at once related to manufacturing and environmental protection.
- Teamwork- work together with other professionals such as technicians and mechanics to put plans and designs into action.
Job Outlook
Wage Potential and Working Schedule
The median annual wage of chemical engineers was $90,300 in May 2010
Most Chemical Engineers work full time
Work Environment
Offices or laboratories are the typical work locations of chemical engineers. Some may travel and work in places such as industrial plants or refineries to fix and monitor any problems.
Education
- high school courses recommended for future chemical engineers are chemistry, physics, biology, algebra, trigonometry, and calculus.
- require a bachelor's degree(4 years), includes classroom, laboratory, and field studies.
- 5-year programs available to receive bachelor's and master's degree.
- graduate degree allows an engineer to work as an instructor at some universities or in research and development.
- cooperative programs availabe to gain experience through practical work and classroom study.
Event Information
Engineering Open House
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
When?
Friday, Mar 8, 2013, 09:00 AM
Where?
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL
EOH 2013 Promo Video