Overview

Chemical engineers translate processes developed in the lab into practical applications for the commercial production of products, and then work to maintain and improve those processes. They rely on the main foundations of engineering: math, physics, and chemistry. Biology also plays an increasingly important role.
What do chemical engineers do?
Broadly, chemical engineers conceive and design processes involved in chemical manufacturing. The main role of chemical engineers is to design and troubleshoot processes for the production of chemicals, fuels, foods, pharmaceuticals, and biologicals, to name just a few. They are most often employed by large-scale manufacturing plants to maximize productivity and product quality while minimizing costs.
Chemical engineers affect the production of almost every article manufactured on an industrial scale. Some typical tasks include: Ensuring compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations Conducting research into improved manufacturing processes Designing and planning equipment layout Incorporating safety procedures for working with dangerous chemicals Monitoring and optimizing the performance of production processes Estimating production costs