Chem Engg. VS. Chemist
1. Recognition
The most apparent difference between chemists and chemical engineers to me is recognition. The public at large understand what a chemist does (because they studied chemistry in school), but there is a lack of recognition of what chemical engineering is.
Perhaps the highest form of recognition for both chemists and chemical engineers would be winning a Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to 166 laureates since 1901 but I can only think of six of these winners who can be classified as chemical engineers; Koichi Tanaka, Jon B. Fenn, Kurt Wuthrich, Linus Carl Pauling, William Francis Giauque and Robert H. Grubbs.
As a group we chemical engineers need to get better at being envoys of our work.
2. History
George E Davis
Chemistry and the study of it is an old profession. Records exist of the ancient civilisations amassing practical knowledge of chemistry involved in metallurgy, pottery and dyeing. The study of chemistry as a science began in the 1600s, with chemists like Robert Boyle working towards the formulation of Boyle’s Law.
Chemical engineering emerged in its own right the late 1800s with George E Davis coining the term ‘chemical engineering’. Increasing understanding of the importance of chemical engineering after World War I led to IChemEbeing established in 1922.
3. Numbers
There are more chemists than there are chemical engineers, perhaps explaining why chemistry is more readily recognised. For example; there were ~29,800 applications to study chemistry in 2014 the UK, compared with ~19,900 to study chemical engineering.
However there is good news for chemical engineering. In the last year, chemical engineering in the UK has seen an increase of 18.6 per cent in the number of people applying to study it, compared with an increase of 9.4 per cent for chemistry. Obviously not all these students will go on to work as chemists or chemical engineers, but increasing numbers of students are a good sign for both fields.
4. Area of study
Chemistry investigates the background of the science encompassing aspects of; organic, inorganic, analytical, physical and bio-chemistry. Chemical engineering is more multidisciplinary in its approach and includes all of the previous topics, as well as aspects of physics and maths such as; heat transfer, fluid dynamics, equipment design etc. Here is a good YouTube video I found explaining this in a bit more detail:
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5. Focus
Chemists tend to focus on developing novel materials and processes, analysing substances, measuring the physical properties of substances and testing theories.
Chemical engineering focuses on turning these new ideas and discoveries into useful products that are attainable. Most work falls into the design, manufacture and operation of plants and machinery; and the development of new materials or substances. Chemical engineers focus on making products for profit and on a scale that is accessible to the many.
6. Salary
Chemical engineers generally get paid more than chemists. The starting salary of a chemical engineer is £29,500 (AUD $69,000); the starting salary of an analytical chemist is £22,000. This does not change with career progression; senior analytical chemists could earn over £50,000 but chartered chemical engineers can earn £70,000+.
7. Careers
Both chemistry and chemical engineering are good subjects to study and the skills learnt can be applied to a variety of different jobs and roles. For chemists typical jobs within the field of chemistry include; analytical chemist, clinical biochemist, forensic scientist, pharmacologist, research scientist or toxicologist. The skills learnt in studying chemistry can also be applied to being an accountant, environmental consultant, patent law, teacher, or science writer. Chemists can even go on to become chemical engineers (like me!).
Chemical engineers can fill a wide range of roles in a variety of disciplines including; chemical engineer in the water industry, bioproduct engineer, food processing engineer or process engineer in the energy industry.
8. Place of work
Chemists tend to work in laboratories performing analysis or research and development, but can also be found in offices, classrooms and in the field. Chemical engineers tend to work at the plant end of research, but also work in laboratories, the field and the boardroom.
9. Scale
Chemists work with relatively small amounts of materials in glassware or on a laboratory bench; e.g. developing new drugs. Whereas chemical engineers work on industrial scalereactions with factory size equipment; e.g. scaling up drug production.
Chemists are more likely to develop novel products; and then chemical engineers are likely to take these products and make them more efficient so they are widely available and cheap.
10. Diversity
The bodies of chemistry and chemical engineering have both worked hard to promote diversity within the fields and both have seen success. This year 42 per cent of applicants to study chemistry were female, a good sign for gender equality.
In chemical engineering one in four students applying for chemical engineering is female, the highest amount in all the engineering professions. We chemical engineers need to do even more work to achieve a better gender balance.
It is important to remember that chemists and chemical engineers have to work together to achieve successful outcomes. This collaboration is the backbone of our work!
It would be great to hear from those of you who regularly work with chemists (or other scientists!) and how this affects your work.
AIChE
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) (pronounced as Ahh-Chi) is a professional organization for chemical engineers. AIChE was established in 1908 to distinguish chemical engineers as a profession independent of chemists and mechanical engineers.
As of 2013, AIChE had over 45,000 members, including members from over 100 countries worldwide. Student chapters at various universities around the world have also been established throughout its history. The student chapters tend to focus on providing networking opportunities in both academia and in industry as well as increasing student involvement locally and nationally.
www.aiche.org
10 Reasons To Be A Chemical Engineer . . .
1. A growing global profession
In some countries membership of professional bodies are in decline but this is not the case for chemical engineers. The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) has 42,000 members and growing which is mirrored by other institutions around the world, indicating a thriving and like-minded global profession.
2. Make a difference
Some professions attract the word “vocation”. Nurses and teachers are often associated with the view that it’s not just about the money, but the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve helped someone personally and profoundly. Chemical engineers have this opportunity too – better nutrition and improved health; greater social mobility; warmth and light; protection of the environment and many other measures valued by society are the result of our hard work.
3. Money
Chemical engineers generally feature at the top end of high earners. Graduate salaries give dentists and doctors a run for their money with starting salaries in the UK of around £30,000. Median salaries for Chartered Chemical Engineers reach around £70,000 and are even higher for those working in certain industries, which all leads to a great quality of life.
4. Job choice
Undergraduates always have a tricky decision about which course to choose, and there's always a danger that the course they decide on could narrow their future job prospects. That couldn't be said of chemical engineering which opens doors to the following industries and jobs: biochemical engineering, chemicals, consultancy, education, food and drink, health, safety and environment, mining and minerals, oil and gas (exploration and production), oil refining, paper and packaging, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and toiletries, plastics, power generation (fossil fuels/nuclear generation or decommissioning/renewable), water, waste management. The list is endless.
5. Great (big) companies
Some of the world’s largest companies and biggest brands operate in the chemical and process sector. Not surprisingly, oil and gas feature heavily in the top 50 companies ranked by revenue. So too are energy companies and pharmaceutical suppliers. Impressive!
6. Travel and lifestyle
Chemical engineering provides some great opportunities for travel and working in different countries, facilitated by the high proportion of multinational companies operating in the sector. So if you need a work passport, choose chemical engineering – you'll have plenty of chance to work abroad throughout your career.
7. Recession-proof
Since the global recession in 2008, by and large, chemical engineers have retained their standard of living. In a period when many professions have seen their salaries decline in real terms, median salaries for the chemical engineering profession have grown steadily.
8. On hand when it matters
In times of trouble, like natural disasters, emergency teams are on the ground as soon as possible. Once their work is over, teams of people – often volunteers – replace them to help establish vital services and infrastructure like clean water, warmth and food. It's always great to know that charities and chemical engineers are part of these invaluable teams.
9. Career progression
With so many large employers in the sector, there is an endless opportunity to progress your career as a chemical engineer. Even if you prefer to work for a smaller company, or on your own as a consultant, there is always an opportunity to choose your own career path. The China National Petroleum Corporation reportedly employs 1.6m people. In food, the Compass Group employs over 420,000 people. Even McDonald's, with its chemically-engineered food, employs 1.7m people. The result is a world of opportunity to move up the rungs of a very long ladder.
10. Diversity
Last year, IChemE achieved a first by delivering some training at Shell’s Gamba site in Gabon, Africa. In addition to French-speaking Gabonese personnel, the site employed an international mix of staff including people from Europe, North and South America, the Middle East, Asia and other African countries. The young and old, senior engineers and student interns all mixed together to create a diverse team. This is not uncommon and represents the diversity of our profession.
If you'd like to read more from Geoff's blog about what chemical engineers are involved with visit ChemEng365.
If you'd like to read more from Geoff's blog about what chemical engineers are involved with visit ChemEng365.
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