From food to fuel to medication, we rely on chemical engineers to ensure that the products we depend on are safe, sustainable, and cost-effective.

Chemical engineers design and improve the processes used to generate products. Using various technologies, they advance the production of food, fuel, medication, biomedical devices, computer memory, and much more.

Combining expertise in math, chemistry, physics, and biology with engineering science, design, and even economics, chemical engineers are well-versed in multiple areas of study. With their multi-disciplinary knowledge, a chemical engineer’s work could include:

  • Designing processes to turn raw materials or chemicals into products
  • Developing new advanced materials
  • Designing chemical processes for large-scale manufacturing plants
  • Seeking new sources of clean energy, managing renewable and non-renewable energy resources, and developing sustainable processes
  • Treating harmful waste and emissions and purifying drinking water
  • Designing life-saving medical devices
  • Providing know-how for chemical processing in the electronics industry and nanotechnology sectors

Chemical engineering spans from industrial applications to niche markets, with significant potential to progress society. Working with polymers, a chemical engineer could improve the biodegradation of products. They could specialize in the biomedical field and work to advance medical devices and medication. Work in this field includes regenerating human tissue or improving the coatings on medical devices to improve integration into the human body. The versatile skills of chemical engineers keep them in high demand in almost every sector of the economy