Engineering is a diverse and exciting profession, with a variety of fields to specialise in. In the first instalment of our ongoing series, we will be taking a look at the branch of chemical engineering, including what it involves and some of the magnificent achievements that chemical engineers have made in particular fields.
Chemical engineering applies physical sciences like chemistry and physics, and life sciences such as biology – alongside mathematics and economics – to engineering problems and projects. All of these combine to facilitate the production, transportation and use of chemicals, as well as materials and energy. Chemical engineers apply this knowledge in a variety of different industries in order to make sure that the world we live in remains both safe and efficient.
Oil Refinery
Chemical engineers have made some particularly amazing achievements in the field of oil refinement. The imaginative and pioneering efforts of chemical engineers in this area have worked to create chemical conversion processes that are used to make physical changes to crude oil and natural gas, which have led to the formation of many products we rely on today, from diesel fuel to asphalt.
Electronics
In the electronics industry, chemical engineers are involved with material development, production and process control. For example, they develop and design materials for circuits that allow for safety, efficiency and easy assembly. They are also involved in developing materials that can dissipate heat more efficiently (and therefore operate faster). Without the work of chemical engineers, our electronics could simply not work in the same way, and may have never been successfully created.
Food
The food and beverage industry relies heavily on chemical engineers, who are involved in every step of the production process. Chemical engineers work on the handling, processing, preparation and preservation of these items, and are consistently confronted with the task of formulating new products to suit consumer demands, including the creation of new flavours, changing ingredients and changing formulas to allow products to have a longer shelf life.
Environmental Management
Chemical engineering is incredibly important when it comes to tasks that concern the environment, and at times the engineers are held responsible for incredibly sensitive materials. In the production of raw materials, chemical engineers are responsible for minimising the production of by-products or finding another use for them in order to prevent harm to the environment. They do this by monitoring the production process and redesigning them to be safer and more efficient.
We hope you enjoyed this insight into the ways that chemical engineers are transforming how we live. At Airedale Springs, we’re fascinated by the accomplishments of engineers in all sorts of fields, and in turn we can pass the extraordinary achievements of engineering on to you. Of course, we can do far more than just pass on information too, and can supply you with a variety of quality springs to meet all of your own engineering requirements. If you’re looking for tension springs, torsion springs or compression springs, please contact Airedale Springs today by calling 01535 643456.