Introduction to Chemical Engineering

Unit-2
Definition of Chemical Engineering, Basic Concepts in Chemical Engineering: Unit
Operations, Basic laws, Useful mathematical methods, Units and Dimensions.

Definition of Chemical Engineering

Chemical engineering is a branch of engineering that combines the physical and life sciences
with applied mathematics and economics to design, develop, and optimize processes for
producing, transforming, transporting, and using chemicals, materials, and energy. Chemical
engineers work in a wide range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, healthcare,
construction, pulp and paper, petrochemicals, food processing, specialty chemicals,
microelectronics, polymers, and biotechnology.

Chemical engineers are involved in many areas, including:

 Process development
Chemical engineers design and develop large-scale processes for converting raw materials
into products.

 Process optimization
Chemical engineers work to maintain and improve processes.

 Sustainability
Chemical engineers are key in initiatives that promote energy efficiency, sustainable
development, and eco-friendly solutions.

 Collaboration
Chemical engineers work with other engineering disciplines, such as materials science,
computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and civil and
environmental engineering.

Some examples of chemical engineering processes include: Refining crude oil by distillation,
Producing insulin through a fermentation process, and Creating catalytic converters for
reducing automotive emissions.

What is a simple definition of chemical engineering?

Chemical engineering involves the production and manufacturing of products through

chemical processes. This includes designing equipment, systems, and processes for refining
raw materials and for mixing, compounding, and processing chemicals.

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
What is called a chemical engineer?
A chemical engineer is a professional equipped with the knowledge of chemistry and other basic
sciences who works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of
products and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment.

కెమికల్ ఇంజనీర్ అంటారు?

కెమికల్ ఇంజనీర్ అనేది కెమిస్ట్రీ మరియు ఇతర ప్రాథమిక శాస్త్రాల పరిజ్ఞానంతో
కూడిన ప్రొఫెషనల్, అతను ప్రాథమిక ముడి పదార్థాలను వివిధ ఉత్పత్తులుగా
మార్చడానికి మరియు ప్లాంట్లు మరియు పరికరాల రూపకల్పన మరియు ఆపరేషన్‌తో
వ్యవహరించడానికి ప్రధానంగా రసాయన పరిశ్రమలో పని చేస్తాడు.
What is the best definition of chemical?
A chemical is any substance that has a defined composition. In other words, a chemical is always made
up of the same "stuff." Some chemicals occur in nature, such as water. Other chemicals are
manufactured, such as chlorine (used for bleaching fabrics or in swimming pools).

Who is the father of chemical engineering?

George E Davis
George E Davis, who is considered to be the 'father' of the profession, suggested as far back as 1880
that the group which the following year became known as the Society of Chemical Industry, should be
named the Society of Chemical Engineers.

What is the duty of a chemical engineer?

A Chemical Engineer conducts research, analyzes data, and designs solutions to improve production
processes and equipment. They work on minimizing waste, increasing product quality, and
implementing safety procedures. They collaborate with a team of engineers, run simulations, and
communicate findings to stakeholders.

What is the basic concept of chemical engineering?

At its core, chemical engineering is a discipline that combines natural and life sciences with
mathematics and economics to design, develop, and optimize processes for producing, transforming,
and transporting materials.

Why is chemical engineering important?

Chemical engineering is responsible for fulfilling everyday needs such as clothes, food and energy.
Chemical engineers devise these production processes while also remaining mindful of managing
resources, making sure health and safety standards are adhered to, and protecting the world's
environment.

What is the scope of chemical engineering?

Graduates of chemical engineering can work in a variety of engineering fields,
including nanotechnology, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, mineral refinement and processing,
biotechnology, and so on

What are the concepts of chemical engineering?

Processing and manufacturing of chemicals in industries is based on many operations such as heat
transfer, mass transfer, fluid flow, distillation, evaporation, absorption, drying, leaching, mixing,
crystallization, adsorption, and humidification.
What is the life of a chemical engineer?

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
In addition to laboratory work, chemical engineers also spend time in offices and meeting rooms. They
collaborate with colleagues, discuss project progress, and brainstorm solutions to challenges. They
often work in multidisciplinary teams, which allows for a diverse range of perspectives and expertise.

Basic Concepts in Chemical Engineering: Unit Operations

Prominent unit-operations and unit-processes in chemical industry

A detailed summary of various prominent unit operations/processes and their functional role in
the chemical plant are summarized in Table along with suitable figures.

Category Unit operations/processes Functional role

a) Centrifugal pump
b) Reciprocating pump a) To pressurize liquids and gases.
fluid operations
c) Compressor b) To depressurize gases
d) Expander
a) Crusher
solid operations a) To reduce the size of solids
b) Grinder
a) Cyclone separator
b) Centrifuge
Solid-fluid a) To separate solid particles from solid-
c) Electrostatic precipitator
separators liquid/gas mixtures
d) Classifier & Thickener
e) Liquid-liquid separator
a) To either remove or add heat to process
streams so as to meet desired conditions
a) Shell & Tube heat exchangers
in other units.
Heat exchangers b) Fired heaters and furnaces
b) Either utilities or other process streams
c) Coolers
are used to carry out heating/cooling
requirements.
a) Phase separation
b) Distillation
c) Absorption
a) To separate a feed into products with
d) Stripping
different compositions.
Mass transfer units e) Adsorption
b) A third agent (heat or compound) is
f) Extraction
usually used to carry out separation.
g) Leaching
h) Crystallization
i) Membrane
a) Completely stirred tank reactor
(CSTR)
a) To carry out reactions in homogenous
b) Plug flow reactor (PFR)
fluids (gases/liquids).
Reactor units c) Packed bed reactors
b) To carry out catalytic and multi-phase
(PBR)
reactions.
d) Slurry & Trickle bed
reactors

Table 1: Important unit operations/unit processes and their functional role in chemical
process technology.

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
Process Technology Functional Role
Reactors - Central and most
a) CSTR important process
b) Batch-Reactor technology in process flow
c) PFR
d) Packed bed reactor
e) Trickle bed reactor - Carry out desired reactive
f) Fluidized bed reactor transformations
a) CSTR - Well mixed reaction
system

- Homogenous liquid/gas
phase reaction

- Most easy configuration

- Temperature control
through Jacket

- Reactant instantaneously
reaches lowest
CSTR concentration

-Mostinexpensive to design
and operate

b) Batch Reactor - Has a simple design, with

the requirement of very
little
supporting equipments
- Ideal for small scale
experimental studies on
reactor kinetics
- Can be used industrially
for treatment of very small
quantities
of materials.

c) PFR - Homogenous liquid/gas

phase reaction
- Reactant gradually
reaches low concentrations
- Good control over
temperature
- Temperature control

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
through jacket (not shown)

d) Packed Bed Reactor (PBR) - Heterogeneous reaction

- Packing to act as catalyst

- Packing packed in tubes

- Shell fed with

cooling/heating fluid
(optional)

- Most common in
process flow sheets

e) Trickle Bed Reactor - Multi-phase reaction

- If the reaction is not

catalytic, packing serves to
enhance interfacial area

- If the reaction is
catalytic, packing acts as a
catalyst as well

- Complicated design

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
f) Fluidized bed reactor - Provides highest mass,
heat and hence reaction
rates for solid-fluid
reactions

- Very commonly deployed

in petroleum refineries
(catalytic cracking)

- Complicated accessories
(shown) and control
system required

- The accessories are for

catalyst re-generation and
transport.

Process Technology Functional Role

Separators:
- Most important
a) Batch distillation process technology
b) Continuous distillation - Provides desired
c) Absorption separation between
d) Stripping phases and streams
e) Liquid-liquid extraction - Located next to the
f) Leaching reactor as 100 %
g) Crystallization conversions are very
h) Drying rare in industrial
i) Flash separator practice
j) Membrane separator
k) Packed bed contactor

a) Batch distillation column

- Used to separate a
liquid mixture based on
relative volatility
(differences in boiling
points)
- Operated in batch
mode

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering

b) Continuous distillation (Fractionator) - The most important

separation technology in
process flow sheets
- Provides very pure
products
- Differences in boiling
points is the working
principle
- Energy intensive
operation
- Usually multi-
component distillation is
apparent in industrial
practice

c) Absorption column - Used to absorb

components
from gaseous
stream
- Solvent is
used
- Usually
followed with
stripper to re-
generate the
fresh solvent
- Operated at
low
temperature
and
moderate/hig
h pressure

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
d) Stripper
- Steam/Hot gas is used
to strip the gas
- Regenerated solvent
used for absorption

e) Liquid Liquid extraction

- Used to separate
components from a
liquid with a liquid
solvent
- Consists of a series of
mixers and separators
- Produces extract (rich
with solvent and
components extracted)
and raffinate (product
with lean extractants)

f) Leaching - A liquid solvent

extracts components
from a solid
- High interfacial area
between solid/liquid is
required to enhance
extraction capability

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering

g) Crystallization - Used to crystallize

solids from a
slurry/super-saturated
solution

- Fine crystals added to

serve as nucleating
agent

h) Spray drier
- Liquid slurry is sprayed
in the form of droplets

- Hot gas (air) dries the

solid

- Enables very good

control over the
product particle size

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering

i) Rotary drier - Through rotation, an

agitated liquid film is
dried to obtain the
dried solid.

j) Flash separator - Very common

technology to separate
liquid streams at high
pressure and lower
temperatures.

- Upon pressure
reduction/heating, low
boiling components
separate as vapor
phase and yield a liquid
phase.

- Complete separation
only possible for fewer
components

k) Membrane separation - A semi-permeable

barrier (membrane) is
used to separate feed
streams based on
concentration
difference/pressure
difference.

- Various types of
processes available

- New technology in
process industries.

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering

l) Packed bed contactor - Used for

absorption/stripping
operations

- Packing serves to
enhance gas/liquid
interfacial area

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering

Basic laws
Chemistry laws

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering

Law of conservation of mass

The law of conservation of mass is often referred to as the most fundamental concept of
chemistry. This was put forward by Antoine Lavoisier. The law of conservation of mass
states that:

In the process of a chemical reaction, the amount of matter involved remains the same

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
before and after the reaction occurs.

Law of conservation of energy

The law of conservation of energy is the first basic law which concerns a thermodynamic
system. Julius Robert Mayer discovered the Law of Conservation of Energy. The law states
that:

The total energy of a system is conserved given it is isolated from its surroundings.

Boyle’s Law

Also known as the names of Boyle–Mariotte law or Mariotte’s law, Boyle’s law states that:

The absolute pressure exerted by a given mass of an ideal gas is inversely proportional to
the volume it occupies if the temperature and amount of gas remain unchanged within
a closed system.

Charles law

Also known as the law of volumes, Charles’s law is an experimental gas law that describes
how gases tend to expand when heated. The law states that:

When the pressure on a sample of a dry gas is held constant, the Kelvin temperature and
the volume will be directly related.

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering

Dalton’s law of partial pressure

Dalton’s law of partial pressures states that:

In a mixture of non-reacting gases, the total pressure exerted by the gas mixture is
equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases.

Avogadro’s Law
This particular law was discovered in 1811 by Amedeo Avogadro. Avogadro’s Law states
that:

Equal volumes of all gases, at the same temperature and pressure, have the same
number of molecules.

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering

Ideal Gas Law

The volume (V) occupied by n moles of any gas has a pressure (P) at a temperature (T) in
Kelvin. The relationship between these variables is signifying the law is given below.

PV = nRT

Periodic Law
The periodic law was developed independently by Dmitri Mendeleev and Lothar Meyer in
1869. The periodic law states that:

The physical and chemical properties of the elements recur in a systematic and
predictable way when the elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic
number.

It means that when the elements are arranged in the order of their increasing atomic
numbers, it is observed that the elements of similar properties recur at regular intervals or
periodically. As a result of this, the elements fall into certain groups and lead to an
arrangement called the modern periodic table of elements. Elements belonging to the same
group have similar properties.

Laws of thermodynamics
The study of the relations between heat, work, temperature, and energy is known as
thermodynamics. These laws of thermodynamics describe how the energy in a system
changes and whether the system can perform useful work on its surroundings. The four laws
of thermodynamics define the fundamental physical quantities that characterize
thermodynamic systems at thermal equilibrium. The laws describe how these quantities

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
behave under various circumstances and forbid certain phenomena. There are four laws of
thermodynamics.

1. Zeroth law of thermodynamics: T

he zeroth law of thermodynamics states that if two thermodynamic systems are each in thermal
equilibrium with a third system, then they are in thermal equilibrium with each other.

2. First law of thermodynamics: The first law of thermodynamics states that heat can neither be
created nor destroyed, it can only be converted from one form to another.
3. Second law of thermodynamics: The second law of thermodynamics states that any
spontaneously occurring process will always lead to an escalation in the entropy (S) of the
universe.
4. Third law of thermodynamics: The third law of thermodynamics states that the entropy of a
perfect crystal at a temperature of zero Kelvin (absolute zero) is equal to zero.

Faraday’s Law
Any change in the magnetic environment of a coil of wire will cause a voltage (emf) to be
“induced” in the coil. No matter how the change is produced, the voltage will be generated.
This is made clear by Faraday’s Law.

Faraday’s first law of electrolysis states that

The amount of substance liberated at an electrode is directly proportional to the

quantity of electricity passed.

Faraday’s second law of electrolysis states that if the same amount of electricity is passed
through different electrolytes, the masses of ions deposited at the electrodes are directly
proportional to their chemical equivalents.

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering

Henry’s Law
Henry’s law is one of the gas laws and was formulated by the British chemist, William Henry,
in 1803. It states that:

At a constant temperature, the amount of a given gas dissolved in a given type and
volume of liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of that gas in
equilibrium with that liquid.

Raoult's law states that the vapor pressure of a solvent above a solution is equal to the
vapor pressure of the pure solvent at the same temperature scaled by the mole
fraction of the solvent present: Psolution=χsolventPosolvent.

Some basic concepts of heat and mass transfer include:

 Heat transfer

Heat is energy in transit that moves from one system to another when there is a
temperature difference. Heat transfer occurs in three modes: conduction, convection, and
radiation.
 Conduction: Heat is transferred as vibrations from one molecule to another.
 Convection: Heat is transferred by the movement of groups of molecules in a fluid.
 Radiation: Heat is transferred by electromagnetic waves.
 Mass transfer

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
Mass is transferred from one point to another. Mass transfer occurs in processes such as
absorption, evaporation, adsorption, drying, precipitation, membrane filtration, and
distillation.
 Temperature
Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold a substance is. The symbol for temperature
is T, and the scales for measuring temperature are Celsius and Kelvin.
 Heat
Heat is energy in transit, and the symbol for heat is Q. The units for measuring heat are
the Joule and calorie.
 Enthalpy
Enthalpy is the random motion of molecules in a system.
 Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is concerned with converting heat energy into other useful forms of
energy.

Useful mathematical methods

Some mathematical methods used in chemical engineering include:
 Linear algebra: Includes eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and their application to difference
equations
 Ordinary differential equations: Includes second order differential equations, non-
homogeneous linear ODEs, and boundary value problems
 Partial differential equations: Includes fundamentals and generalized Fourier transform
methods
 Matrices: Includes their application
 Series solutions and special functions: Includes theory and applications
 Laplace transform: Includes theory and applications
 Perturbation methods: Includes theory and applications

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

Introduction to Chemical Engineering

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
Units and Dimensions
Units and dimensions are related concepts that describe physical quantities and
their measurements:
 Dimensions
A physical quantity that can be measured, but without numerical values. For example,
length is a dimension.
 Units
An arbitrary name that correlates to a dimension to make a measurement relative to an
agreed upon definition. For example, a meter is a unit that describes length.
 Conversion factors
Relate two different units of the same physical quantity. For example, 1 in = 2.54 cm, so
2.54 cm/in is the conversion factor.
Here are some examples of units and dimensions:
 Length: The dimension of length is [L], and the unit for length is meters (m).
 Mass: The dimension of mass is [M], and the unit for mass is kilograms (kg).
 Time: The dimension of time is [T], and the unit for time is seconds (s).
 Temperature: The dimension of temperature is [Θ], and the unit for temperature is kelvin
(K).
 Energy: The SI unit of energy is joule (J).
 Power: The SI unit of power is watt (W).
The three primary unit systems in use today are the International System of Units
(SI), the English Engineering System of Units, and the British Gravitational
System of Units (BG).

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
1) Momentum

The equation of momentum is p = m v

p = momentum, m = mass, v = velocity

Dimension of mass = M and dimension of velocity = L/T = L T -1 so that dimension of

momentum = M L T-1

International unit of momentum = kg m/s = kg m s-1

2) Force

The equation of force is F = m a

F = force, m = mass, a = acceleration

Dimension of mass = M and dimension of acceleration = L/T 2 = L T-2 so dimension of force

is M L T-2

International unit of force is kg m/s2 = kg m s-2

3) Power

The equation of power is W = F d

W = work, F = force, d = displacement

Dimension of force = M L T-2 and dimension of displacement is L so that dimension

of work is [M][L][T]-2 [L] = [M][L]2[T]-2

The equation of power is P = W / t

P = power, W = work, t = time

Dimension of work = [M][L]2[T]-2 and dimension of time = [T] so that dimension of power =
[M][L]2[T]-2 / [T] = [M][L]2[T]-2 [T]-1 = [M][L]2[T]-3

International unit of force is kg m2/s3 = kg m2 s-3

1. What is a physical quantity?

 Answer: A physical quantity is a property of an object or system that can be quantified and
measured. Examples include mass, length, time, temperature, and force.

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

 Introduction to Chemical Engineering
2. Why are units important in the measurement of physical quantities?
 Answer: Units provide a standard way to express the magnitude of a physical quantity.
They ensure clarity, precision, and consistency in measurements, enabling clear
communication and understanding among scientists and engineers worldwide.
3. What is the difference between a fundamental (or base) quantity and a derived quantity?
 Answer: Fundamental quantities are basic physical quantities defined independently and
form the foundation for other measurements. Examples include length, mass, and time.
Derived quantities are formed from combinations of these fundamental quantities, such as
area (length x width) or velocity (distance/time).
4. What are dimensions? How do they relate to physical quantities?
 Answer: Dimensions refer to the nature and type of physical quantities (e.g., [L] for length,
[M] for mass, [T] for time). They represent the powers to which the fundamental quantities
are raised to represent a particular physical quantity.
5. What is meant by the “dimensional formula” of a physical quantity?
 Answer: A dimensional formula expresses the relationship of a physical quantity in terms
of its basic dimensions. For example, the dimensional formula for velocity is [LT−1],
indicating that velocity is derived from length ([L]) divided by time ([T]).
6. How is the SI (International System of Units) system significant in modern science and
engineering?
 Answer: The SI system provides a globally accepted set of standard units for measuring
physical quantities. This ensures uniformity, reduces confusion, and enables collaboration
among scientists and engineers worldwide.
7. What’s the difference between a scalar and a vector quantity?
 Answer: A scalar quantity has only magnitude (e.g., mass, temperature), whereas a vector
quantity has both magnitude and direction (e.g., velocity, force).
8. Why can’t we use arbitrary units to measure physical quantities?
 Answer: Using arbitrary units would lead to confusion, lack of consistency, and
miscommunication in scientific measurements and calculations. Standardized units ensure
that measurements are universally understood and comparable.
9. How can dimensional analysis be useful in physics?
 Answer: Dimensional analysis helps verify the correctness of physical equations by
checking the consistency of dimensions on both sides of the equation. It can also be used to
derive relationships between different physical quantities.
10. Why are some quantities, like refractive index or coefficient of friction, considered
dimensionless?
 Answer: Dimensionless quantities are ratios of similar quantities, and thus their dimensions
cancel out. For instance, the refractive index is the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to its
speed in a medium. Since both are speeds, their dimensions cancel, making the refractive index
dimensionless.

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

Introduction to Chemical Engineering

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar

Introduction to Chemical Engineering

Dr Bandi Chandra Sekhar