a place for chemi~t~
FRANK
edited by: S. &IRING
Clayion High School Clayton. Missouri 63105
Career Choice: Chemist or Chemical Engineer Don Holt Petrolite Corporation, Tretolite Division, 369 Marshall Avenue, St. Louis, MO 631 19
The difference between a chemist and a chemical engineer may seem obvious a t first, but as the comparison is examined more closely, the distinction becomes less precise. In a discussion of the work that distinguishes each profession one can always think of exceptions in which chemists and chemical engineers are working side by side in the same endeavors. The comparison that is presented herein is that of the stereotype roles of chemists and engineers as seen by the author, who is a chemical engineer working in the chemical industry. The chemist or chemical engineer with a doctorate degree is often involved in research and his or her work is essentially the same. Similarly, the nature of their activities is much the same for chemists or engineers involved in teaching. I t is in the industrial world that the functions of chemists and engineers differ the most. In industry, the chemist ia usually responsible for chemical analysis, measurement of physical properties, synthesis of a new chemical, or development of a new process. This work is normally performed on a bench top or in a hood with equipment of less than onegallon capacity. The work is often characterized by very piecise measurements; analysis in ppm range and mass balanCes accounting for 99.9% of the material. T h e logistics involved with a chemist's work are usually minimal. Faw materials are carried by hand to the reaction vessel; process control is manual. Heating is provided by an electrical heatingmantle, gaseous emissions are swept away by the hood fan, and low quality material or by-product material can be disposed of by dumping it into a waste chemical container. After a new product or process has been developed by the chemist in the lab, it is likely that the process is turned over to the chemical engineer to be scaled-up to a production level. I t is the engineer's function to apply, economically, the technology developed by the chemist. The engineer must provide the equipment design for making several million pounds a year of the product either on a continuous basis or in batches of about 20,000 lb each. At this larger production scale, heat and mass transfer effects are more difficult to manage. The raw materials for the reaction are often pumped to the reactor rather than carried by hand, as the chemist did. Air emissions must he limited to meet government regulations and byproduct or poor-quality material must be disposed of in asafe manner. The raw materials used in production are rarely pure, and, subsequently, the mass balances performed on a large scale process are not as rigid as those of the chemist in research.
494
Journal of Chemical Education
In one sense, the engineer functions as a translator of the technolorn of the chemist to the business area. The emphasis on econokics for the engineer is perhaps one of the most distinguishing differences between chemists and chemical engineers. The engineer is constantly trying to reduce the cost of production which include raw materials, energy, labor, cadital depreciation, and by-product disposal. whereas the cost of producinp lab batches is normally not a concern of the chemist, the engineer rarely does anything without considering the economic impact. This requires that the engineer have a knowledge of both technology and business and he able to communicate with people in both areas. The preparation a t the secondary school level for entrance into either chemistry or chemical engineering is essentially the same. There needs to be heaw-emnhasis . on math. science. and communication skills, preferably four years of each. ~ e : cently, engineers journeying to high schools to participate in career day discussions have observed that although seniors
A Wce faChemrSls"~eys diiersified caveem available to chemists, a those careers reqara m&mw-a bal" r u ~ AS we are a1 career cunwllantr lo some 6earee. mas leatwe wdl hoalul v. w o l v vou with &me new insiqhts a4 to what is available. Frank (luiring holds an AB hom Bethel Colleae Kansas and an MA in Wsmistn.
Mr. Quirina has lana s w v d as a member of the ACS-NSTA Hiah School Test ~ommin&.Healwr has been actively mvolved in the A>-
Hope College since 1984. Mr. Quiring's dedication and excellence in chemical education has made him a highly respected member of our community. His numwom awards include the James Conant Bryant Award (1969) and the CMA Award for Outstanding High School Chemishy Teaching (1973). He was the first high school teacher to receive the laner award.
may he attracted to the technology fields, they often have not taken the necessary courses to nreoare . . them to enter a technical program in college. I t is disconcerting to realize that a high school senior mav have limited his or her career onnor.. tnkties at this very early stage, hut this is, in fact, too often the case. more courses that emphasize theapplication ofiechnology. These would include thermodynamics for process design, process and equipment design, mechanics and transport processes (energy, momentum, mass). The engineer is also likely to take courses in economics and business law. General mathematics, computer programming, and applied math (numerical methods) are common courses for both chemists and engineers. Upon cornoletion of the hacheolor's degree. .. . the starting salsn. ior c h e m ~ i t s ; ~engineers n~l i. ~ ~ y n ~ t i c a n t l y d i i f e The re~~t. tollowinl: rahle 4 1 o w i n:,tionnl nrerayc siil,~rie. tor l,uih. ~
~~~
Starting Salaries
National Average
Average
National
4/79
1/80
515.6241yr. 518.4441yr. 523,232lyr.
515,864/yr. 519,9441yr. 524.948lyr.
519.59Wyr. 520,976Iyr. 525.8361yr.
$21,252/yr. $22,932/yr. $27,276/yr.
Chemists BS MS PhD
Chemical Engineers BS MS
PhD
It can he argued that the salary difference reflects the fact that the engineer works closer to the public sector and is held accountable for the public safety in regard to chemical operations.
The professional aspect of engineering is more formalized than is chemistrv. All states offer reeistration or licensing of engineers. ~ f t e n k n ~ i n e e rpositio& in~ that deal directly i i t h public well being will require a licensed engineer. On the other hand, engineers working for private industry come under the "industrial exemption" and are not required to he licensed. I t is interesting to note that chemistry is sometimes described as "pure chemistrv"indicatina that it is a science that can exist f i r its own sake and thatcontinued endeavor in chemistry is justified by the increased knowledge and understanding that will result. There is no corresponding term of "pure engineering." Engineering implies "doing" or the application of technology. Engineering does not exist for its own sake. Whereas chemistrv is taueht in secondarv schools., enzi" neering is not. On a college level, engineering courses tend to he ao~licationsof chemistrv. ohvsics. . . and the reauisite math. alongwith orientation to business and economics. Most of the material in engineering courses is borrowed from other disciplines and is presented in a fashion that emphasizes applir while there ilrv chcmisrry principles wch carion. F i ~exn~nple, as 1.e C'harelier'~.Charles' Law, and B t d e ' i Law, there arr nu > w h encinrrrin:: principles I hlurphv's l.aa is unnwial,. not aware of a n y major firms offering ThisButhor "chemistry service." There are a number of large companies that sell engineering senice (i.e., Kellogg, Lumus, Brown, and Root) as well as numerous individuals whose livelihood is that of engineering consultant. The intent of these observations is to give some insight into the differences in the work and preparatory education of chemists and chemical engineers. Making a career choice of chemist or chemical engineer is neither easy nor straightforward. Similarly, counseling someone on the opportunities and requirements of these careers is not easy. In the briefest terms, the main difference between chemistry and chemical engineering is that chemistry deals more in gaining knowledge; engineering deals more in applying existing knowledge.
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Volume 58 Number 6 June 1981
495
