DEVELOPMENTS in CHEMICAL ENGINEERING EDUCATION* D. B. KEYES University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois
The modern curriculum in chemical engineering stresses the three fundamental sciences; chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Chemical engineering subjects are largely confined to a quantitative treatment of unit operations and unit processes. Attempts are being made to teach methods of research and to improve the pedagogy of indinridual courses. The primary desire on the part of the instructor i s to create in the student the ability to think for himself and make good w e of his fundamental knowkdge. I t should be remembered that a four-year course in chemical engineering i s merely a beginning. The succzssful student continues his studies as long as he is in the profession.
unit operations which in their proper sequence and co5rdination constitute a chemical process as conducted an the industrial scale.
Since that time these "unit operations" have come to mean the physical processes common to the chemical industry; for example-distillation, evaporation, crushing, grinding, filtration, absorption, etc. I t is interesting to note that these are distinctly physical rather than chemical processes. The average student in chemical engineering, as well as the chemical engineer working in the industry, of course, cannot confine his attention solely to these "unit operations." He must also include a working knowledge of the chemical unit processes, such as oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis, hydration, and such organic chemical unit processes as nitration, snlfonation, esterification, etc. There has therefore been a tendency in HEMICAL engineering education in the United recent years to develop courses along this particular States is in an exceedingly interesting period of line. I t has been hampered by the fact that very little development. The first book1 on the principles has been published covering the details of design, of chemical engineering was published in this country construction, and operation of equipment involving less than a dozen years ago. Since that time only two these processes. others have appeared. While it is true that many Of course it can be argued that these so-called unit colleges and universities in the United States have processes may be split into the physical unit operations offered a course of study in the general subject, neverwith modifications made necessary by chemical reactheless the elements or principles of chemical engitions. It should be remembered, however, that all of neering, as now defined by the Educational Committee the physical unit operations can in turn be split into of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, have two subjects: (1) material flow, and (2) heat flow. only recently been taught. I t is more satisfactory from a pedagogical standpoint Modern development of this particular brand of not to reduce these processes and operations to their engineering education is due mainly to the aboveultimate subdivisions, principally because the lack of mentioned committee. Special mention should be data handicaps the presentation of the subject in such made of Dr. A. D. Little, Colonel William H. Walker, a manner. and Professor W. K. Lewis, who were largely instrumental in proposing the foundation for this work. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING CURRICULUM Prof. H. McCormack, of the Armour Institute of Technology, was a pioneer in chemical engineering edncaWhen the chemical engineering profession obtained tion in the Middle West. a clear conception of what the subject really was, the The first published definition of chemical engineering program of development of the chemical engineering was given in the report of the Chemical Engineering curriculum was outlined. The outstanding change in Education Committee of the A.1.Ch.E. in 1922, and recent years has been to increase the study of the basic read as follows: scienc-hemistry, physics, and mathematics; decrease the amount of engineering subjects; and elimiChemical engineering, as distinguished from the aggregate number of subjects comprised in courses of that name, is not a nate entirely from the curriculum all specialized subcomposite of chemistry and mechanical and civil engineering, jects. Perhaps the real reason for this particular developbut is itself a branch of engineering, the basis of which is those ment has been the demand on the part of the employer * Presented as a contribution to the symposium on "High Lights of Modern Industrial Chemistry," Division of Industrial in industry for students better equipped in the fundaand Engineering Chemistry of the A. C. S. at the Chicago meet- mental sciences. The modern chemical engineer, it ing. September 12, 1933. 'WALKER, LEWIS,AND MCADAMS, "Principles of chemical should be appreciated, is required to handle problems engineerin&" McGraw-Hill B w k Co.. New York Citv. 1922., in many fields. I t is impossible to train the specialist
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with any degree of satisfaction, certainly in a four-year course in college. I t has seemed wise, therefore, not only from the standpoint of industry, hut from the standpoint of college and university administration to cover the fundamental sciences as thoroughly as possible and not to attempt to give any more than the general principles of application. A brief outline of the common subjects taught in our chemical engineering curricula today will illustrate this point. Physical chemistry has become the most essential course in chemistry to the young chemical engineer because it is in this course that he obtains the underlying principles of the science. We may go even further and include in our principles of chemistry, organic chemistry. This subject has especial significance hecause.of the predominant position of organic industries in the United States. Metallurgy and metallography, on the other hand, although they employ the principles of chemistry, nevertheless have declined in importance in comparison to organic chemistry. Quantitative analysis, which used to he largely empirical, has now become a study of some of certain simple principles of physical chemistry. Years ago most of the opportunities for young chemical engineers were in the analytical laboratories in industry. This is no longer true, with the result that empirical and technical methods of analysis no longer are required in the curriculum. Freshman chemistry, with qualitative analysis, has been changed to meet the modem requirements and has become a course in the more simple principles of chemistry. Qualitative analysis has disappeared from the elementary curriculum and reappeared as a highly specialized graduate suhject. The modem physical chemist has become a physicist, and has left the classical field of physical chemistry. He is now chiefly interested in suh-atomic phenomena. On the other hand, the physics required for the curriculum of chemical engineering has not changed very much in the last few years, except that there is a distinct tendency to increase the amount of instruction. The so-called electrical engineering taught our chemical engineering students is really electrical physics, and should he so considered. This is also true of mechanics, which always has been a part of physics. One might go still farther and say that the engineering thermodynamics taught by our mechanical engineering departments to chemical engineering students is still another type of physics. Mathematics through calculus is now required in nearly all chemical engineering curricula. A few schools have attempted to add differential equations. Success or failure in this field largely depends, however, on the attitude of the instructor, and not on the subjects taught. It has been clearly demonstrated that the instructor of mathematics for students in this curriculum should he a t least interested in engineering problems. Other sciences have appeared from time to time in the chemical engineering curriculum. One prominent
chemical engineer has said that no such curriculum is satisfactory unless it includes the elements of hacteriology. Others have favored geology. Practically all authorities have been inclined to recommend the elements of economics. The actual number of supplementary engineering suhjects included in the curriculum of the prospective chemical engineer a t the present time is relatively small. Usually a laboratory course in the testing of mechanical engineering equipment is required. Of course mechanical drawing is still favored by nearly every school. This is thought by some to he unfortunate because there are very few practicing chemical engineers who spend much time over a drawing board. On the other hand, practically every chemical engineer is required to make a t least one rough sketch per day to illustrate his ideas. The sketch may he made on a piece of waste paper, on the side of a wall, or even in the gravel of a roadway. It would seem to be highly necessary, therefore, that our chemical engineering students be taught how to make simple freehand sketches. Unfortunately, this fact is not apprec4ated and students are permitted to go into industry wholly unprepared in this respect. Some engineering courses have developed into report-writing studies. In spite of the fact that the student objects to this attitude on the part of engineering instructors, i t is felt by many that teaching a student how to make a readable and worth-while report is far more important to him than forcing him to memorize engineering facts. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SUBJECTS
Besides the subjects of unit operations and unit processes in chemical engineering, we have always had a subject known as industrial chemistry or chemical technology. Many hitter arguments have taken place over what this particular course should contain. It usually involves a study of themodern industrial chemical processes in which the student memorizes a vast number of facts and does not solve any quantitative problems. One prominent educator has maintained that this is an economic waste, because the student can obtain, for ten dollars, a book on the subject which gives him all the information he desires and can be looked a t when needed. He not only saves his money by this method, hut he saves an enormous amount of time and energy. It has also been said by men in industry that most of the processes taught the students are out of date even before they are published in hook form and their only value to the student is that sometimes they teach fundamental principles, but it is thought these facts can he more easily obtained in other ways. In recent years there has been a sincere attempt to make the subject quantitative. Industrial stoichiometry has appeared along with industrial chemical calculations. These subjects, however, are quite far removed from the old-time chemical technoloay. They in represent largely applied thermodynamic
industry, problems not given by the instructor teaching the fundamental subject, thermodynamics. The result has been quite satisfactory and the courses have been popular, but this does not solve the question of what should be done with the strictly industrial chemical course. It is quite evident that the modem graduate leaving the university should know the modem chemical processes, a t least in a general way. Three methods are now employed in bringing about this result. One is to give these processes in connection with other courses; for example, with the course in organic chemistry or with the course in inorganic chemistry. Another scheme is to give a seminar course based on recent journal articles and treat only the most modern processes and the most interesting processes. Still another method is being tried, and that is to give a review of the more important processes used in the chemical industry early in the curriculum and make the course of such a character that it will be of interest not only to chemical engineers, but to chemists and those who never expect to go into the chemical industry. It remains to be seen which of the three methods will prove most satisfactory. Perhaps one of the most important supplementary courses in the chemical engineering curriculum is chemical engineering economics. Many leaders in the field of engineering have admitted that their personal successes have been due to their knowledge of the economic factors underlying the technical development of their companies. On the other hand, most of the failures have not been due to a lack of brain capacity or a lack of technical knowledge, but rather to a lack of understanding of the essential economic facts involved in their particular work. It is easily understood by every one why our chemical engineering curricula should stress the significance of economics applied to industry. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of published information on this particular subject, and it is this lack of information that has prevented the universal development of satisfactory courses in chemical engineering economics. Allied to this subject of economics should be considered the subject of chemical patents. After all, the most tangible evidence of a man's success in research and development work in the industry is the number and quality of patents bearing his name. It is to be deplored that our engineering schools are sending men into the industrial research organization with no knowledge whatsoever of procedure. Oftentimes these same graduates finally occupy high executive positions in industrial concerns where they are forced to pass on patent questions without adequate advice from those who know. The result of such a procedure invariably means the loss of large sums of money for the particular company. The subject of patents may be considered to be an essential part of chemical engineering economics in that no industrial chemical process can be adequately
appraised from an economic standpoint without a satisfactory knowledge of the patent situation involved. The accurate appraisal of chemical processes and chemical equipment is absolutely vital in the successful development of industry. If we look into this matter more deeply, we find that chemical engineering economics not only includes fundamental economics and patent procedure, but is an integral part of chemical plant and equipment design. All courses now given on chemical plant design strongly accent chemical engineering economics. I t is probably because of the economic features that these courses have been unusually popular with students. The instructor, however, is heavily handicapped by a lack of published information. It can be stated without fear of contradiction that all engineering is tied up with economics and cannot be separated. The two must go hand in hand, and the subjects must be taught together. RESEARCH
There is a common belief, even among research men, that methods of research can never be standardized. They feel that the successful researcher is born, not made, and his ability depends upon an attitude of mind, on an acute imagination, and upon the love for investigation. Undoubtedly, these factors are important, but it has been definitely shown that i t is possible to standardize methods of research. It has also been shown that it is quite possible to teach these methods of research and improve the ability of the student to do this kind of work. If one will scrutinize the actual procedure that took place when a chemical invention was made, follow it through in all of its details, and do this for several cases, he will be astonished a t the similarity of method exhibited. All of our chemical engineering departments permit the students to do a t least a small amount of so-called research. The general method is to tell the student each day just what he is to do and how he is to do it, or to give him a problem and leave him strictly alone. Neither of these methods of procedure is satisfactory from the student's standpoint. He wastes an enormous amount of time, either doing manual labor for some one else or floundering around trying to find some way to solve the particular problem. How much more beneficial it would be if the student were first shown the general methods of procedure, together with plenty of actual examples given in great-detail, of ~ucce&ful research investigations. He then could be allowed to take a laboratory course, could be given a problem and permitted to follow one of these standard methods, using any ingenuity or any special knowledge that he was able to obtain. He would no longer feel that he was merely a pair of hands to help develop the reputation of an instructor or that he was an unfortunate being, blunderingly attempting to solve a difficult problem with no conception of how it should be done.
PEDAGOGY
There has been a marked tendency in recent years to teach all courses in chemical engineering subjects from a quantitative standpoint. This is an excellent idea. However, in order to do this, data have been extrapolated far beyond the point where they have any practical significance. Equations and formulas have been developed which are merely empirical, and sometimes these empirical equations are only accurate over a short range of conditions. There has been a sincere attempt to develop theoretical equations which, though of no practical importance, are fundamentally correct from an academic standpoint. This is, no doubt, justified, but it is believed that this desire to obtain quantitative data for use in courses has been carried to such an extent that the value of semi-quantitative facts which are of real practical significance has been lost sight of. The student, after graduation, b d s when working in the industry that he is able to apply but a very small proportion of the formulas that he learned in school. It takes him some time to realize that the chemical engineering he learned as a student is only a basis for his later work. He oftentimes looks in vain in his notes for practical suggestions that will help him, and it is due to this fact that our students often complain about the instruction they received a t the university. A concrete example of such a case will perhaps be helpful in understanding this important point. It has long been recognized that the heat transfer coefficient through a boiling liquid film cannot be accurately estimated. In other words, there are not available sufficient data to develop even an empirical formula which can be used to calculate this coefficient under various conditions found in practice. It is true, of course, that for certain specific liquids and solutions we do have rough approximations. Most of the work done makes use of polished metal surfaces never found in practice. The young man working in industry fresh from the university has not only very little knowledge to help him in such a calculation, but also fails to appreciate the very important factor that the character of the metal surface (its roughness) materially affects the heat transfer from the metal to the boiling liquid. In this connection, he does not know that it is necessary to have a high temperature potential between the metal and the liquid in order to operate a commercial boiler at a reasonable capacity, and that this temperature difference depends upon the character of the surface. He is, therefore, unable to see the possibility of appreciably increasing the efficiency and capacity of his uuit by producing an inert but rough heating surface. He may discover this by accident. If he does, it becomes the basis of a new chemical engineering operation. whereas it should be merely an example of good chemical engineering technic. Let us suppose, on the other hand, that the student
chemical engineer had been taught to appreciate the significanceof the physical characteristics of the heating surface in this particular type of operation. He would be in a position to suggest immediately that an attempt should be made to roughen the metal surface, and thereby cut down the temperature potential and increase the capacity of the unit. He also would be able to point out that the roughened surface must be inactive as far as the boiling liquid is concerned. Otherwise, this physical state would not be permanent. The psychological result, as far as the young engineer is concerned, would be that his colleagues would consider him a man capable of individual thought along constructive and practical lines. In certain groups he might even be thought of as a genius. In brief, his own professional reputation would be increased and both he and the concern for which he is working would profit thereby. Another interesting question in pedagogy which has been argued for several years is how chemical engineering laboratory work should be conducted. The common method a t the present time is to utilize semi-scale equipment for simple preparations and a t the same time run heat and material balances on individual pieces of equipment. Another method used by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which has proved very successful, is to require the student to run these tests on full-size equipment in actual commercial operation. This is known as the practice-school method. The writer much prefers the latter method because he has found that the average young chemical engineer obtains a more accurate conception of chemical engineering uuit operations and processes in the chemical plant than he does in a university laboratory unless the operations and processes in the laboratory are carried out on sufficient scale to be commensurate with a plant operation. This, of course, is usually out of the question from the economic standpoint. There is still another benefit derived from the practice school, and that is the contact between educational institutions and the industry. The greater this contact, the better it is, not only for the engineer in industry and the instructor in the university, but also for the student. German universities have shown this to be a fact. THE ULTIMATE
The highest aim in chemical engineering education, as in all education, is to train the student to think for himself. Any curriculum; any subject matter, or any type of pedagogy that will accomplish this result will justify its existence. Our industrial and academic leaders have pointed out this f a d again and again. The history of the activities of our graduates has shown conclusively that our greatest teachers have been the men who have inspired their students with a desire for accomplishment in their field-a desire that can be fulfilled only by creative thought.
The caretaker (standind under the tree in the lower right-hand corner) was "makine the round," at 5 : 5 5 P . M . . lockinu doors acd windows for thenight, &hen&earthquake struck. He had just finished locking the front door and turned around to unlock the steel door shown at the left of the ~icturewhen the huildine started to crash down around him. IR his frantic haste to let himself out of his miniature jail, his key broke off in the lock. He was finallv rescued. fifteen minutes thor- ~ ~ later. ---, ~ oughiy frightehed, but unhurt. Only the fact that the vestibule was of Class A construction (reinforced concrete and steel) saved him from death. ~
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PUBLIC LIABILITY and CHEMICAL 'EDUCATION II.
E a r t h q u a k e P r e c a u t i o n s in the C h e m i s t r y L a b o r a t o r y
PARK LOVE JOY TURRILL Glendale Junior College, Glendale, California
N o section of the world is wholly immune from seismic should be properly stored in sturdy, double-walled condisturbances. Definik pre~autions should be taken by tainers in earthquake-proof structures. Falling walls, every chemist, whether in industry or educational institu- collapsing shelves, bursting containers, and the "in&tion, to guard against outbreaks of fire and explosions table" fires and exfilosions dreaded by the chemist must be resulting from chemical mixtures brought together due to foreseen and logically glanned for. The lessons taught earthquake shocks. Most chemical reactions are not in- by the recent upheavals in Southern California are hereherently causative of danger. Fire-producing chemicals with outlined.
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N PART I* attention of chemists was called to: (a) the possibility of damage suits arising out of accidents in the laboratory, and (b) methods of
guarding against them. This applies chiefly to those of us engaged in chemical education, since in all but six states the Workmen's Compensation Statutes cover liability of companies employing chemists in industrial plants, and usually visitors to either plant or laboratory are required to sign "release slips" upon entering. Since the preparation of Part I, an earthquake of severe intensity shook a portion of Southern California. This afforded an omortunitv to check UD on observations and to determine useful precautions in laboratory supenision everywhere, for, according to seismologists,
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no particular portion of this planet is wholly immune from these natural manifestations of the power of earth movements to destroy poorly constructed buildings. (It is also reasonable to assume that precautions outlined herein would apply to laboratories liable to destruction by tornado or cyclone, such as periodically visit many parts of the United States. Shortly after the Los Angeles Basin quake of March 10, 1933, a tornado of high destructive power crossed the state of Tennessee and damaged the city of Nashville. Since then several other tornadoes and cyclones have visited the nation, snuffingout more lives than were lost in the Los Angeles Basin quake.) EARTHQUAKE-RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION
Seismic disturbances, l i e tornadoes, lightning, and floods, are as inevitable as the weather. They are 721
