Industrial Chemistry at Michigan Tech D. K. Bates and A. B. Ponter Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931 Michigan Technological University has one of the few remaining joint departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering in this country. From this nearly unique vantage point, both an erosion of chemistry from the chemical engineerine curriculum and a shift in em~hasisfrom ~racticalto theoretical topics in the chemistry program have been obsewed. I t is becominr!increasinglv clear that as the gap widens between chemistry and chemical engineering there is an urgent need to establish an interfacial program to reintroduce material lost from both disciplines. I t is the purpose of this account to describe briefly factors leading to the development of such a program a t Michigan Tech and to provide details of its structure. Over the years it has been observed that chemical engineering majors tend to polarize into two groups: those interested in the mechanical aspects of chemical engineering such as plant design and those more concerned with the chemical aspects such as catalysis, properties of complex mixtures, and reaction mechanisms. They seem to arrange themselves naturally into groups found in the German educational system under the labels Verfahrenstechnik and technical chemistry. Table 1. Fin1 Year
Similarly, in the chemistry division some students desire to pursue careers in fundamental research whereas a larger group view the BS as a terminal degree and are interested in the applications of chemistry for industry. I t seemed clear that three career interests needed to be addressed within the department: traditional chemical engineering, traditional chemistry, and an interfacial program in industrial ehemiatry. The decision to develop an industrial chemistry program did not depend solely on intradepartmental observations. Nationally, there is a growing awareness of a need for changes in the traditional chemistry curriculum. The American Chemical Society has sponsored, and Michigan Tech faculty have been active participants in, discussions of problems in college chemistry such as the workshop on "The Cross Fertilization of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Curricula" and the ACS Division of Chemical Education task force on "Academic Preparation and Industrial Careers in Chemistry." Comments from industrial representatives a t these functions suggest industry is eager to employ students trained in industrial chemistry if this means additional clamroom exposure
lndustrlal C h e m l s t n Proaram
Second Year
Third Year
Fourth Year
Fall CH311 Physical Chemistry I CH314 Physical Chem. Labaratory I CM300 Process Evaluation B @sign Additional cwrsewwk Total
Fall CH431 lnwganlc Chemistry I PH311 Nuclear Physics
-
Fall
CHlOl General Chemistry I C H l l l General Chem. Laboratory I CHI10 Orientatim/Safety HUlOl FreshmanEnglish I MA150 Calculusand' Analytic Geometry I Social Science8 elective Physical Education Total Winter CHI02 General Chemistry CHI 12 General Chem. Labwatory I1 HU102 FreshmanEnglish I1 MA151 Calculus and Analytic Geom. I1 Social Sciences elective PhVsical Education Total Spring CH103 Oeneral Chemistry Ill CHI13 General Chem. Laboratory Ill HU103 Freshman English Ill MA152 Calculus and Analytic Geom. 111 SS230 American Oover. B Polltics Physical Education Total
Fall CH218 Organic Chemlstry CH224 Organic Chem. Laboratory I CH200 Intro. to Quantitative Anal. CH204 Quantitative Analysis Lab. MA250 Calculus end Analytic Geom. IV CM204 Fund. of Chem. Engineering I Physical Education Total Winter CH219 Organic Chemistry I1 CH225 Organic Chem. Laboratory I1 MA310 Differential Equations I PH204 Physics lor Engineen I CM205 Fund. of Chem. Engineering I1 Physical Education Total Spring CH220 Organic Chemistry I1 CH226 Organic Chem. Laboratory Ill CH227 Organic Chem Laboratory IV CS110 Basic Foman CM207 inho. l o Unit Operations
3
PH205 Physics tor Engineers I1 Physical Education Total
1 -
5
CM411 Heavy lnnganic Chemicals HUISS elective CH441 Chemistry Seminar AWitional C o ~ r ~ e w o r k Total
Winter CH312 Physical Chemistry I1 CH3t5 Physical Chem. Labwatory I1 CH300 Advanced Quantitative Analysis AMltional coursewotk Tdal
Winter CH432 Inorganic Chemistry CM412 Industrial Organic Chemistry HU/SS elective
Spring CH313 Phyiical Chemistry Ill CH3t6 Physical Chem. LabaatMy Ill CH421 instrumental Analysis Additional courseww Total
Spring CH433 Inorganic Chemistry ill CM4t3 lndustrial Analytical Chemistry HU/SS elective AWitionai coursework Total Credits to oraduate: 199
16
Volume 62 Number 9
Additional -new& Tdal
September 1985
745
Table 2.
Courses Required i n Industrial Chemistry But Not i n the Traditional Chemistry Program
CMZO4. CMZO5 Fundamntalr of Chemical Engineering Basic principles and calculations in chemical engineering. Application of mass balance, energy balance, end physical chemistry principles to solution of industrial chemical engineering problems. CM207 hhDdUCtion to Unit Operations Fluid flow, pumping, energy transport, separation processes including distillation, leaching, absorption, and extraction are discussed. CM300 Process Evaluation and Design Examines commercialization of a chemical process. Feasibility analysis, market research, preliminary design, costing. and economic evaluation of the proposed process are covered. Engineering economics. especially decision making based upon discounted cash flow analysis, is emphasized. CM4 11Heavy Inorganic Chemicals Survey Of fundamental chemistry, manutactwing and economics of the heavy inorganic chemical industry. Water and air; energy: industrialgases: electrolytic products: refractories, bulk and fibrous: fertilizers and agrichemicals; sulfur chemistry; halogen chemistry: miscellaneous inorganics. CM41Z lndustrlal Organic Chemishy Conversion of basic chemical feedstocks (petroleum, natural gas. coal, and biomass) into diverse organic chemicals is treated. Manufacturing processes based on methane, ethylene, propylene. C&ydrocarbans, benzene, toluene, xylene. coal, fats and oils, and carbohydrates are discussed in detail. Use Of patent literature and economic trends to forecast industrial de~elopmentswill be inhcduced. CM413 lndustrfal Analytical Chemistry The role of the analyst in industry. Samplingthaory; quality control; camputem in data analysis: standard methcds to comply with induwial and EPA regulations: use of literahire: gas chromatographic, mass spectral, and optical methods of analysis: elecnonic control and monitoring of prcduct streams from HIE analytical viswpoim.
Table 3. Required Option
Course Number and Name
Biotechnoiogy'
CH215 Cell Biochemistry EL321 Microbiology BL415 Genetics Polym~ CH461 Intro. to Polymer Science 1 CH464 Intro. to Polymer Science 2 CH463 Princ. of Polymer Chemistry Organic CH407 Survey of Organic Chemistry CH405 Organic Preparations CH480 Designing Organic Syntheses AnalyticalIEnvironm CH404 Spectroscopy of Organic ental Compounds CH408 Separ. and ldent. of Organic Compds. CWO6 Quantitative Organic Analysis Elective Option Courses (for a given option choose three) Biotechnology EL417 Techniques in Genetics (w) BL419 RadioisotopeTechniquesin the Biological Sciences (s) BL441 Biochemical Techniques (w) CH516 Enzyme Biochemistry(w) CH400 Special Problem in Chemistry Polymer CH409 Colloids and Surface Chemistry (6) CH416 Homogeneous Catalysis (s) CH415 HeterogeneousCatalysis (f) CH400 Special Problem in Chemistry CH471 Macmmolecular Biochemistry i (w) CH472 Macromolecular Biachemistw . I11s) .. CM480 Polymer Rheoiogy (f) CH464 Polymer Synthesis (w)
'EL104 General
Journal o f Chemical Education
in
d u s t r y ( T a b l e 3). T h e s e o p t i o n s i n c l u d e p o l y m e r c h e m i s t r y , hiotechnology, o r g a n i c c h e m i s t r y , and e n v i r o n m e n t a l / a n a l y t i c a l c h e m i s t r y . S t u d e n t s a r e also encouraged, but not r e q u i r e d , t o p a r t i c i p a t e in a c o o p e r a t i v e e d u c a t i o n (co-op) .. p r o g r a m t o enhance t h e i r p r a c t i c a l s k i l l s a n d u n d e r s t a n d i n g of t h e c h e m i c a l i n d u s t r y . I t s h o u l d b e p o i n t e d o u t that s t u d e n t s e l e c t i n g industrial c h e m i s t r y e n t e r a r i g o r o u s p r o g r a m , w h i c h t h e y may or may not perceive as a t e r m i n a l deeree. C e r t a i n l"v t h e s o l i d~ f ~ o u-r -dation in c h e m i s t r y ~ r o v i d e s sa o u n d basis for p u r s u i t of a g r a d u a t e degree in c h e m i s t r y i f t h e s t u d e n t s o desires. T h e program fulfills t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s for an ACS a p p r o v e d BS degree in chemistry. T h e u n d e r g r a d u a t e course d e s c r i b e d a b o v e h a s b e e n carefully designed so that a g r a d u a t e p r o g r a m in i n d u s t r i a l c h e m i s t r y will e v e n t u a l l y h e a d d e d to t h e e x i s t i n g graduate p r o g r a m in c h e m i s t r y and c h e m i c a l engineering. T h e d e t a i l s of t h e g r a d u a t e c o u r s e w o r k and r e q u i r e m e n t s a r e u n d e r study. ~~~
Acknowledgment S p e c i a l t h a n k s a r e d u e John A l l i s o n , B r u c e Barna, and Larry J u l i e n w h o w o r k e d with us in d e v e l o p i n g t h i s program. S u s a n B a g l e y ( M i c r o b i o l o g y ) p r o v i d e d g u i d a n c e on courses a p p r o p r i a t e for t h e h i o t e c h n o l o g y option.
Optional Courses
Credits
Required Option
Course Number and Name
Credits
5
CH465 Polymer Stability (s)
3
4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 4
MY442 Electron Microscopy (1,s) MY531 Plastic Behavior of Matwtial (1)
3 3
CH404 Spechoseopy of Organic Chemistry
4
Organic (fl 4 CH406 h n t i t a l i v e Organic Analysis (s) CH406 Separation and Identification01 4 Organic Compounds (w) CH215 Cell Biochemistry(1,s) 5 CH501 Advanced Organic Chemistry I(f) 3 CH502 Advanced Organic Chemistry Ii (w) 3 CH503 Advanced Organic Chemishy Ill (s) 3 CH415 HeterogeneousCatalysis (1) 3 3 CH416 Homogeneous Catalysis (s) CH400 Special Problem in Chemistry variable
4 4
2 4 2 3 variable 3 3 3 variable 3 3 3 3
lo logy 14 wedits) is ir prerequisite for advanced biwclence courses. dReq~ire*permissionof lnstrvctor if BL105 has not been taken.
746
t o classical p h y s i c a l c h e m i s t r y , b a s i c c h e m i c a l engineering, process c h e m i s t r y , and e o v e r n m e n t reeulations. n e c g d u r i tnh ~ e 1981-1982 T h e program b&n a t ~ i c h i g a ~ academic sear, w h i c h w i l l p r o d u c e eraduates in J u n e 1984. i s o u t l i n e d in T a b l e 1. s t u d e n t s , addition t o traditional c h e m i s t r y courses, t a k e 21 credits in engineering ( T a b l e 2) and at least 18 c r e d i t s in an option designed t o p r o v i d e additional b a c k g r o u n d and p r a c t i c a l training in areas of i n t e r e s t to in-
AnalyticallEnvironm ental CE351 Intro. to Environmemal Engrg. (f,w.s) 4 CE452 Examination of Water and 4 Wastewater (s) CE453 Envimnmental Impact and Protection 3 (f) CM470 Advanced Unit Operations (5) 3 CH400 Special Problem in Chemistry variable CH551 Physical and Chemical Memods of 3 Separation (f) CH552 Electrochemistry(w) 4 BL421 Sanitarv Bacterloloov Iwl 4 ~, , ~ , a EL470 Effects of Stress on Aquatic 4 Ecosystems (r) ~~~~~~
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