JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
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INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY AT BROWN UNIVERSITY 5. RICKLIN
Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island H. C. ECKSTROM Stanalind Oil and Gas Company, Tulsa, Oklahoma
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A number of years the Chemistry Department a t Brown University has been offering a senior course in "unit operations" under the title of "Industrial Chemistry." While the subject matter involved in the course and the apparatus and procedures used in the laboratory are not new to chemical engineering departments we have felt that they are rather unusual for a chemistry department a t a university which offers no chemical
engineering curriculum. With the thought that our experience may be of interest to other schools in a similar position, this description of the classroom and laboratory work has been prepared. The purposes and aims of industrial chemistry a t Brown University may be listed as follows: (1) To familinrise the student with the design and operation of industrial chemical processing equipment.
JANUARY, 1949
Simple
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Distillation. Dsphlegm.tion. far. and hid FIOW studies
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(2) To give the stndent (who in the majority of cases will not he a "design" man) an opportunity to see that an understanding of design and equipment problems by those engaged in research and development can greatly facilitate the progress of industrial projects. (3) To give the student practice and direction in the application of his previous chemical training to industrial processing problems. (4) To give the student an understanding and some feeling for the economic factors in chemical processing. (5) To give the student, through laboratory practice, confidence in the theoretical workof the classroom
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and also an understanding of the limitations of theories through their application. (6) To give the student some experience in the manipulation of equipment and materials of construc. - tion not ordinarily encountered elsewhere in his laboratory studies, and t o let him encounter problems of maintaining steady state conditions and obtaining satisfactory data in large-scale equipment not always as easily instrumented and controlled as small glass apparatus. (7) To train the student in the planning of an experiment and in the interpreting and reporting of the data in a form and manner acceptable in industry. The course is normally an elective for senior students who are preparing for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. They are required to have had inorganic, organic, analytical, and physical chemistry as prerequisites. The time allotted is a full academic year and the class meets for 3 lectures and two 4hour laboratory sessions each week. While the subject matter covered is similar to that usually encountered in a unit operations course, using texts such as "Elements of Chemical Engineering" bx Badger and McCabe, "Principles of Chemical Engineering" by Walker, Lewis, McAdams, and Gilliland, o r Perry's "Chemical Engineers' Handbook,'' more em-. phasis is given to the applications of the unit operations. to unit chemical processes. We constantly point out ta the student what data he as a chemist can obtain to aidI the engineer in the design and operation of his equipment. Along with this, hovever, the attempt is made to give the student as much design theory and practical Trens. application in problems as is possible, since it is felt that it is only through such means that he can learn t o appreciate the factors involved.
now~ p p l v a t u a(left) and
Bvbhle C ~ D Distillation
Column kieht front)
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JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
Briefly, the subjects covered are as follpws: General. Dimensional analysis, graphical methods, energy, and material balances. Fluid Flow. Rate and pressure measurements, dynamic properties, friction losses, poTver requirements, piping, fittings, gaskets, etc. Pumpsand Fans. Comparison of types, performance characteristics, etc. Heat Transfer. Conduct,ion, convection, radiation. Evaporation. Single and multiple effect. Crushing and Grinding. Particle size measurements, energy requirements, etc. Size Separation. Sediment,ation,t,hickening,etc. Filtration. D
