home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- 64
- Chemical Engineers
-
- (D.O.T. 008.061)
-
- Nature of the Work
-
- A chemical engineer studies data describing the results of a
- chemical reaction trial run.
-
- Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry and engineering
- to solve problems involving the production or use of chemicals.
- Many work in the production of chemicals and chemical products.
- They design equipment and develop processes for manufacturing
- chemicals in chemical plants, plan and test methods of manufacturing
- the products, and supervise production. Chemical engineers also
- work in industries other than chemical manufacturing such as
- electronics or aircraft manufacturing. Because the knowledge and
- duties of chemical engineers cut across many fields, they apply
- principles of chemistry, physics, mathematics, and mechanical and
- electrical engineering in their work. They frequently specialize in
- a particular operation such as oxidation or polymerization. Others
- specialize in a particular area such as pollution control or the
- production of a specific product like automotive plastics or
- chlorine bleach.
-
- Employment
-
- Chemical engineers held over about 52,000 jobs in 1992. Seventy
- percent were in manufacturing industries, primarily in the chemical,
- petroleum refining, and related industries. Most of the rest worked
- for engineering services, research and testing services, or
- consulting firms that design chemical plants or do other work on a
- contract basis, or worked for government agencies or as independent
- consultants.
-
- Job Outlook
-
- Although employment in the chemical manufacturing industry is
- projected to grow very little through 2005, chemical engineers
- should find favorable job opportunities. The number of positions
- arising from employment growth, which is expected to be as fast as
- the average for all occupations through the year 2005, and the need
- to replace those who leave the occupation should be sufficient to
- absorb the number of graduates with degrees in chemical engineering
- and other entrants.
-
- Areas relating to the production of industrial chemicals,
- biotechnology, and materials science may provide better
- opportunities than other portions of the chemical industry. Much of
- the projected growth in employment, however, will be in
- nonmanufacturing industries, especially service industries.
-
- Sources of Additional Information
-
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers, 345 East 47th St., New
- York, NY 10017.
-
- American Chemical Society, Career Services, 1155 16th St. NW.,
- Washington, DC 20036.
-
- (See introductory part of this section for information on training
- requirements and earnings.)
- y
-