The chemical engineer, like all other engineers, is trained in mechanics, materials and their properties, economics, systems and their controls. The chemical engineer differs from all other engineers because the chemical engineer is responsible for materials separations and the conversion of matter--separations such as air into components of oxygen, nitrogen, argon and conversions such as natural gas into plastics and coal into liquid fuel.
The chemical engineer will usually be employed in one or more of the following activities: research and development, plant design and construction, process control, plant operations, sales and management. In addition to the processing industries, the chemical engineer is increasingly in demand in such areas of current interest as pollution control, biotechnology, and energy engineering.
The Department of Chemical Engineering possesses a variety of modern research equipment. The Particle and Catalyst Characterization Laboratory has a Quantasorb surface area analyzer, a flow BET unit, a temperature programmed chemi-sorption and desorption unit, and a mercury intrusion porosimeter. There is also a particle shape and image analyzer by Shape Technology.
The Process Research and Development laboratories have twelve micropilot plants for diverse chemical process applications, element analyzer, sulfur analyzer, automated chlorine analyzer, Coulter particle counter, ash fusion analyzer, TGA/DSC, 175-ton injection molding, TOC Analyzer, HPLC, oxygen bomb calorimeter, Tilt-A-Mix reactor, FTIR, CDS Automated Micropilot Plant, ICP, and four fermenter systems.
The Chemical Reaction Engineering Laboratories have a continuous high pressure catalytic reactor which is controlled by an on-line computer working in a real time, multitasking mode to evaluate results. A slurry-reactor, micropilot plant operates in a three-phase catalytic mode and is ideal for carrying out various fundamental and engineering studies on three-phase catalytic reactions. A gas chromato-graphy/mass spectrometer is available for product stream analysis. Numerous fixed-bed and fluidized-bed reactors are also being used for diverse research applications.
The Applied Colloid and Surface Science Laboratory has a state-of-the art laser light scattering facility including a Level argon-ion laser, a vibration isolated optical bench, a Brookhaven correlation and probability analyzer, and an IBM PC-based data acquisition system.
The focal point of the undergraduate laboratories is the Corning Glass six-inch and 12-inch distillation unit which includes a 12-plate bubble-cap column and an eight-foot high packed- bed column. The unit is 24 feet high. There is also a pilot plant with a five-gallon agitated reactor and a packed-column stripping facility.
The Chemical Engineering faculty members are truly devoted to both classroom instruction and scholarly research.
Dr. G. Chase established himself as an expert in the areas of porous media transport phenomena and filtration. He is very actively involved in the American Filtration and Separations Society as Vice-Chair. Dr. H.M. Cheung is a leading researcher in the areas of microemulsion, surface science, and laser applications. He is very active in both local and national AIChE activities. Dr. S.C. Chuang is one of the pioneers in the field of in-situ catalytic research and is very highly recognized in the field of catalysis and reaction kinetics. Dr. J.R. Elliott, Jr. is developing thermodynamic models and equations of state, that are better suited and theoretically more sound for diverse chemical engineering systems. Dr. L.G. Focht is implementing modern computer intensive education in both chemical engineering laboratories and classrooms. Dr. K.L. Fullerton is very actively involved in process engineering research dealing with coals and supercritical fluids. She is very active in both local and national AIChE activities. Dr. L.K. Ju has established the Biotechnology Laboratory and created a sequence of Biochemical Engineering courses. Dr. S. Lee is the Department Head and is recognized as an authority in the fields of fuel science and technology and process engineering dealing with coal, oxygenates, methanol, oil shale, reactive polymers, and environmental processes. Dr. H.K. Qammar provides the Program with a nonconventional specialties in the areas of chaos, nonlinear dynamics, advanced control and modeling. Dr. M.S. Willis, Jr., Associate Dean of Engineering, is well recognized in the fields of multiphase transport phenomena and filtration. Dr. N.D. Sylvester is Dean of Engineering and his expertise is very highly recognized in the areas of fluid mechanics and environmental technology.
The Departmental Faculty are well recognized for excellence in diverse aspects of their profession. In the l992-93 academic year, Dr. S. Lee received the University's Outstanding Re-search Award, in May 1993, made him the only professor in the University's history that won the University's Outstanding Teacher (1987) and Researcher Awards. Dr. S. Lee was also recognized as the Chemical Engineer of the Year (1993) by the Akron Local Section of the AIChE and the award for 1994 went to Dr. H.M. Cheung, thus making the Akron University faculty members back-to-back winners. Dr. S. Lee was also elected as Vice-Chair of the Fuels and Petrochemical Division of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Dr. K.L. Fullerton served as Program Committee Chair for New Technology and Development (16-e) of the National AIChE. Dr. G.G. Chase served as 2nd Vice Chair of the American Filtration and Separations Society.
Chemical engineering faculty received $1,047,174 in research funding for the 92-93 academic year from sources such as:
Army Research Office Environmental Protection Agency BP America Ohio Board of Regents Ohio Aerospace Institute Westinghouse-Hansford Royal Plastics, Inc. Edison Polymer Innovation Corporation Electric Power Research Institute B.F. Goodrich PPG Industries Zion Chemicals USA, Inc. Wellman, Inc. Hoescht Celanese
The Department of Chemical Engineering is very proud of its excellent student body and their achievements. Twenty three freshman honors students newly entered the Program and the number has always been above twenty, the highest on the campus among various disciplines.
An undergraduate team of seven chemical engineering students participated in the Third Annual National Environmental Design Contest in Las Cruces, New Mexico. At the contest, sponsored by WERC and the Department of Energy, Akron's team received the overall Best Presentation Award. The team was advised by Dr. Helen K. Qammar. Student members of the AIChE publish two newsletters, Chem Ingenuity and The Recycler. The section sponsored a Spring banquet held at the Martin University Center. Elizabeth Berthinee, a Chemical Engineering senior was selected as the College of Engineering's Outstanding Senior for the 1992-93 academic year. Elizabeth was presented with the award at the annual Engineer's Week banquet by the president of the Akron District Society of Professional Engineers. She served as president of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honorary. She won the College of Engineering's speech contest in 1992 and won first place in the informative division of the Department of Communication's Ashton Speech Competition.
In summary, the Department is very proud of its outstanding Faculty, its excellent student body, the quality of both instructional and research programs, and the finest specialized laboratories.