Department of Chemical Engineering
Chemical Engineering: CHE
Lower-Division Courses
CHE 102. Introduction to Chemical Engineering.
Enrollment limited to freshmen. Introduction to chemical engineering, including problem solving and study skills. Opportunities and responsibilities of a career in chemical engineering. One lecture hour and one recitation hour a week for one semester. May not be counted toward any engineering degree. Offered on the pass/fail basis only.
CHE 210. Introduction to Computing.
Computer programming focusing on basics of computing, high-level programming environments, and spreadsheets, with application to chemical engineering. Two lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week for one semester. Chemical engineering majors must make a grade of at least C- in this course. Prerequisite: A major in chemical engineering or consent of instructor.
CHE 311. Engineering Sustainable Technologies.
Flows of materials and energy in engineering environments at local, regional, and global scales, and the interaction of those anthropogenic flows with natural cycles of materials and energy. Discusses biogeochemical flows (grand cycles) and anthropogenic material flows at the national level, in industrial sectors, and for consumer products. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: A high school course in chemistry and experience with Internet searches.
CHE 317. Introduction to Chemical Engineering Analysis.
Principles and applications of material and energy balances in process analysis. Three lecture hours and one to two recitation hours a week for one semester. Chemical engineering majors must make a grade of at least C- in this course in order to take upper-division courses in chemical engineering. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 210, Chemistry 302, and Mathematics 408D with a grade of at least C- in each.
Upper-Division Courses
CHE 322. Thermodynamics.
Introductory course in thermodynamics with special reference to chemical process applications: basic laws, thermodynamic properties of single component systems, expansion and compression of fluids, heat engines, multicomponent systems, physical equilibrium, chemical equilibrium. Three lecture hours and one recitation hour a week for one semester. Chemical engineering majors must make a grade of at least C- in this course. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 210, 317, Chemistry 353, and Mathematics 427K with a grade of at least C- in each.
CHE 322M. Molecular Thermodynamics.
Statistical and molecular concepts, especially the role of the microscopic chemical potential. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Chemical Engineering 322M and 379 (Topic: Molecular Thermodynamics) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, Chemical Engineering 322 or the equivalent, and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of the department.
CHE 323. Chemical Engineering for Micro- and Nanofabrication.
Definition and description of the terminology and processes of microelectronics, including semiconductor facilities and chemical processes for integrated circuit manufacture, with an emphasis on unit processes; the major unit process, including thin-film metals and dielectrics deposition and etching, silicon oxidation and etching, ion implantation, diffusion, lithography, planarization, and process control; and an overview of promising nanopatterning and nanofabrication techniques, such as particle-beam imaging, nanoimprint, and near-field probe imaging, implantation, diffusion, lithography, planarization, and process control. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, Chemistry 318M or 310M, and 318N or 310N, and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of department.
CHE 325L. Cooperative Engineering.
This course covers the work period of chemical engineering students in the Cooperative Engineering Program. Forty laboratory hours a week for three semesters. The student must complete Chemical Engineering 325LX, 325LY, and 325LZ before a grade and degree credit are awarded. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: For 325LX, application to become a member of the Cooperative Engineering Program, approval of the dean, and appointment for a full-time cooperative work tour; for 325LY, Chemical Engineering 325LX and appointment for a full-time cooperative work tour; for 325LZ, Chemical Engineering 325LY and appointment for a full-time cooperative work tour.
CHE 225M. Cooperative Engineering.
This course covers the work period of chemical engineering students in the Cooperative Engineering Program. Forty laboratory hours a week for two semesters. The student must complete Chemical Engineering 225MA and 225MB before a grade and degree credit are awarded. Prerequisite: For 225MA, application to become a member of the Cooperative Engineering Program, approval of the dean, and appointment for a full-time cooperative work tour; for 225MB, Chemical Engineering 225MA and appointment for a full-time cooperative work tour.
CHE 125N. Cooperative Engineering.
This course covers the work period of chemical engineering students in the Cooperative Engineering Program. Forty laboratory hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 325LZ or 225MB, application to become a member of the Cooperative Engineering Program, approval of the dean, and appointment for a full-time cooperative work tour.
CHE 333T. Engineering Communication.
Advanced technical communication skills, with emphasis on writing strategies for technical documents, oral presentations, and visual aids. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering.
CHE 339. Introduction to Biochemical Engineering.
Microorganisms in chemical and biochemical syntheses; genetic manipulation of cells by classical and recombinant DNA techniques. Enzyme technology; design of bioreactors and microbial fermentations; separations of biological products. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Biology 335, Biomedical Engineering 339, Chemical Engineering 339, 379 (Topic: Introduction to Biochemical Engineering). Prerequisite: Upper-division standing; Biology 311C and Chemistry 353; and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of the undergraduate faculty adviser.
CHE 339P. Introduction to Biological Physics.
Diffusion, dissipation, and driving forces in cellular processes. Locomotion of bacteria, basic modeling of biomolecular folding and binding events, osmotic flows, and self-assembly in cells. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Chemical Engineering 339P and 379 (Topic: Molecular Driving Force in Biology) may not both be counted. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 322, 353, and 253K with a grade of at least C- in each, or consent of the department.
CHE 339T. Cell and Tissue Engineering.
Introduction to biomedical research in tissue engineering. Includes case studies of tissues and organs of the body, physiology and biology of tissue, pathologies of tissue, current clinical treatments, the role of engineers in development of new technologies to diagnose and treat pathologies, quantitative cellular and molecular techniques, and applications of synthetic and natural biomaterials. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Biomedical Engineering 379, Chemical Engineering 339T, 379 (Topic: Cell and Tissue Engineering). Prerequisite: Biology 311C and Chemical Engineering 350.
CHE 341. Design for Environment.
Overview of environmental assessment tools for chemical processes and products, including life cycle and risk assessments. Overview of design tools for improving environmental performance of chemical processes, including unit operations and flowsheet analysis methods. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Chemical Engineering 341, 384 (Topic: Design for Environment), 395K. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of the department.
CHE 342. Chemical Engineering Economics and Business Analysis.
Study of the economic decisions faced by chemical engineers. Discounted cash flow techniques. Personal finance, managerial economics, and other special topics. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Chemical Engineering 342, 384 (Topic: Chemical Engineering Economics and Business Analysis), 395G. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of the department.
CHE 348. Numerical Methods in Chemical Engineering and Problem Solving.
Numerical solutions to algebraic and differential equations; numerical methods to integration, interpolation, and regression analysis, with application to chemical engineering. Three lecture hours and one recitation hour a week for one semester. Chemical engineering majors must make a grade of at least C- in this course. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 210, 317, and Mathematics 427K with a grade of at least C- in each.
CHE 350. Chemical Engineering Materials.
Metallic, ceramic, polymeric, and composite materials. Crystal structures, phase diagrams, diffusion, and mechanical properties. Emphasis on structure-property-processing relationships. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing; Chemistry 353 with a grade of at least C-; and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of the department.
CHE 353. Transport Phenomena.
Basic study of momentum, energy and mass transport; includes viscous and turbulent flow; heat transfer and mass diffusion. Three lecture hours and one to two recitation hours a week for one semester. Chemical engineering majors must make a grade of at least C- in this course. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 317 and Mathematics 427K with a grade of at least C- in each.
CHE 253K. Applied Statistics.
Statistical methods such as data exploration and summary, least-squares fitting, probability and probability distributions, statistical inference and hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, design of experiments, statistical quality control, and use of professional statistical software. Two lecture hours a week for one semester. Chemical engineering majors must make a grade of at least C- in this course. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 210, 317, and Mathematics 427K with a grade of at least C- in each.
CHE 253M. Measurement, Control, and Data Analysis Laboratory.
Laboratory safety; measurement and statistical analysis of transport process variables like temperature, pressure, and flow rate; computer data acquisition; feedback control; statistical process control and design of experiments; and production of professional-level lab reports. Five laboratory hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 333T, 348, 353, and 253K with a grade of at least C- in each.
CHE 354. Transport Processes.
Design and analysis of heat exchangers, fluid-flow systems and equipment, and interphase-contact devices. Three lecture hours and one recitation hour a week for one semester. Chemical engineering majors must make a grade of at least C- in this course. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 348 and 353 with a grade of at least C- in each.
CHE 355. Introduction to Polymers.
Synthesis, structural characterization, physical properties, and applications of polymers. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, Chemical Engineering 322, and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of the department.
CHE 356. Optimization: Theory and Practice.
Techniques of optimization, including formulation of optimization problems, one-dimensional search techniques, analytical methods, and n-dimensional search techniques; application of methods to process-industry problems. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, Chemical Engineering 348 and 353, and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of the department.
CHE 357. Technology and Its Impact on the Environment.
Study of sources and fates of environmental pollutants; environmental quality standards--their measurement and regulation; and pollution control design procedures. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of the department.
CHE 359. Energy Technology and Policy.
Technology and policy related to energy supply and demand, oil and gas production, coal utilization, hydrogen production, fuel cells, transportation, nuclear power, solar and wind energy, biomass utilization, energy conservation, and climate change. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Only one of the following may be counted: Chemical Engineering 359, 379 (Topic: Energy Technology and Policy), 384 (Topic: Energy Technology and Policy). Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of the department.
CHE 360. Process Control.
Analysis of process dynamics and methods for the design of automatic control systems for chemical process plants. Three lecture hours and one to two recitation hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 322, 253M, and 354 with a grade of at least C- in each.
CHE 363. Separation Processes and Mass Transfer.
Design and analysis of equilibrium and mass transfer based on separations such as absorption, chromatography, crystallization, distillation, extraction, and membrane-based processes. Three lecture hours and one to two recitation hours a week for one semester. Chemical engineering majors must make a grade of at least C- in this course. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 322, 348, and 353 with a grade of at least C- in each.
CHE 264. Chemical Engineering Process and Projects Laboratory.
Experimental studies of unit operations. Laboratory safety. Statistical data analysis. Written and oral reports. Six laboratory hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 253M and 363 with a grade of at least C- in each. Students must register in the undergraduate advising office.
CHE 372. Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design.
Planning and design of commercial chemical and biochemical reaction systems for producing fuels, polymers, specialty and consumer products, pharmaceuticals, solid-state devices, and other products. Three lecture hours and one recitation hour a week for one semester. Chemical engineering majors must make a grade of at least C- in this course. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 322, 348, and 354 with a grade of at least C- in each.
CHE 473K. Process Design and Operations.
Process design, economics, and safety; design projects representing a variety of industries and products. Three lecture hours and two recitation hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Chemical Engineering 354, 363, and 372 with a grade of at least C- in each.
CHE 376K. Process Evaluation and Quality Control.
Use of statistical techniques to evaluate, compare, and optimize processes. Design of experiments for improved product quality control. Three lecture hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of the department.
CHE 177K, 277K, 377K. Undergraduate Research Project.
Recommended for students considering graduate study. Topic to be selected in conjunction with individual chemical engineering faculty member, with approval by the department chair. A final written report is required. Three, six, or nine laboratory hours a week for one semester. Prerequisite: A grade point average of at least 3.00 in chemical engineering courses. Students must register in the undergraduate advising office.
CHE 179, 279, 379, 479. Topics in Chemical Engineering.
Special topics of current interest. The equivalent of one, two, three, or four lecture hours a week for one semester. May be repeated for credit when the topics vary. Prerequisite: Upper-division standing, and admission to an appropriate major sequence in engineering or consent of the department.
CHE 679H. Undergraduate Honors Thesis.
Research performed during two consecutive semesters under the supervision of a chemical engineering faculty member; topics are selected jointly by the student and the faculty member with approval by the department chair. The student makes two oral presentations and writes a thesis. Individual instruction for two semesters. Students pursuing both the Bachelor of Arts, Plan II, and the Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering may use this course to fulfill the thesis requirement for the Bachelor of Arts, Plan II. Prerequisite: For 679HA, enrollment in the Chemical Engineering Honors Program; for 679HB, enrollment in the Chemical Engineering Honors Program and credit for Chemical Engineering 679HA.