chemical engineering

American  

noun

1. the science or profession of applying chemistry to industrial processes.

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chemical engineering British  

noun

1. the branch of engineering concerned with the design, operation, maintenance, and manufacture of the plant and machinery used in industrial chemical processes

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chemical engineering Scientific  

1. The branch of engineering that deals with the manufacture of products through chemical processes. These products include, among others, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, petrochemicals, microelectronic devices, polymers, and products used in food processing and in biotechnology.

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Other Word Forms

• chemical engineer noun

Etymology

Origin of chemical engineering

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

It was rescued and saved by Rick Flagan, a professor of chemical engineering and environmental science, who found it in a tin film canister in a Caltech closet.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Lashier, who has a Ph.D. in chemical engineering, became head of the company in 2022.

From Barron's • Jan. 10, 2026

This research was detailed in the Journal of the American Chemical Society by chemical engineering professors Drs. Abdoulaye Djire and Perla Balbuena, along with Ph.D. candidate Ray Yoo.

From Science Daily • Nov. 6, 2025

LANDENBERG, Pa.—When Milan Jevtitch finished his Ph.D in chemical engineering in 1986, he got a job right away at Procter & Gamble.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

Advanced courses are offered in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, building construction, and commercial education.

From The Condition and Tendencies of Technical Education in Germany by Chamberlain, Arthur Henry