Chemical Engineering Fundamentals

Mass Balances

• A mass balance is a fundamental principle in chemical engineering that accounts for the amount of mass entering and leaving a system.
• The law of conservation of mass states that mass cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one substance to another.
• Mass balance equations are used to calculate the amount of material entering and leaving a process, and to identify any losses or gains.

Energy Balances

• Energy balances are used to account for the energy entering and leaving a system.
• The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another.
• Energy balance equations are used to calculate the amount of energy required for a process, and to identify any energy losses or gains.

Stoichiometry

• Stoichiometry is the study of the quantitative relationships between reactants and products in a chemical reaction.
• Stoichiometric coefficients are used to balance chemical equations and to calculate the amount of reactants required and products formed.
• Limiting reactants and excess reactants are important concepts in stoichiometry, as they determine the amount of product formed.

Reaction Kinetics

• Reaction kinetics is the study of the rates of chemical reactions.
• The rate of reaction is influenced by factors such as concentration, temperature, and catalysts.
• Rate equations are used to model the kinetics of a reaction, and to determine the rate constant and activation energy.

Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs)

• PFDs are visual representations of a process, showing the flow of materials and energy through the system.
• PFDs are used to design and optimize processes, and to identify potential problems and bottlenecks.
• PFDs typically include symbols and notation to represent different components, such as reactors, tanks, and pumps.

Process Control

• Process control is the use of sensors, actuators, and control algorithms to regulate a process and maintain desired conditions.
• Feedback control, feedforward control, and cascade control are common control strategies used in chemical engineering.
• Process control is critical to ensure safe and efficient operation of a process.

Separation Technologies

• Separation technologies are used to separate components of a mixture based on their physical and chemical properties.
• Common separation technologies include distillation, crystallization, filtration, and chromatography.
• Separation technologies are critical in chemical engineering, as they are used to purify products and recover valuable components.

Transport Phenomena

• Transport phenomena are the study of the transfer of mass, momentum, and energy between systems.
• The three main transport phenomena are heat transfer, mass transfer, and momentum transfer.
• Understanding transport phenomena is critical in chemical engineering, as they are used to design and optimize processes.

Mass Balances

• Mass balance accounts for the amount of mass entering and leaving a system, based on the law of conservation of mass that states mass cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one substance to another.
• Mass balance equations calculate the amount of material entering and leaving a process, identifying any losses or gains.

Energy Balances

• Energy balances account for the energy entering and leaving a system, based on the law of conservation of energy that states energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another.
• Energy balance equations calculate the amount of energy required for a process, identifying any energy losses or gains.

Stoichiometry

• Stoichiometry studies the quantitative relationships between reactants and products in a chemical reaction.
• Stoichiometric coefficients balance chemical equations and calculate the amount of reactants required and products formed.
• Limiting reactants and excess reactants determine the amount of product formed.

Reaction Kinetics

• Reaction kinetics studies the rates of chemical reactions, influenced by factors such as concentration, temperature, and catalysts.
• Rate equations model the kinetics of a reaction, determining the rate constant and activation energy.

Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs)

• PFDs visually represent a process, showing the flow of materials and energy through the system.
• PFDs design and optimize processes, identifying potential problems and bottlenecks.
• PFDs use symbols and notation to represent different components, such as reactors, tanks, and pumps.

Process Control

• Process control regulates a process using sensors, actuators, and control algorithms to maintain desired conditions.
• Common control strategies include feedback control, feedforward control, and cascade control.
• Process control ensures safe and efficient operation of a process.

Separation Technologies

• Separation technologies separate components of a mixture based on their physical and chemical properties.
• Common separation technologies include distillation, crystallization, filtration, and chromatography.
• Separation technologies purify products and recover valuable components.

Transport Phenomena

• Transport phenomena study the transfer of mass, momentum, and energy between systems.
• The three main transport phenomena are heat transfer, mass transfer, and momentum transfer.
• Understanding transport phenomena is critical in designing and optimizing processes.