Reddit reviews Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes

this book covers the bread and butter of what CHE is. Which is mass/energy balances (basically, what goes in equals what comes out.)

you can start with that and later move onto the more "advanced" topics such as transport, thermo, fluids, etc etc

Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes




https://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Principles-Chemical-Processes-Richard/dp/047168757X

Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes was the book used in my first ChemE major class. It discusses a lot of the big ideas in chem e without getting too specific. You can find the international edition for around 10 dollars online.

Amazon Link

MechE and ChemEs both take Thermo, fluids, heat/mass transfer, process controls, and a lot of the same pre-reqs. What's different is the chemistry courses (so take orgo chem, Physical chemistry especially if you're still at uni), chemical kinetics, Material and energy balances, separations. Kinetics and separations, you should wait until you've got the chem courses done. Material and energy balances...get a copy of Felder and Rousseau (http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Principles-Chemical-Processes-Richard/dp/047168757X)

The professor asked us for feedback on that test and someone wrote "This exam was designed to break my spirit." The professor then told the class that the exam was in fact not designed to do such things.

Here is the amazon link for the text book: http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Principles-Chemical-Processes-Richard/dp/047168757X

This is going to be a a butchered and very simplified version of the first question on our first exam. http://imgur.com/ydXpt

Thats the drawing you would be given on an exam. Then you would be given a few constraints like how much oil is an a certain stream (and some others) and then from a few points of information you have to solve for the percentages of the components in all the others, find the total mass of lets say soybeans in the recycle stream, how much water is boiled off. You can come up with your own starting constraints and then try to solve all the others. Just note this is a butchered drawing of a process and is simplified form the exam question. They add a lot more parts to the process in the actual question. Hope this helps!

The book I'd recommend is the textbook that most intro ChemE courses use: Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes, by Felder.

It's not too heavy on prerequisites (mostly just algebra, general chemistry). The problems you'll solve in the text are good examples of the type of thinking that ChEs use, and the author does a good job of explaining things. Also, some anecdotes from time to time.

Not sure if that's what you're looking for, but I can't really think of many non-textbook type examples for the same reason chemical engineers don't show up in films: it's not "Hollywood sexy."

There are ChemEs who work in beautiful locations (LA, SF, etc.) and there are ChemEs who work in bad locations (Midland, Maxbass, etc.)

 

I don't agree that ChemE is a dying degree nor are you limited to working in dirty industries in remote location (I have experienced both sides).

 

To the OP: Take an introductory chemical engineering class to get a feel for it.

 

Most introductory classes use this textbook.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Principles-Chemical-Processes-Richard/dp/047168757X

Make sure you have a good foundation in mathematics. If you want to get started for Cheme - definitely get yourself a book on material and energy balances. This is widely heralded as the "bible" and will give you good introductino to many cheme concepts.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Principles-Chemical-Processes-Richard/dp/047168757X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1541440878&sr=8-2&keywords=elementary+principles+of+chemical+processes

​

​

This book ?

They may have changed now, but chemcical process principles probably still uses http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Principles-Chemical-Processes-Richard/dp/047168757X

the thermo book is very professor dependent.

this was another one, but I think it was mass transfer http://www.amazon.com/Transport-Processes-Separation-Principles-Operations/dp/013101367X/ref=sr_1_45?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398311420&sr=1-45&keywords=chemical+engineering+fluid+mechanics

the first book I linked will definitely give you the best head start, spending any time with any others would probably be a waste of time. I can find my fluid dynamics book at work tomorrow, but I wouldnt get too worried about it, to be honest.

this is my very favorite text book from school. It'll get you started, although I don't remember if it specifically had a section on dryers or spray dryers, it has all the physical property tables you'll need, I think chapter 8 was relevant to your question.

this I do not own, but I've heard good things about, will probably have higher level stuff and be more specific to your application.

I see. I went through this book: http://www.amazon.com/Elementary-Principles-Chemical-Processes-Richard/dp/047168757X and this book: http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Chemical-Engineering-Thermodynamics-Mcgraw-Hill/dp/0073104450/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1395417059&sr=1-1&keywords=chemical+engineering+thermodynamics