Full Course List
At Lafayette, students have the opportunity to study advanced topics in chemical engineering though the choice of technical electives. If students want to focus on an area, course concentrations are available in biomolecular, environmental, and materials engineering.
Students who choose to concentrate in biomolecular engineering can enroll in courses such as Biomolecular Engineering, Seminar in Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, or Interfacial Phenomena.
Students who choose to concentrate in environmental engineering may choose courses such as Chemical Processes in Environmental Engineering or Alternative Energy Sources.
Students who choose to concentrate in materials engineering may choose courses such as Nature of Engineering Materials, Polymers, or Interfacial Phenomena.
Read the degree requirement sheet (pdf)
Visit the Course Catalog for the official course description and listing
CHE 211 Material and Energy Balances
Mathematical analysis of steady-state flow processes including those with chemical reactions. Emphasis on general principles and techniques used in problem solving. Material and enthalpy balances as applied to physical and chemical systems. Heats of reaction. Recycle and purging. Digital and graphical procedures. Lecture/recitation.
Prerequisite: Chemistry 121, 122
Offered: Fall semester
CHE 222 Thermodynamics
Fundamental thermodynamic relationships and their application to non-reactive chemical engineering systems. Equations of state involving ideal and non-ideal behavior. Estimation and use of thermodynamic properties. Analysis of open systems. Lecture/Problem solving.
Prerequisite: Chemistry 121, 122; Mathematics 263
Offered: Fall semester
CHE 311 Transport Phenomena
Unified treatment of continuum descriptions of momentum, heat, and mass transfer and analogies among the three. Evaluation and use of transport coefficients. Shell balances and equations of change. Molecular (laminar) transport and introduction to convective transport. Lecture/Problem Solving.
Prerequisite: Chemistry 121, 122
Corerequisite: Mathematics 264
Offered: Fall semester
CHE 312 Experimental Design I
Statistical analysis of data from laboratory experiments that illustrate the basic principles of thermodynamic and transport properties. Emphasis on laboratory safety, statistical analysis of data, and technical writing. Lecture/laboratory. [W]
Corequisite: CHE 311
Offered: Fall semester
CHE 314 Chemical Engineering Computing
Applications of high-level computer languages, spreadsheets, software, and computer operating systems as tools for engineering problem solving. Lecture/laboratory.
Prerequisite: CHE 211
Offered: Spring semester
CHE 321 Applied Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer
Analysis of fluid flow in complex geometries and porous media; unsteady heat conduction, convection, and heat exchange. Analysis and design of driving forces. Introduction to integrated fluid flow-heat transfer processes.
Prerequisite: CHE 311
Offered: Spring semester
CHE 322 Experimental Design II
Statistical design of laboratory experiments that illustrate the principles of fluid flow and heat transfer culminating in integrated separations processes in pilot-scale equipment. Emphasis on statistical experimental design and analysis of data, instrumental analysis, technical writing, and oral presentations. Lecture/Laboratory.
Corequisite: CHE 321
Offered: Spring semester
CHE 323 Fluid Phase and Reaction Equilibria
Application of fundamental thermodynamic relationships to phase and reaction equilibria in chemical and biological systems. Solution thermodynamics; solid, liquid, vapor equilibria for ideal and nonideal systems; prediction of equilibrium data; chemical reaction equilibria for ideal and non-ideal systems. Lecture/Problem solving
Prerequisite: CHE 222
Offered: Spring semester
CHE 324 Process Control
Analysis of dynamic process and control systems including controllers, measuring elements, control elements, and system components. Design of controlled systems. Analytical and experimental evaluation of process dynamics. Dynamic simulation and stability analysis. Lecture/problem period.
Prerequisite: Mathematics 264
Offered: Spring semester
CHE 331 Polymers
Formation, structure, and properties of polymers. Thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers; stereospecific structures; polymer solutions and solvent resistance; chain conformation; molecular weight; morphology; transitions; condensation polymerization; free radical and nonradical addition polymerization; copolymerization; rubber elasticity; viscous flow; viscoelasticity. Lecture/laboratory.
Prerequisite: ES 231, or permission of instructor
CHE 334 Chemical Processes in Environmental Engineering
Principal chemical processes in environmental engineering for wastewater treatment, air pollution control, and solid waste management. Chemical, physical, and mathematical principles used in defining, quantifying, and measuring environmental quality. Engineering fundamentals governing the operation and design of pollution-control devices. Lecture/Problem Solving.
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
CHE 337 Biochemical Engineering
Introduction to prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, cell metabolism, and genetic engineering. Mathematical modeling of enzyme kinetics and its importance in reactor design. Large-scale fermentation, such as bioreactor design and scale-up, cellular and membrane transport processes, growth media development, sterilization procedures, and protein purification. Lecture/recitation/laboratory.
Prerequisite: Chem 221, or permission of instructor
CHE 341 Green Engineering
An introduction to the concept of environmentally conscious process development and the application of green engineering principles to the chemical process industry. Students are challenged to rethink the classical chemical process in order to satisfy regulatory and policy issues, balance process economics and environmental performance, and develop a refined sense of sustainability with respect to the wider chemical industry.
Prerequisite: Chemistry 121 and Chemistry 122 or permission of instructor
CHE 344 Interfacial Phenomena in Nanotechnology
Chemistry, physics, and engineering of nanoscopic systems dominated by interfacial behavior. Equilibrium interfacial thermodynamics, capillary interactions, and surface forces in disperse systems. Electrical double layer and electrokinetic phenomena. Emerging applications including bionanotechnology and smart materials illustrated using seminars in current literature and laboratory experiences. Lecture/Seminar/Laboratory
Prerequisite: Mathematics 161; Chemistry 121; or permission of instructor
CHE 390/391 Independent Study and Research
An opportunity for selected students to undertake a project during the junior and/or senior year. Before registering, a proposal for the work must be submitted to a faculty member who serves as the adviser and to the department head for approval. Each student is required to submit and orally defend a paper embodying the results of the project.
CHE 411 Mass Transfer, Separations, and Bioseparations
Unit operations of chemical engineering pertaining to mass transfer and separations processes. Staged and continuous equilibrium separations including multi-component distillation, gas absorption/stripping, and liquid extraction. Rate-based separations such as chromatography and membrane systems. Lecture/Problem Solving.
Prerequisite: CHE 321 and 323
Offered: Fall semester
CHE 412 Integrated Chemical Engineering
Principles of separation processes, mass transfer, and reaction kinetics in developed and emerging applications illustrated by multi-scale laboratory experiments. Emphasis on analysis of safe practices, hazards analysis, kinetic data, computer simulation, technical writing, and oral presentation. Lecture/Laboratory.
Corequisite: CHE 411, 413
Offered: Fall semester
CHE 413 Reaction Kinetics and Reactor Design
The kinetics of reacting systems and the design of chemical reactors. Analysis of rate data; multi-step reaction mechanisms, enzymatic reactions, catalysis and heterogeneous processes; design of single-phase isothermal reactors, multiple-phase reactors, non-isothermal reactors, and nonideal reactors. Lecture/recitation.
Prerequisite: CHE 323
Offered: Fall semester
CHE 415 Design Analysis
Quantitative study of current processes. Analysis and flowsheet layout of typical systems; safety, health, environmental, quality control, and ethical concerns in design; economic factors in estimation, design, construction, and operation of process equipment. Lecture/recitation.
Prerequisite: CHE 324
Corequisite: CHE 411 and 413
Offered: Fall semester
CHE 422 Design Synthesis
This capstone design course provides opportunities for the application of all prior course work in the resolution of an industrially realistic or derived chemical process design problem in a team format. Teams demonstrate a practical ability to define the required technical challenge, develop relevant criteria to evaluate alternatives, and present the resolution of the technical challenge in both oral and written formats.[W]
Prerequisite: CHE 411, 413, and 415
Offered: Spring semester
CHE 495, 496 Thesis
This program is designed and operated in accordance with the requirements of the honors program as administered by the Academic Progress Committee.
Prerequisite: Senior standing
This is a technical elective.
