Chemical Engineering World

The joy of completing and submitting her thesis doesn't mean that the battle is over. (it's actually 90% over). She has to defend her thesis in an oral presentation (viva) soon to take place. But at least, a huge chunk of the task is over. Supported with some publication in international and national journals, conferences, book chapters, I hope and most importantly believe she'll make it. On top of that, she has also managed to patent her research/design and that's a big thing. Not only that, the fact that foreign companies and institution searched and consulted her ecause of her research expertise make me believe that she'll get her doctorate soon. Let's all hope and pray that she'll make it smoothly without much pain.


As for me, it is now my second semester and I strongly believe doing Ph.D is like a war in a battle field or Star Wars!!! The most important element is to be able to plan the research activities wisely. Like a general in a battle, we need to plan the best strategy to fight and later terminate our enemies. We need to be able to utilize all resources available intelligently. We need to know when to attack and when to sit back and defend ourselves.

Well, I can't say much now about it as I'm still doing it. I may ask my wife to share some of her sweet and sour experiences. It may be helpful for those who are still working on his/her postgraduate studies and those who plan to do so.

What do you think of that?

Photo credited to http://www.copylobby.com/Binding/Thesis%20Binding.htm

Facility power that is dirty is electricity that fluctuates and surges. Surging power is bad for sensitive electronics and can ruin many things. As we all know, electronics are not cheap and to replace them can be very expensive. How do we solve this problem? The answer is by doing a power factor calculation of your current situation whether you be in a company or home setting.

This just simply means to assess how much equipment you have pulling power to make sure you are safely distributing it properly. There are units sold that can clean facility power and make it a perfect sine wave on output. What this means is that there is no fluctuation whatsoever which causes electronics to last much, much longer. This also saves you tons of booku bucks and most electronic equipment is extremely expensive, especially in a company setting. Getting a UPQ system can make all the difference in the world. Units like these are sold by Power Innovations or companies like them.

Stop dealing with horrible facility electricity and take the steps necessary to protect your personal or company assets. Do a power factor calculation of your situation today!

Photo credited to http://www.valleyelectricsaver.com/

The CALPHAD method is based on the fact that a phase diagram is a representation of the thermodynamic properties of a system. Thus, if the thermodynamic properties are known, it is possible to calculate the multi-component phase diagrams. In other words, thermodynamic descriptions of lower-order systems (e.g., the Gibbs energy of each phase) can be combined to extrapolate higher-order systems.

In metallurgical engineering, for example, the CALPHAD method is invaluable when it comes to understanding the relationship between the chemical composition of an alloy (typically based on complex higher-order systems), the processing conditions, the resulting microstructure, and the alloy's final properties. In addition, most alloys undergo one or more phase transformations during use. Such phase transformations can often be understood through the use of phase diagrams (and which now can be calculated, thanks to the CALPHAD method).

The book covers the history of the CALPHAD method; the laws and basic concepts of thermodynamics (enthalpy, heat capacity, chemical equilibrium, Gibbs energy, etc); various experimental techniques to measure thermodynamic quantities and to construct phase diagrams; thermodynamic models for solutions and compound phases (stoichiometric compounds, random substitutional models, sublattice models, ionic liquid models, and aqueous solutions); phase stabilities; short-range and long-range ordering models; the role of magnetic Gibbs energy; computational methods and thermodynamic optimization of phase diagrams; as well as the coupling of thermodynamics and kinetics.

Finally, a number of important practical examples where the CALPHAD method was successfully applied are given and described in detail. The examples include titanium-based Ti-6Al-4V alloy, aluminum casting alloys, corrosion-resistant duplex stainless steels, nickel-based superalloys, high-speed steels, sigma-phase formation, micro-alloyed steels, NiAl-based and TiAl-based intermetallic alloys, magnetic alloys, high-strength cobalt-nickel steels, slag and slag-metal equilibria, chemical vapor deposition processing, hot salt corrosion in gas turbines, and the effect of radiation on the precipitation of silicides in nickel-based alloys.

I highly recommend this book.

You might think that there's not a job for you in the oil and gas industry, but you could be wrong. There's a range of opportunities out there, which could be right for you. The oil and gas industry is a worldwide employer, so wherever you are, you're bound to find the job that's right for you.

Chemical Engineers, Petroleum Engineers, Drillers, Electricians, Mechanics, Medics, Mud Engineers, Offshore Installation Managers, Radio Operators and Welders. The possibilities are endless, and it all begins with skills such as Maths and Science. There are a range of jobs available in the oil and gas industry, which are heavily involved with every stage of extracting oil and gas from reservoirs.

Drillers, are an important part of the industry, as they are in charge of the drills, and actually drilling the holes needed to find the oil and gas, so they play imperative roles in the industry. Electricians are not often thought as required in this industry, but they are often needed in order for work to progress. They are in charge of maintaining and repairing any electrical equipment, from light bulbs to high-tech electrical machinery such as generators, turbines and pumps.

Medics are an essential role within a career in the oil and gas industry, they're in charge of running the sick bay, keeping track of medical supplies, and keeping medical records. This sort of position is perfect for people in the Medical career track who'd like a change of scenery, or something a little less demanding the Doctors Practices or Hospital Work.

Radio Operators have one of the most laid back jobs in the industry, as they are in charge of communications with the outside world. And welders, there are a lot of welders out there working in many different fields, and in the oil and gas industry, it's another job that's very important. Welders in the Industry carry out day-to-day welding repairs and general building of new metalwork.

This industry is a fantastic career to get into, especially if you've just finished school and are interested in doing something interesting as a career, then it's an opportunity for you to get into an interesting journey towards your future career.

You'll get to study some interesting subjects such as aeronautical engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering. The Oil Industry is a competitive Industry, and Large Internationals companies offer graduate training programmes, which offer both a good salary and invaluable experience for a future career in both oil and gas extraction.

Engineering in the Oil and Gas industry generally pays very well, and positions in Oil and Gas, especially engineering, are no exception. Starting salaries may be as high as £35,000! But if you train as an Engineer working for large multinational companies are likely to earn significantly more than those working for smaller companies.

After several years of experience in the role, individuals can expect to their salaries to increase to between £50,000 and £70,000! And Managers in the Gas and Oil Industry with responsibilities may even earn in excess of £90,000 per year!

Bonuses are also a common feature in the Industry, and generous living allowances are often provided for those of you who choose to work overseas.

The advantages of the Oil and Gas Industry is that the world with be using Oil and Gas for many years to come, and if you're interested, then you can take advantage yourself of the wide range of jobs available in the Oil and Gas Industry for many years to come.

The field of engineering offers vast scope for candidates. One of the most fulfilling and profitable careers in engineering is becoming chemical engineers. These professionals use the principles of chemistry for the manufacturing a wide range of chemical products. Besides production of chemical products, chemical engineers also design equipment for chemical plants. These engineers apply principles of chemistry and physics and engineering technology to manufacture products like synthetic rubber, plastic, gasoline, detergents, paper, cement etc. While doing their job, engineers are confronted with multiple problems that they need to solve using technology and by applying principles of chemistry. In case of large scale manufacturing, chemical engineers also design the manufacturing equipment and test the manufacturing method before implementing the procedure.

Not only in the field of chemical manufacturing, but these engineers also work in a variety of other manufacturing industries. This, in turn, increases the career scope for these professionals. Industries like electronics, food, paper and clothing have multiple scope for chemical engineers. Apart from working in these industries, these engineers can also join fields like healthcare and biotechnology. By gaining more experience and expertise, engineers can also choose to specialize in a specific area according to their interest and preference. They can either choose to specialize in a specific chemical process or products. Chemical engineers can specialize in chemical processes like oxidation, polymerization or nanomaterials.

The job of a chemical engineer also demands responsibilities. While performing their task, the engineers must be well versed with the chemical processes involved in the manufacturing of products. They should know how these processes can have an effect on the environment. Chemical engineers need to do their work without making an harm to the environment, consumers and the workers. Every stage of the entire manufacturing process is thoroughly revised by the engineers to ensure the safety of workers as well. Long work-related experience is valued highly in the field of chemical engineering.

Education & Training

For entry level positions in the field of chemical engineering, candidates need to equip themselves with a bachelor's degree in engineering. Engineering degrees can be obtained in electrical, mechanical, electronics or civil engineering. Engineers trained in one branch can have the flexibility of joining other related branches of engineering. This flexibility benefits employers as well as engineers. While employers can easily meet their staffing needs, engineers can have multiple career opportunities to choose from and can also shift fields depending on the prospects and interests. Besides the engineering degrees mentioned above, many colleges also offer specialized courses or training programs in engineering technology, the duration ranging between 2 to 4 years.

Candidates who have been trained in 4-year technology programs can land jobs similar to those candidates that carry a bachelor's degree in engineering. Around 1,830 college and university programs across America have the accreditation of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). In addition to this, the board has also provided its accreditation to 710 engineering technology programs.

Work Environment & Salary

While working as chemical engineers, professionals will be working in laboratories, manufacturing plants or offices. Depending on the requirement, engineers may also need to spend time outdoors. Chemical engineers usually work 40 hours a week. Around 33,000 jobs for chemical engineers are expected by the year 2016. The median annual salary of chemical engineers is $78.860. Starting salary of chemical engineers is the highest as compared to other graduate level jobs.

2nd-4th NOVEMBER 2010, SKUDAI, JOHOR, MALAYSIA

Sustainability for the green society through creativity and innovation

Call for Abstract

IGCESH2010 is organized by the School of Graduate Studies, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The conference will be held at the beautiful campus of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Skudai, a town about 20 km north of Johor Bahru and 320 km south of Kuala Lumpur. IGCESH2010 provides opportunities for post-graduate students, researchers, lecturers and practitioners to present their latest research work and findings, as well as forum for discussion and academic networking.

The conference covers the following topics (but not limited to)

• Fundamental and applied sciences: chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, bioscience and biotechnology.

• Engineering: civil, mechanical, electrical, electronics, marine, aeronautical, chemical, petroleum, natural resources, industrial and biomedical.

• Technology: built environment, architecture, geoinformatics, land surveying, estate management, transportation and town/urban planning.

• Computing and Information Technologies: software engineering, management information systems, knowledge management, database, graphics, network and security.

• Humanities and social sciences: economy, education, business management, Islamic studies and sports sciences.

SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACT

Prospective authors are invited to submit their abstract in English. The abstract must have a title, and should briefly describe the work by the authors in not more than 500 words. A full camera-readypaper is required for submission after the acceptance of the abstract. Please email the abstract together with the completed Abstract Submission Form to igcesh2010@utm.my.

Instruction for submission of paper will be available on http://www.sps.utm.my/igcesh2010/ or www.igcesh2010.com.

IMPORTANT DATES

Deadline for abstract submission: 31st May 2010
Notification of abstract acceptance: 15th June 2010
Deadline for full paper submission: 15th August 2010
Notification of full paper acceptance: 15th September 2010