In the field of engineering, a
chemical engineer is a professional, who is equipped with the knowledge of
chemical engineering, works principally in the
chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products, and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment. In general, a chemical engineer is one who applies and uses principles of
chemical engineering in any of its various practical applications; these often include 1) design, manufacture, and operation of plants and machinery in industrial chemical and related processes ("chemical process engineers"); 2) development of new or adapted substances for products ranging from foods and beverages to cosmetics to cleaners to pharmaceutical ingredients, among many other products ("chemical product engineers"); and 3) development of new technologies such as
fuel cells,
hydrogen power and
nanotechnology, as well as working in fields wholly or partially derived from chemical engineering such as
materials science,
polymer engineering, and
biomedical engineering.