This article introduces the various applications of chemical and biological engineering, explaining their impact on our daily lives and their potential for future development. It emphasizes the importance of chemical and biological engineering through a variety of examples, including televisions, batteries, and environmental pollution.
Most of the things we use in our lives are made with science and technology. Televisions, microwaves, audio, cell phones, and even fluorescent light bulbs all use science and technology. One of the most widely applied fields of science and technology is chemical engineering. Chemical engineering is used in the process that makes fluorescent lights glow, the liquid crystal screens in LCD monitors, TVs, and cell phones, batteries that apply electrochemistry, and more. The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering is where we study this kind of chemical engineering.
Of course, as the name suggests, the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering does not just study chemical engineering; it also deals with biotechnology and environmental biology. The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering strives to create new knowledge at the intersection of chemistry and biology, and to apply it in real life to improve the quality of human life. In the following, we will explain our major in more detail.
In our department, the choice of major can be divided into chemical engineering and biological engineering. Chemical engineering can be further divided into basic science and engineering science. Basic science is divided into parts such as organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, and polymer properties, while engineering technology is studied in various fields such as catalysis, electricity, batteries, process technology, and design.
The importance of chemical engineering
In the field of engineering technology, let’s take the example of batteries, which we talked about in the introduction. There are tons of batteries on the market. Batteries are used to power our cell phones, start our cars, and even keep our watches from going off when our computers are turned off. Hybrid cars, which are currently gaining popularity in the market, also use batteries to reduce the amount of oil they use. The field of electrochemistry and batteries is the field that studies and makes these batteries. Electrochemistry studies what materials and mechanisms can be used to create long-lasting, high-powered batteries. These cells, of course, include the small ones we consume, industrial cells, and even solar cells. The field of electrochemistry and batteries is where most of these electrical mechanisms are studied.
One of the hottest areas of chemical engineering right now is the field of catalysis. A catalyst is a substance that changes the rate of a chemical reaction without changing itself. We see them all around us in the process of converting harmful components of factory soot or car exhaust into harmless components like carbon dioxide. There are many different types of these catalysts, and they perform differently, so there is a lot of research going on to develop efficient catalysts. In addition to this, process design and research to more efficiently handle processes that occur in real factories is also one of the areas of our major.
The field of basic science is a field of study centered on chemistry in the natural sciences. Examples include organic synthesis, inorganic chemistry, and polymer properties. In the case of organic synthesis, we study the mechanisms by which reactions between molecules occur, or the synthesis or decomposition of residues from petrochemical processes to recycle them again. We also make polymeric substances through this synthesis process to see what kind of properties they have. On the other hand, we make particles at the nano-scale to see what kind of properties they have. In fact, the molecular-scale materials that we work with in chemistry are very difficult to observe because we can’t see them, and many of them have properties that don’t fit the laws of physics that we normally think of. For example, gold has a golden color that we usually think of as gold, but when the size of the molecule gets smaller, it has a reddish or blue color. When you make nanoscale particles, the properties of the particles are different from the properties of polymers and the properties of the visible world, and this is why research is being done in this field.
The role of biotechnology
Within the field of biotechnology, there are two branches: biotechnology and environmental biology. Biotechnology is a field that emerged a few years ago when the issue of cell cloning became widely known in society, and it is the field of biotechnology that not only clones cells but also researches on stem cells. Stem cell research is currently gaining a lot of attention in the medical community and is opening up the possibility of treating various incurable diseases. Environmental biology is the study of microorganisms, water pollution, or environmental contamination in the field. In recent years, environmental biology has become increasingly important as environmental pollution has become an issue. Various biological methods are being researched to solve environmental problems, and it is becoming an essential element for sustainable development.
The future of chemical and biological engineering
In fact, chemical engineering and biological engineering are an integral part of the world we live in. Without the development of chemical engineering, we would be experiencing many inconveniences in our lives, such as no television, no cell phones, and no cars. Chemical engineering has become so ingrained in our lives that it will continue to be used in more and more fields and throughout society. The development of chemical engineering will not only raise our standard of living, but will also play an important role in the development of new industries and economic growth.
Biotechnology will also have a major impact on our lives: medical research for healthier living, biological methods for environmental protection, genetic research to make agriculture more productive, the applications are endless. In the future, chemical and biological engineering will continue to make great contributions to human welfare, environmental protection, and industrial development. Through such research and development, we will create a better future.
