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Chemical, Biological & Materials EngineeringOU homepageChemical, Biological and Materials Engineering

Why Chemical, Biological and Materials at OU?

What Do Chemical Engineers Study?


As a simple example, consider preparing a meal of hamburgers. The chemical engineer recognizes that the meat must be heated to a hot enough temperature to cook the meat (about 160°F) but not so hot that the surface of the burger is burned. The chemical engineer would design a process to accomplish this task, a series of steps and devices to be used so that one achieves a high value product from a lower value raw material. With cooked food, this is easy since we have thousands of years of practical experience. With new materials we need to be able to predict how different treatments will alter the chemical structure of the raw material in a way that gives us the desired final product.

What Do Chemical Engineers Do?

  • Chemical engineers rely on their knowledge of mathematics and science—chemistry, biology and physics— to overcome technical problems safely and economically. And, of course, they draw upon and apply their engineering knowledge to solve any technical challenges they encounter.
  • Chemical engineers also develop solutions to environmental problems, such as pollution control and remediation.

Please consider this very versatile area of study for your college education!

Excerpts from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers at Also check out and the local chapter at AICHE.