Introduction to Chemical and Molecular Engineering
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Introduction to Chemical and Molecular Engineering
Today, the guest speaker is Professor Tae Jin Kim, from the Department of material sensing chemical engineering. Tae Jin is a chemical engineer by profession and has valuable experience in the sector. Besides, he is an expert in the catalysis of organic and inorganic chemistry and galaxies, making him a valuable asset in one of the most important chemical engineering fields. Professor Kim will provide insights about catalysis and how chemical engineers can apply it to influence the world, especially in energy and environmental conservation.
An interesting subject is the discussion of global energy consumption. Currently, oil, coal, and natural gases dominate the energy sector. The exploitation of huge fuel reserves presents an interesting topic. As the energy demand continues rising, it is impossible to avoid discussing toxic gas emissions, which causes a severe environmental problem (Sheldon, 2016). He also discusses the global demand for catalysts, including chemical synthetic petroleum refining and polymerization catalysts. The three primary forms of catalysts include homogenous catalysis, heterogeneous catalysis, and biocatalysts. All these domains are critical in the advancing chemical engineering field.
In conclusion, Tae Jin summarizes his presentation focusing on the interaction of heterogeneous catalysis with energy and environmental research. Heterogeneous catalysis offers substantial potential to influence the generation of high-energy fuel such as diesel, gasoline, and hydrogen, which rely on the application of small amounts of catalysts in petroleum refineries (Ciriminna et al., 2020). Besides, new catalysts and cost-effective practices can be critical to the production of alternative fuels. Chemical engineers, especially catalysis specialists, play an integral role in the environmental conservation efforts with the development of new catalysts that convert toxic gases to valuable recyclable products. Finally, with the continued use of fossil energy, there is a need to manage greenhouse gas and global warming issues, which underlines chemical engineers’ role in environmental sustainability.
References
Ciriminna, R., Pagliaro, M., & Luque, R. (2020). Heterogeneous catalysis under flow for the 21st century fine chemical industry. Green Energy & Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gee.2020.09.013
Sheldon, R. A. (2016). Engineering a more sustainable world through catalysis and green chemistry. Journal of The Royal Society Interface, 13(116), 20160087. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2016.0087