Chemical Engineering: First-Year Calculations (CIR 113)

An introduction to Chemical Engineering. Learn from an Engineer with experience in Oil, Gas and Chemical processing.

What you’ll learn
Make use of the Ladder Method for basic and complex conversions
Convert between Metric, Imperial and CGS unit systems
Perform dimensional analysis for equations
Convert between mass, molar and volumetric flowrates
Interpret density and bulk density
Interpret specific gravity and specific volume
Understand ideal liquid mixing
Understand mole ratios and empirical formulae
Calculate mass and mole fractions, and mass and mole percentages
Know when to use mass fractions and mole fractions in calculations
Calculate density for a liquid mixture
Calculate density for a pure gas, and a gas mixture
Calculate average molar mass of a gas mixture
Calculate linear velocity in a pipeline
Understand NTP (Normal Temperature and Pressure) and STP (Standard Temperature and Pressure)
Convert gas volume between NTP and STP
Know under which conditions the Ideal Gas Law is valid
Use the Ideal Gas Law to calculate gas properties
Understand the difference between Molarity and Molality
Calculate the Molarity and Molality of a susbstance
Understand Normality and apply it in calculations
Stoichiometrically react acids and bases
Understand ratios and apply them to chemical compositions

Requirements
This course requires a good understanding of High School (Grade 12) Mathematics, Physical Science and Chemistry.
No chemical engineering experience is required.

Description
• Hi, I’m Kaamil the Chemical Engineer.

• I currently work as a Process Engineer in a multinational petrochemicals company. It is one of the largest companies by market cap on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

• Many of the concepts you will read about in your textbooks, I have seen with my own two eyes. So, I would like to share these experiences with you. I hope that my stories will make your first year of Engineering a bit less abstract.

• Chemical Engineers are lauded worldwide for their problem-solving abilities, and that is exactly what I want you to learn from this course. Once you have these skills, you can apply them to Investing, Engineering, Business and more.

• We will cover a range of examples, all of which require an innovative approach and a sharp mind.
Sections covered include:
unit conversions, dimensional analysis, mass and mole fractions, densities and bulk densities, specific volume and specific gravity, the ideal gas law, molar mass of a gas mixture, flowrates in pipelines, mixing operations, and more.

You can use the examples to teach yourself, and then use the test questions to evaluate your problem-solving skills.

• This should set you on your way to becoming a great Engineer!

Who this course is for
First year Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Students
CIR 113 students at the University of Pretoria