engineering

Chemical Engineering & Process Design

The science of transforming raw materials into valuable products through controlled chemical reactions, separation processes, and energy management at industrial scale.

chemical engineeringprocess designdistillationheat transferreaction kineticscatalysis

Chemical engineering bridges chemistry, physics, and mathematics to design processes that convert raw materials into useful products at scale. From petroleum refining to pharmaceutical manufacturing, chemical engineers optimize reactions, separations, heat transfer, and fluid flow to maximize yield while minimizing cost, energy, and environmental impact.

The discipline emerged in the late 19th century when the chemical industry needed engineers who could scale laboratory reactions to factory-size operations. Today, chemical engineers work at the forefront of sustainability, designing processes for carbon capture, green hydrogen, biodegradable plastics, and next-generation batteries.

These simulations let you explore the core unit operations of chemical engineering: distillation columns that separate mixtures, heat exchangers that manage thermal energy, reactors that drive chemical transformations, mixing vessels that homogenize fluids, and catalyst systems that accelerate reactions without being consumed.

5 interactive simulations

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Heterogeneous Catalyst Design Simulator

Explore how catalyst particle size, porosity, surface area, and temperature affect reaction rate through effectiveness factor and Thiele modulus analysis

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Distillation Column Simulator

Simulate a binary distillation column with adjustable reflux ratio, feed composition, and tray count to visualize separation efficiency on a McCabe-Thiele diagram

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Fluid Mixing & Stirred Tank Simulator

Visualize turbulent mixing in a stirred tank reactor with adjustable impeller speed, fluid viscosity, and baffle configuration

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Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger Simulator

Design and visualize a counter-flow shell-and-tube heat exchanger with real-time temperature profiles and heat duty calculations

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Chemical Reaction Kinetics Simulator

Visualize concentration vs. time profiles for a reversible reaction with Arrhenius temperature dependence in a CSTR or batch reactor