The Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) is a global professional engineering institution with 30,000 members in 114 countries.[2] It was founded in 1922 and awarded a Royal Charter in 1957.
The First World War required a huge increase in chemical production to meet the needs of the munitions and its supply industries, including a twenty-fold increase in explosives.[8] This brought a number of chemical engineers into high positions within the Ministry of Munitions, notably K. B. Quinan,[9][10]Frederic Nathan[9] and Arthur Duckham.[11]
The increased public perception of chemical engineers renewed the interest in a society, and in 1918 John Hinchley, who was a Council Member of the SCI, petitioned it to form a Chemical Engineers Group (CEG), which was done, with him as chairman and 510 members.[10] In 1920 this group voted to form a separate Institution of Chemical Engineers,which was achieved in 1922 with Hinchley as the Secretary, a role he held until his death.[12] The inaugural meeting was held on 2 May 1922, at the Hotel Cecil, London.[13]
Despite opposition from the Institute of Chemistry and the Institution of Civil Engineers,[14][15] it was formally incorporated with the Board of Trade on 21 December 1922 as a company not for profit and limited by guarantee.[16] The first Corporate meeting was held 14 March 1923 and the first Annual General Meeting on 8 June 1923: Arthur Duckham was confirmed as President, Hinchley as Secretary and Quinan as Vice-President.[15][16] At this time it had about 200 members.[16] Nathan was the second President in 1925.[17]
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers, which had been founded in 1908, served as a useful model. While suggestions of amalgamation were made and there was friendly but limited contact, the two organisations developed independently.[18]
The same year the Institution set the first examinations for Associate (i.e. professionally qualified) membership, bringing it into line with the Civil and Mechanical Institutions.[21] In addition to four set examinations of three hours each, there was a 'Home Paper' requiring the candidate to gather information and data and design a chemical plant, accompanied by drawings and a written design proposal within a time limit of a month.[22]
In 1942 Mrs Hilda Derrick (née Stroud) was the first female member, in the category Student, taking a correspondence course in chemical engineering during the war. She was active in promoting the Institution and profession to women.[24]
On 8 April 1957 IChemE was granted a Royal Charter, changing it from a limited company to a body incorporated by Royal Charter, a professional institution like the Civil and Mechanical ones,[26][27] with HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as patron,[28] a role he continued for over 63 years.[29]
In 1971, the membership grades were changed: Associate became Member and Member became Fellow.[30]
In 1976 the Institution moved its Headquarters from London to Rugby.[30]
In 2023, IChemE entered into a 'hydrogen alliance' with the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). The collaboration aims to support industry's adoption of hydrogen as an energy carrier in the drive to net zero.[32]
Function
IChemE's vision is to "engineer a sustainable world" and its mission is to "put chemical and process engineering at the heart of a sustainable future, to benefit members, society, and the environment." These aims will be achieved by working towards two strategic goals: "Supporting a vibrant and thriving profession" and "serving society by collaborating with others", which are underpinned by five strategic enablers.[33]
Membership grades and post-nominals
IChemE has two main types of membership, qualified and non-qualified, with the technician member grade being available in both categories.[34]
Qualified membership grades.
Fellow – A chemical engineering professional in a very senior position in industry and/or academia. Entitling the holder to the post-nominal FIChemE and is a chartered grade encompassing all the privileges of Chartered Member grade.
Chartered Member – Internationally recognised level of professional and academic competence requiring at least 4 years of field experience and a bachelors degree with honours. Entitles the holder to the post-nominal MIChemE and registration as one or a combination of; Chartered Engineer (CEng), Chartered Scientist (CSci) and Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv). This also entitles the individual to register as a European Engineer with the pre-nominal Eur Ing.
Associate Member – This grade is for young professionals who are qualified in chemical & process engineering to bachelors with honours level or a higher. Typically this is the grade held by those working towards Chartered Member level or those graduates working other fields. This grade entitles the holder to the post-nominal AMIChemE. This grade can also lead to the grade of Incorporated Engineer (IEng) for those with some field experience but which falls short of the level required for Chartered Member grade.
Technician Member – Uses practical understanding to solve engineering problems and could have a qualification, an apprenticeship or years of experience. This grade can lead to the Eng Tech TIChemE post-nominal and now in conjunction with the Nuclear Institute the post-nominal Eng Tech TIChemE TNucI.
Non-qualified membership grades.
Associate Fellow – Senior professionals trained in other fields of a level comparable to Fellow in other professional bodies.
Affiliate – For people working in, with or with a general interest in the sector.
Student – For undergraduate chemical & process engineering students.
Activities
Medals
The Frank Morton Medal of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. Awarded biennially for outstanding service to chemical engineering education.
The Institution has been awarding Medals for different areas of chemical engineering work since the first Moulton medals were issued in 1929. The medal was named after Lord Moulton who helped develop chemical engineering during World War I when he took charge of explosive supplies.[35] Today the institution gives out eleven medals related to research and teaching,[36] six medals in special interest groups,[37] four medals relating to publications,[38] two medals for services to the profession[39] and two medals for contribution to the Institution.[40]
Annual awards
The IChemE Global Awards take place in November in the UK. The awards are highly regarded throughout the process industries for recognising and rewarding chemical engineering excellence and innovation. The first awards took place at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham on 23 March 1994.[41]
There are 16 categories in total that applicants are invited to enter, including Business Start-Up, Industry Project, Process Safety, and Sustainability, offering a broad scope for entries.[41]
The organisation also holds awards ceremonies in other locations across the globe. 2024 will see the return of the IChemE Malaysia Awards alongside the first-ever IChemE Australasia Awards.[42]
Ashok Kumar Fellowship
The Ashok Kumar Fellowship is an opportunity for a graduate to spend three months working at the UK Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST). The fellowship was jointly funded by IChemE and the Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC). However, NEPIC was unable to contribute in 2018 and the Fellowship was not offered in 2019.[43] As of 2021 it is jointly funded by IChemE and the Materials Processing Institute (reflecting Kumar's employment with British Steel).[44]
In 2023, the Institution launched DiscoverChemEng,[45] an initiative focused on the development of a package of education outreach activities to help inspire future process and chemical engineers and raise awareness of the profession as a career option for young people. A range of resources have been created for IChemE volunteers and STEM ambassadors to use within schools and at careers fairs, alongside an Educator Network that informs volunteers of upcoming events in their local area.
ChemEng Evolution
In order to celebrate its centenary, in 2022 the Institution produced a website with short articles about historic matters in the history of chemical engineering and IChemE, hosting videos and webinars throughout the year. ChemEng Evolution
Coat of arms
The coat of arms is a shield with two figures.[46] On the left a helmeted woman, Pallas Athene, the goddess of wisdom, and on the right, a bearded man with a large hammer, Hephaestus the god of technology and of fire. The shield itself shows a salamander as the symbol of chemistry, and a corn grinding mill as a symbol of continuous processes. Between these is a diagonal stripe in red and blue in steps to indicate the cascade nature of many chemical engineering processes. The shield is surmounted by helmet on which is a dolphin, which is in heraldry associated with intellectual activity, and also represents the importance of fluid mechanics. Just below the dolphin are two Integral signs to illustrate the necessity of mathematics and in particular calculus.
The Latin motto is "Findendo Fingere Disco" or "I learn to make by separating".
John Coulson (1910–1990) Co-writer of classic UK textbooks
M. B. Donald (1897 - 1978) Fourth Ramsay professor of Chemical engineering at University College London. Former honorary secretary and vice-president of IChemE, Institution's Donald medal named after him.
Sir Arthur Duckham (1879–1932) First President of the IChemE
Ian Fells Noted energy expert and popular science broadcaster
Frank Lees (1931–1999) author of major safety encyclopaedia
Bodo Linnhoff His 1979 PhD thesis led to Pinch Technology which has enabled companies to save large amounts of energy
K. B. Quinan (1878–1958) An American who, according to Lloyd George "did more than any other single individual to win the (First World) War" [52]
Jack Richardson (1929–2011) Co-writer of classic UK textbooks
P. N. Rowe (1919-2014) Fifth Ramsay professor of chemical engineering at University College London. He was president of the Institution between 1981 and 1982.
Meredith Thring (1915–2006) prolific inventor, futurologist and early proponent of sustainability
The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters are located in the UK, while the rest are located in more than 150 other countries. The ICE aims to support the civil engineering profession by offering professional qualification, promoting education, maintaining professional ethics, and liaising with industry, academia and government. Under its commercial arm, it delivers training, recruitment, publishing and contract services. As a professional body, ICE aims to support and promote professional learning, managing professional ethics and safeguarding the status of engineers, and representing the interests of the profession in dealings with government, etc. It sets standards for membership of the body; works with industry and academia to progress engineering standards and advises on education and training curricula.
Ashok Kumar was a British Labour politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland from 1997 until his sudden death shortly before the 2010 general election.
A chemical engineer is a professional equipped with the knowledge of chemistry and other basic sciences who works principally in the chemical industry to convert basic raw materials into a variety of products and deals with the design and operation of plants and equipment. This person applies the principles of chemical engineering in any of its various practical applications, such as
Design, manufacture, and operation of plants and machinery in industrial chemical and related processes ;
Development of new or adapted substances for products ranging from foods and beverages to cosmetics to cleaners to pharmaceutical ingredients, among many other products ;
Development of new technologies such as fuel cells, hydrogen power and nanotechnology, as well as working in fields wholly or partially derived from chemical engineering such as materials science, polymer engineering, and biomedical engineering. This can include working of geophysical projects such as rivers, stones, and signs.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is a multidisciplinary professional engineering institution. The IET was formed in 2006 from two separate institutions: the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), dating back to 1871, and the Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE) dating back to 1884. Its worldwide membership is currently in excess of 158,000 in 153 countries. The IET's main offices are in Savoy Place in London, England, and at Michael Faraday House in Stevenage, England.
Chemical engineering is a discipline that was developed out of those practicing "industrial chemistry" in the late 19th century. Before the Industrial Revolution, industrial chemicals and other consumer products such as soap were mainly produced through batch processing. Batch processing is labour-intensive and individuals mix predetermined amounts of ingredients in a vessel, heat, cool or pressurize the mixture for a predetermined length of time. The product may then be isolated, purified and tested to achieve a saleable product. Batch processes are still performed today on higher value products, such as pharmaceutical intermediates, specialty and formulated products such as perfumes and paints, or in food manufacture such as pure maple syrups, where a profit can still be made despite batch methods being slower and inefficient in terms of labour and equipment usage. Due to the application of Chemical Engineering techniques during manufacturing process development, larger volume chemicals are now produced through continuous "assembly line" chemical processes. The Industrial Revolution was when a shift from batch to more continuous processing began to occur. Today commodity chemicals and petrochemicals are predominantly made using continuous manufacturing processes whereas speciality chemicals, fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals are made using batch processes.
The Frank Morton Sports Day is an annual sporting competition between the students of chemical engineering departments from UK and Irish universities. The event is held on one of the campuses of one of the competing universities, normally in the second week of February, when there is less academic pressure on students. In 2009, for the first time, the event was held in Singapore as well as the UK. In 2021 the event was held online for the first time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sir William Arnot Wakeham FREng is a British chemical engineer. From 2001 to 2009 he was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton.
Francis Pearson Lees, usually known as Frank Lees, was a chemical engineer and a professor at Loughborough University who is noted for his contribution to the field of industrial safety.
Frank Morton MScTech, PhD, AMCT, DSc, FRIC, was a noted professor of chemical engineering, instrumental in the creation of UMIST and commemorated by Frank Morton Sports Day and a medal named after him.
John Gordon Collier FRS was a British chemical engineer and administrator, particularly associated with nuclear power for electricity production. He started as an apprentice at Harwell United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and rose to become its chairman.
Engineers Australia (EA), known formally as the Institution of Engineers, Australia, is an Australian professional body and not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to advance the science and practice of engineering for the benefit of the community. Engineers Australia is Australia's recognized organization for accreditation of professional engineering qualifications under the Washington Accord. As of 2022, EA has 115,000 members, which includes 31,000 students.
Sir Arthur McDougall Duckham was one of the founders of the Institution of Chemical Engineers, and its first president.
Donald Cole Freshwater, known as Don Freshwater, was a British professor of chemical engineering.
Sir Edward John Cullen FEng PhD DSc was a British chemical engineer who was head of the UK Health and Safety Commission and received a knighthood for services to health and safety.
Camille Petit is a Reader in Materials Engineering at Imperial College London. She designs and characterises functional materials for environmental sustainability.
Judy Agnes Raper is an Australian chemical engineer and was previously Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation at the University of Wollongong. She has served as a National Science Foundation Director and led the Atomic Energy Research Establishment. She has been Dean & CEO of TEDI-London, a new engineering higher education provider since its incorporation in June, 2019.
Silvana Cardoso is a Portuguese fluid dynamicist working in Britain. She is professor of Fluid Mechanics and the Environment at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge. She leads the Fluids and the Environment research group at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.
Kennie Tsui is a New Zealand chemical and environmental engineer. In July 2021, she was appointed chief executive of the New Zealand Geothermal Association.
John William Hinchley (1871-1931) was a chemical engineer who was the first Secretary of the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
Colonel Sir Frederic Lewis Nathan, KBE, (1861–1933) was a chemical engineer who played a major part in the supply of munitions in the UK during the First World War.
1 2 "IChemE in numbers". www.icheme.org. Institution of Chemical Engineers. June 2023. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
↑ Rogers, F. H.; Underwood, A. J. V; Donald, M. B; Greene, F. A. (1939). "Annual Report of the Council". Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. 19: i–ix.
↑ Nathan, F.L; Rogers, F. H.; Hinchley, J. W. (1932). "Annual Report of the Council". Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. 32: 7–8.
1 2 Rogers, F. H.; Underwood, A. J. V; Donald, M. B; Greene, F. A. (1939). "Annual Report of the Council". Transactions of the Institution of Chemical Engineers. 18: 1–5.
Divall, Colin; Johnstone, Sean (2000). Scaling Up - The Institution of Chemical Engineers and the Rise of a New Profession. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic. ISBN0-7923-6692-1.
Freshwater, Don (1997). People, pipes and processes. Cambridge: Burlington Press. ISBN0-85295-390-9.
Hinchley, Edith (1935). John William Hinchley: Chemical Engineer. South Kensington: Lamley & Co.
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