Undergraduate Courses

Below are the course descriptions for the Chemical Engineering programme. Click on course materials to view the course outline. For official details on prerequistes, terms offered and other details, visit the Chemical Engineering courses section of the McMaster Undergraduate Calendar.

TERM ONE

CHEM ENG 2B03 Introduction to Bioprocess Engineering
Unit operations approach; material and energy balances; survey of momentum, heat
and mass transfer; basics of chemical process design
Not open to students registered in Faculty of Engineering
NOT OFFERED 2012-2013

CHEM ENG 2D04 Chemical Engineering Principles I
Steady-state mass balances in chemical processes and the first law of thermodynamics. 
The behaviour of gases and liquids, and their physical equilibria.   Recycle in steady state operation.

CHEM ENG 2G03 Problem Solving and Technical Communication
Developing awareness, strategies, creativity, analysis and interpersonal skills in the
context of solving homework problems and preparing technical communications.  
Interpretation, retrieval manipulation and communication of information.

CHEM ENG 3BK3 Bio-reaction Engineering
Kinetics of cellular processes, microbial processes and enzyme reactions including those
of immobilized cells and enzymes.  Cell culturing. Bioreactor design. Bioprocess development
including downstream processing.

CHEM ENG 3D03 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
Review of the total energy balance, mechanical energy balance and thermodynamics
of one component system. Chemical reaction and phase equilibria of multicomponent
systems, with emphasis on non-ideality.

CHEM ENG 3E04 Process Model Formulation and Solution
Formulation of models for various chemical processing units in the steady and
unsteady states.  Techniques for numerical soluton of model equations, including
algebraic and ordinary differential equations, both linear and non-linear.

CHEM ENG 3M04 Mass Transfer and Stagewise Operations
Stagewise operations, diffusion, mass transfer coefficients, distillation, differential
contacting and absorption.

CHEM ENG 3O04 Fluid Mechanics
The laws of statics and dynamics in both compressible and incompressible fluids.
Equations of conservation and modern turbulence and boundary layer theory applied to
submerged and conduit flow. Similitude, unsteady flow, measuring devices and fluid machinery.

CHEM ENG 4B03 Polymer Reaction Engineering
Kinetics of polymerization: step-growth and chain-growth (free radical, anionic, anionic
coordination and cationic). Polymerization processes: solution/bulk, suspension, emulsion,
gas-phase, slurry and reactive processing. Principles of polymer process and reactor design, optimization and control.

CHEM ENG 4E03 Digital Computer Process Control
This course addresses key aspects of implementing control via discrete calculations using
digital computers. Topics include discrete-time dynamic models, system identification analysis
of discrete-time systems, design of digital control systems and model predictive control

CHEM. ENG. 4K3 Reactor Design for Heterogenous Systems
Catalytic kinetics, mass transfer limitations, packed and fluidized bed reactors,
two phase reactors. NOT OFFERED 2012-2013

CHEM ENG 4L02 Advanced Laboratory Skills
Experiments and projects in transport phenomena, reaction kinetics, reactor design and
process control with appropriate data analysis and report writing.

CHEM ENG 4M03 Separations
Overview of separation processes, liquid-liquid extraction, supercritical fluid extraction,
adsorption, chromatography, filtration, membrane separation processes,
introduction to bioseparations.

CHEM ENG 4N04 Engineering Economics and Problem Solving
Making decisions about the design and operation of engineering systems, with the
analysis emphasizing safety, economics, equipment performance, uncertainty,
flexibility and monitoring, including trouble shooting. Students will work individually
and in groups on problem-based projects.

CHEM ENG 4X03 Polymer Processing
An introduction to the basic principles of polymer processing, stressing the development
of models. Rheology of polymers, extrusion, molding, films, fibers, and mixing. Reactive
processing.

CHEM ENG 4Y04 Senior Independent Project
A research and design project with students working independently under the direction
of a Faculty member.

TERM TWO

CHEM ENG 2O04 Fluid Mechanics
The laws of statics and dynamics in both compressible and incompressible fluids. Equations
of conservation and modern turbulence and boundary layer theory applied to submerged and
conduit flow. Similitude, unsteady flow, measuring devices and fluid machinery.

CHEM ENG 2F04 Chemical Engineering Principles II
Combined mass and energy balances in the steady and unsteady state. The second
law of thermodynamics and physical chemical equilibria. Introduction of process simulation
packages.

CHEM ENG 2I03 Measurements
Operational characteristics of physical and chemical sensors, statistics of sampling and analysis, measurement error and data acquisition theory. Measurement of pressure, temperature, flow, strain and voltage. Technical writing and communication.

CHEM ENG 3BM3 Biosepartions Engineering
Introduction to bioseparations engineering: cell disintegration, precipitaton based separation processes, extraction, adsorption, chromatography centrifugal separations, filtration, reverse osmosis and nanofiltration dialysis, liquid membrane based separation processes, electrophoresis. 

CHEM ENG 3G04 Simulation, Modelling and Probem Solving
Chemical process simulation including models for heat exchangers, separators and reactors. 
Group skills, decision-making and self-directed, problem-based learning.

CHEM ENG 3K04 Introduction to Reactor Design
Stoichiometry of multiple reactions, kinetics of homogeneous reactions, interpretation
of batch data, design of ideal and nonideal CSTR and plug flow reactors.

CHEM ENG 3L02 Intermediate Laboratory Skills
Experiments and projects in heat transfer, thermodynamics, mass transfer, and fluid
mechanics, with appropriate data analysis and report writing.

CHEM ENG 3P04 Process Control Transient behaviour of chemical processes. Theory and practice of automatic control. Introduction to computer process control.

CHEM ENG 3Q03 Introduction to Polymer Science
An overview of important synthetic and natural polymers with emphasis on polymer structure,
the chemistry of polymer formation. An introduction to polymer characterization.

CHEM ENG 4C03 Statistics for Engineers
Linear regression analysis in matrix form, non-linear regression, multi-response estimation,
design of experiments including factorial and optimal designs. Special emphasis on methods appropriate to engineering problems.

CHEM ENG 4G03 Optimization in Chemical Engineering The application on optimization methods to important engineering problems in equipment design and operation, statistics, control, engineering economics and scheduling.  The course will emphasize problem definition, model formulation and solution analysis, with sufficient
details on existing algorithms and software to solve problems.

CHEM ENG 4LL3 Bio Laboratories
Recombinant DNA technology including cloning, directed mutagenesis,
DNA sequencing, and expression of cloned genes.  Reaction kinetics and reactor design
for enzyme and fermentation reactions.  Advanced separation methods for bioprocessing
operations. 

CHEM ENG 4T03 Applications of Chemical Engineering in Medicine Applications of chemical engineering principles to biological systems and medical
problems including examples from hemodynamics, blood oxygenation, artificial kidney
systems, controlled drug release, biosensors and biomaterials

CHEM ENG 4W04 Chemical Plant Design and Simulation
Projects, often in co-operation with industry, usually involve steady-state computer simulation of an existing process or design of a new process. Plant equipment may be
tested to develop simulation models.

CHEM ENG 4Z03 Interfacial Engineering
The physics and chemistry at the "nano"scale including intercations forces,
colloids, surface active ystems, wetting, adhesion, and flocculations.