What is chemical engineering?

Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that deals with chemical production and the manufacture of products through chemical processes. This includes designing equipment, systems and processes for refining raw materials and for mixing, compounding and processing chemicals to make valuable products. Chemical engineers work in a variety of fields, according to the BLS. For instance, they may work at a petroleum refinery to turn crude oil into gasoline, jet fuel, diesel fuel, lubricating oil, solvents and petrochemicals; at a fertilizer plant to produce ammonium nitrate, or at a personal-care product manufacturer to mix dozens of ingredients to produce shampoo or skin lotion.