Department of Mechanical Engineering

(Chemical Engineering Program)

Faculty of Engineering and Architecture
American University of Beirut
COURSE INFORMATION
Course Title:

Introduction to Chemical Engineering

Course Number:

CHEN 200

Course Administration
Instructor:
Office:
Tel:
E-mail:
Office Hours:

Mahmoud Al-Hindi
FS1 room 404
extension 3433
ma211@aub.edu.lb
M,W: 2:00-3:00 pm, Tuesday: 10:00 11:00 am

Course Summary
This course is an introduction to the most important processes employed by the chemical industries.
Major emphasis is on formulating and solving material and energy balances for simple and complex
systems.

Textbook
D.M. Himmelblau and J.P. Riggs, Basic Principles and Calculations in Chemical Engineering. 8th Edition,
Prentice Hall, 2013.

References
1. R.M. Felder and R.W. Rousseau, Elementary Principles of Chemical Processes. John Wiley &
Sons, Inc., 3rd Edition, 2005.
2. Walter L. Badger, Julius T. Banchero, Introduction to chemical engineering. McGraw Hill, 1955.
3. T. M. Duncan and J.A. Reimer, Chemical Engineering Design and Analysis - An Introduction.
Cambridge University Press, 2008.
4. R.M. Murphy, Introduction to Chemical processes: Principles, Analysis and Synthesis. McGraw
Hill, 2007.
5. Nayef Ghasem, Redhouane Henda, Principles of Chemical Engineering Processes. CRC press
2008.
6. Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook Editor-in-chief, Don W. Green, 8th ed., McGraw Hill,
2008.
7. Sigurd Skogestad, Chemical and energy process engineering. CRC Press, 2009.
8. Kenneth A. Solen, John N. Harb., Introduction to chemical process: fundamentals & design. 4th
edition, McGraw Hill 2005.

Software
SuperPro

Process Modeling Software

Topics

What is Chemical Engineering?

A Brief History of Chemical Engineering
Units and Dimensions: Conversion Factors, Dimensional Homogeneity, Significant Figures and
Errors
Mole and Mole Fractions, Density and Specific Gravity, Solutions and Measures of
Concentration
Temperature and Pressure
Processes and Systems: Open and closed Systems, Steady State and Transient Systems, Batch,
Semi-Batch and Continuous Processes
Law of Conservation of Mass
Problem Specification, Degrees of Freedom, Independent versus dependent equations
Problem Solving Strategy (Procedure)
Mass Balances for non-reactive processes
Reacting Systems: Stoichiometry, Limiting reactant, Fractional Excess and conversion, Extent of
Reaction, Multiple Reactions: Yield and Selectivity, Combustion Reactions
Balances on Reactive processes
Multiple Unit Processes
Recycle and Bypass, Make-up and Purge
Ideal Gas Equation of State
Deviations from Ideal Gas Law: Compressibility Factor and Equations of State
What is a pure substance? Phases of a pure substance, Phase Changes, Property Diagrams
Vapour Liquid Equilibria (Vapour Pressure , Gibbs Phase Rule, Raoults Law, Henrys Law)
Energy (Forms of energy, Energy transfer, Work, Heat Transfer)
Enthalpies and Specific Heats
Conservation of energy principle (Energy Balance) for a closed and open systems
Energy Balances for non-reactive processes
Energy Balances on Reactive Processes

Grading
Table 1: Grading system for course
Assignments
Projects
Exam 1
Exam 2
Final
Total:

10%
25%
20%
20%
25 %
100 %

Open book
Open book
Open book

Resources for the course

Resources for the course include:
Moodle
The reference books
The instructor; class notes and handouts; your teammates.
The library, the web.

Tentative Course Lectures

Day
M
W
F
M

Date
Jan 26
Jan 28
Jan 30
Feb 2

W
F
M
W
F

Feb 4
Feb 6
Feb 9
Feb 11
Feb 13

M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
Th
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W

Feb 16
Feb 18
Feb 20
Feb 23
Feb 25
Feb 27
Mar 2
Mar 4
Mar 5
Mar 6
Mar 9
Mar 11
Mar 13
Mar 16
Mar 18
Mar 20
Mar 23
Mar 25

Topic
What is Chemical Engineering
A Brief History of Chemical Engineering
Dimensions, Units and conversions
Mole and Mole Fractions, Density and Specific Gravity, Solutions and
Measures of Concentration
Temperature and Pressure
Mass Balance: Introduction and Choosing a basis
No Classes: Mar Maroun
Mass Balance: Processes & Systems, Laws of conservation of Mass
Mass Balance: Problem Specification, Degrees of Freedom, Independent
versus dependent equations
Mass Balance: Problem Solving strategy
Mass Balance: Non-reactive processes
Mass Balance: Non-reactive processes
Mass Balance: Non-reactive processes
Problem Solving Session
Problem Solving Session
Mass Balance: Reacting Systems
Mass Balance: Reacting Systems
Quiz 1 (Chapters 1-4)
Mass Balance: Reacting Systems
Mass Balance: Reacting Systems
Mass Balance: Multiple Unit Processes
Mass Balance: Multiple Unit Processes
Mass Balance: Recycle, Purge and Bypass
Mass Balance: Recycle, Purge and Bypass
Ideal Gas Equations of State
Real Gases: Compressibility
No Classes: Annunciation Day

8th Edition
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 4

Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 7

F
M
W
Th
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W

Mar 27
Mar 30
Apr 1
Apr 2
Apr 3
Apr 6
Apr 8
Apr 10
Apr 13
Apr 15
Apr 17
Apr 20
Apr 22
Apr 24
Apr 27
Apr 29
May 1
May 4
May 6

Real Gases: Equations of State

Single Component: Two Phase System
Problem solving session
Quiz 2: Cumulative: Chapters 1-6
No Classes: Easter Holiday
No Classes: Easter Holiday
Two Phase (two component) Gas-Liquid Systems
No Classes: Easter Holiday
No Classes: Easter Holiday
Two Phase (two component) Gas-Liquid Systems
Energy Balances: an introduction
Energy Balances: calculation of Enthalpy
Energy Balances: Non-reacting systems
Energy Balances: Non-reacting systems
Energy Balances: Non-reacting systems
Energy Balances: reacting systems
No Classes: Labour Day
Energy Balances: reacting systems
Energy Balances: reacting systems
Final Exam (Cumulative)

Chapter 7
Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Chapter 10

Course outcomes
1. Convert a quantity expressed in one set of units into its equivalent in any other dimensionally
consistent units using conversion factor tables.
2. Identify and understand the unit operations involved in a process, draw flowcharts, and develop
relationships between process variables.
3. Perform simple degree-of-freedom analysis to identify the number of unknowns relating to mass,
mass flow rate, composition and develop the linearly independent mass balances needed to
determine unknown quantities.
4. Write mass balance equations and perform the calculations (the processes include single-unit,
multi-unit, may contain recycle, bypass and purge).
5. Apply the First Law of Thermodynamics to perform energy balances on steady-state non-reactive
and reactive processes.
6. Determine enthalpy and internal energy changes associated with changes in temperature, pressure,
mixing, phase change, and chemical reaction from appropriate heat capacities, heats of solution,
latent heats, and heats of formation or combustion.
7. Solve materials and energy balances simultaneously on chemical process systems.