Crystal Engineering: From Molecules to Products

Authors

  • Michael F. Doherty University of California

Abstract

Particle production and solids processing are essential components of the contemporary process industries. Crystalline solids represent a large and important segment of this manufacturing sector. Chemical engineers, especially in the United States, have historically abandoned this subject, leaving it to pharmacists, physical chemists, material scientists, geologists, and other disciplines. In fact, crystalline solids have become the lost phase of the chemical engineering curriculum. Both the subject and the community are large; it is easy to assemble over 300 delegates at crystallization conferences, and there are many journals and books devoted to crystals. In my view this is a missed opportunity for chemical engineers, and also a missed opportunity for the field of crystal engineering. Crystal engineering has evolved into a mostly descriptive field (the materials science focus) with only a small component concerned with quantitative aspects. Chemical engineers are uniquely positioned to make major quantitative contributions to crystal engineering like they did for industrial chemistry and fluid-phase processes during the twentieth century. Moreover, crystalline solid products offer an excellent platform for advancing the field of integrated product and process design. Changes to the chemical engineering curriculum are recommended in order to provide graduates with the education necessary to compete for jobs in this manufacturing sector.

Author Biography

Michael F. Doherty, University of California

Michael F. Doherty is a professor of chemical engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received his B.Sc. in chemical engineering from Imperial College, University of London, in 1973, and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Trinity College, University of Cambridge, in 1977. His research interests are in process design together with the associated chemical sciences necessary to support the design activity. He has published extensively on design and synthesis of nonideal separation systems, especially the coupling of separation with simultaneous chemical reaction, and crystallization of organic materials from solution. He is the holder of four patents, has published more than 150 technical papers and one textbook, and has delivered more than 180 invited lectures. He has
served as a consultant for many multinational companies in the area of
process design and separations technology, and has served on the Corporate
Technical Advisory Boards for The Dow Chemical Company and
Rhone-Poulenc.

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Published

2006-04-01

Issue

Vol. 40 No. 2 (2006): Spring 2006

Section

Manuscripts