The work of the chemical process engineer is robust, exciting and intriguing as s/he has not only to find a finite answer but to select the best answer for the situation from a variety of options. S/he has to design a plant or a part of it and may have to design a unit operation or a unit process or a system. The critical aspect is that it must work and operate reliably and smoothly. The unit is to be designed for a commercial purpose and, hence, it has to be economical and cost-effective. A sound process engineer has to have plant experience and, also, a good understanding of process economics and knowledge of current costs and trends.

The chemical process industry covers a vast spectrum of industrial products handled in quantities and sizes that also vary. This situation requires the process engineer to have the flexibility of mind and vision to adapt itself to any scale. The selection and design of the equipment should, therefore, be capable of handling the capacities and instruments to measure the parameters for large chemical plants to micro-units to manufacture enzymes.

Till 1973, fuel and energy costs were a small component of the manufacturing costs of a chemical product. Since then, the rising fuel prices have made it mandatory that the plant design and its operation be energy efficient. The approach to process design has undergone a paradigm change.

The industry is required to deliver cheaper and better quality products. Besides these two requirements, there is an added requirement that the process adopted for the manufacturer should be environmentally compatible. Since every production process and its associated technology has a life cycle, entrepreneurs must take advantage of technological advancements.

The process sheeting or the development of a process scheme remains a brain-teasing function. As this task is not standardized, the process engineer has to be innovative and creative. The preparation of a Process Flow Diagram is still a significant challenge for a process engineer. However, this course describes a systematic method for the process design with many illustrations and solved problems with sufficient details. The author’s approach is user-friendly and result oriented. An in-depth study of this example will boost the confidence of the student in solving real-life design and operating problems.

A large number of references cited at the end indicate the extensive literature review made by the author. An exclusive section is devoted to the development of the Process Flow Diagram (PFD) and Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID). Sufficient emphasis is placed on ‘green’ engineering.

Although written primarily to meet the needs of candidates preparing for the UK Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Design Project Examination, the work, being concerned with the practical application of basic principles, will be of value to all chemical and process engineers including students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.