Unit Operations Laboratories

Send feedback to Dr. Janie Brennan (Washington University in St. Louis), Dr. Christopher Barr (University of Michigan), or Dr. Tracy Carter (Northeastern University)

Syllabi, schedules, course notes

• Syllabus (Northeastern University)
• Syllabus (Washington University in St. Louis)
• Syllabi (University of Kentucky): ChE laboratory 1 and ChE laboratory 2
• Experimental handouts (University of Kentucky, University of Michigan, and Washington University in St. Louis): Detailed descriptions of more than 15 Unit Operations laboratory experiments

Textbooks

Virtual Laboratories

• Virtual Bioreactor (Tufts University): Simulation of a bioreactor in a yeast byproducts production facility
• Virtual labs (An MoE Govt of India Initiative): Simulated labs for fluid flow and reactors
• Reactor Lab (University of California San Diego): Interactive simulations of chemical reactors for active learning
• Virtual catalytic reactor laboratory (University of Colorado Boulder): Simulation to determine kinetic parameters for a catalytic reactor
• Control of a Single-Stage Distillation Column Virtual Laboratory (University of Colorado Boulder): Simulation to apply process control to a distillation column
• Vapor-liquid equilibrium virtual laboratory (University of Colorado Boulder): simulated laboratory to determine parameters to fit vapor-liquid equilibrium data
• Online Virtual Lab for an Anaerobic Digestion Process (Univerdidad de Almeria): Simulation of waste biomass disposal and renewable energy production
• Labsence (University of Massachusetts Lowell/University of Colorado Boulder) 3-D simulated chemical engineering laboratories
• PetroSkills Virtual Unit Operations: Realistic simulations of heat exchangers, centrifugal pumps, pH control, and distillation with lab booklets and e-learning content. Contact Michael Lampasona for licensing information.

Chemical Engineering Educational Equipment

• Pignat: Large range of laboratory equipment for chemical and biological engineering
• Armfield Engineering Teaching Equipment: Laboratory scale chemical engineering equipment
• TecQuipment: Fluid mechanics, control, materials, thermodynamics
• PA Hilton Engineering Teaching Equipment: Equipment for engineering education
• Turbine Technologies: Lab equipment for steam turbine and pumps
• Gunt: Equipment for engineering education
• Hampden Engineering Corporation: Chemical engineering laboratory equipment
• AGI North America: Reactors, separations

Used Scientific Laboratory Equipment

• Southeastern Lab Apparatus: Used bench scale equipment
• LabX: Used equipment

Common Chemical Engineering Laboratory Supplies

Chemicals, Glassware, and Consumables

• Ace Glass: specialty glass products.
• Bio-Rad: life science supplies
• Carolina Scientific: lab supplies and biological including pre-made 
• Chem Glass: bio and chemistry glassware
• Cole Palmer: bench scale equipment
• Fisher Scientific: chemicals, lab and life science supplies
• Grainger: lab supplies
• McMaster Carr: lab supplies
• MilliporeSigma: specialty chemicals and life sciences supplies
• VWR Scientific: lab supplies
• Zoro: 3D printing filament rolls, metal, plastics

Instrumentation and Data Acquisition Supplies

• Digilent: data acquisition equipment
• National Instruments: LabVIEW and data acquisition equipment
• Omega: temperature measurement equipment

Process Safety

• CACHE Safety page
• AIChE SAChE modules: Process safety interactive learning modules
• Safety handouts (Multiple universities) Checklists, lectures, and handouts on laboratory safety

Communication

• Purdue Online Writing Lab (Purdue University) Resources providing assistance to improving writing
• Engineering Lab Writing Guides: Resources for both instructors and students on how to write engineering reports
• Communications and Report manual: (Washington University in St. Louis) Communications lectures, grading rubics
• Workplace communication practices and perceptions of novice engineers (Texas Tech/University of Michigan): Dissertation of industry-academia alignment of communication skills

Team Dynamics and Assessment

• CATME (Purdue University): Software that assigns students to teams and allows peer evaluation
• ITP Metrics Team Assessment: Tools for team dynamics diagnostics, peer feedback, and behavioral assessments
• Teamwork ((Northeastern University and Washington University in St. Louis)

Useful links

• Virtual Community of Practice (AIChE Education Division): Lab Resources for remote or socially-distanced labs
• ChemSep (Clarkson University): column simulator for distillation, absorption, and extraction operations
• Comics on Data Analysis and Uncertainty (Northeastern University)
• Visual Encyclopedia of Chemical Engineering Equipment (University of Michigan)

Relevant publications

• ABET and Engineering Laboratory Learning Objectives (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)
• The Role of the Laboratory in Undergraduate Engineering Education (State University of New York at Binghamton and University of Denver)
• Chemical Engineering Academia-Industry Alignment (AIChE): Expectations about New Graduates