Chemists then conduct and develop new or improved products and processes, and test and evaluate the quality of materials. They also develop methods to measure and monitor changes in the chemical composition of the environment. Chemists often work with small apparatus and small quantities of matter, as opposed to chemical engineers, who transform the discoveries of chemists into profitable large scale processes. Chemists may work in research, soil analysis, criminology, pollution control, environmental protection, defence, teaching development of new materials for the pharmaceutical, electronic, food and agriculture industries eg plastics, detergents, artificial fibres, new drugs, paints, dyes, cosmetics, fertilisers and even microchips such areas as quality control, field production, oil refining, gas processing and pipeline transportation in the oil and gas industry. Chemistry is a wide field.
Chemists therefore specialise in one of the following areas.
Inorganic chemists - study all mineral compounds and elements. They are concerned primarily with substances other than plants and animals. Physical chemists - study the physical characteristics of matter Chemists may work individually or in teams. They normally keep regular hours in offices, laboratories and classrooms. Those employed in industrial plants or hospital laboratories may be required to do shift work.