Native Access to Engineering - Worksheet 5 page 2 Engineers and chemistry Chemistry is one of the subjects which engineers study in a pure, theoretical form and then apply to solve problems in the real world.
Steel is a very strong and versatile metal.
It is used in hundreds of ways, to reinforce bridges and roads, to build automotive bodies, to support huge buildings and to make cutlery, just to name a few. Steel is made by mixing iron compounds with carbon and limestone under temperatures of more than 500 o C. Depending on what the steel will be used for, other metallic compounds may be added to the molten mixture in order to get specific properties in the final product like strength, chemical-resistance or hardness. For example, the addition of chromium in carefully measured amounts creates stainless steel, something you probably have in your home. Stainless steel is used to make cutlery, sinks and surgical tools because of its high resistance to rust. Chemical engineers study and develop chemically-based industrial processes by understanding how and why the elements interact.