After the candidate completes his graduation in chemical engineering, he can appear for GATE in the chemistry paper (CH) that is one of the 27 disciplines prescribed by GATE. GATE is an examination that primarily tests the comprehensive understanding of candidates in various undergraduate subjects of engineering and science for admission into the Master’s Program of institutes as well as jobs at Public Sector Companies. The syllabus of GATE for chemical engineering mainly includes the following:
Fluid statics, surface tension, Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, transport properties, shell-balances including differential form of Bernoulli equation and energy balance, equation of continuity, equation of motion, equation of mechanical energy, Macroscopic friction factors, dimensional analysis and similitude, flow through pipeline systems, velocity profiles, flow meters, pumps and compressors, elementary boundary layer theory, flow past immersed bodies including packed and fluidized beds, Turbulent flow: fluctuating velocity, universal velocity profile and pressure drop. Particle size and shape, particle size distribution, size reduction and classification of solid particles; free and hindered settling; centrifuge and cyclones; thickening and classification, filtration, agitation and mixing; conveying of solids.
Equation of energy, steady and unsteady heat conduction, convection and radiation, thermal boundary layer and heat transfer coefficients, boiling, condensation and evaporation; types of heat exchangers and evaporators and their process calculations; design of double pipe, shell and tube heat exchangers, and single and multiple effect evaporators.
Fick’s laws, molecular diffusion in fluids, mass transfer coefficients, film, penetration and surface renewal theories; momentum, heat and mass transfer analogies; stage-wise and continuous contacting and stage efficiencies; HTU & NTU concepts; design and operation of equipment for distillation, absorption, leaching, liquid-liquid extraction, drying, humidification, dehumidification and adsorption, membrane separations(microfiltration, ultra-filtration, nano-filtration and reverse osmosis).
Theories of reaction rates; kinetics of homogeneous reactions, interpretation of kinetic data, single and multiple reactions in ideal reactors, kinetics of enzyme reactions (Michaelis-Menten and Monod models), non-ideal reactors; residence time distribution, single parameter model; non-isothermal reactors; kinetics of heterogeneous catalytic reactions; diffusion effects in catalysis; rate and performance equations for catalyst deactivation.
Measurement of process variables; sensors and transducers; P&ID equipment symbols; process modeling and linearization, transfer functions and dynamic responses of various systems, systems with inverse response, process reaction curve, controller modes (P, PI, and PID); control valves; transducer dynamics; analysis of closed loop systems including stability, frequency response, controller tuning, cascade and feed forward control.
Principles of process economics and cost estimation including depreciation and total annualized cost, cost indices, rate of return, payback period, discounted cash flow, optimization in process design, and sizing of chemical engineering equipments such as heat exchangers and multistage contactors.
Inorganic chemical industries (sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, chlor-alkali industry), fertilizers (Ammonia, Urea, SSP and TSP); natural products industries (Pulp and Paper, Sugar, Oil, and Fats); petroleum refining and petrochemicals; polymerization industries (polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC and polyester synthetic fibers).s
Linear Algebra: Matrix algebra, Systems of linear equations, Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors. Calculus: Functions of single variable, Limit, continuity and differentiability, Taylor series, Mean value theorem, Evaluation of definite and improper integrals, Partial derivatives, Total derivative, Maxima and minima, Gradient, Divergence and Curl, Vector identities, Directional derivatives, Line, Surface and Volume integrals, Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems. Differential equations: First order equations (linear and nonlinear), Higher order linear differential equations with constant coefficients, Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations, Initial and boundary value problems, Laplace transforms, Solutions of one-dimensional heat and wave equations and Laplace equation. Complex variables: Complex number, polar form of complex numbers, triangle Inequality. Probability and Statistics: Definitions of probability and sampling theorems, Conditional probability, Mean, median, mode and standard deviation, Random variables, Poisson, Normal and Binomial distributions, Linear regression analysis. Numerical Methods: Numerical solutions of linear and non-linear algebraic equations. Integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rule. Single and multi-step methods for numerical solution of differential equations. Mentioned above is the outlined syllabus for GATE. There are minor changes being introduced frequently in the syllabus as well as the nature and weightage of questions.
After qualifying GATE, the candidate can go for further studies like post-graduation and Ph. D. from top tier institutes including IITs and NITs and receive stipend and fellowships based on the performance in the respective course or can apply for job in a PSU. Many PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings) prefer candidates from chemical engineering background among some other selected branches owing to the nature of services they provide and the nature of products they manufacture or deal with.
Some such PSUs that prefer candidates from chemical engineering as their major field of study include:
Some PSUs recruit candidates directly on the basis of their GATE scores with some specific required cutoff or percentile while some shortlist the candidates on the basis of their GATE scores for further stages of assessment that may include group discussion, descriptive examination or personal interview or all of these varying from company to company. Every PSU releases its own notification for the job.