Data Processing and Visualization with Matlab: Introducing an IT Component to Training Chemical Engineers

This paper focuses on developing a practicum for using the Matlab software package and the Matlab programming language for modelling and visualization of chemical engineering processes. The purpose of such a practicum is to develop programming scripts for a real chemical process such as, for example, a plug flow reaction with a combination of convection, diffusion, and reaction processes and visualize modelling results in 3D or 2D images or animations. Although coupling IT and chemistry is not a self-evident trend in the chemical engineering education, students feel high motivation to gain an intensive IT experience as part of their chemical engineering training. The practicum is intended to be a part of a Master's degree program in Smart Materials developed for chemical engineers and material scientists. This Matlab practicum for chemical engineering students was developed both on offline and online versions. The online version became a part of the course launched on a global platform with over 10 million audience. Master's students were also introduced the Matlab practicum offline. During this practicum, they developed a model of a real convection-diffusion-reaction process, and visualized data they obtained via mathematical simulations. Students demonstrate considerable interest in developing numerical models of chemical reactions as programming language scripts, although such an approach is not commonly taught within the framework of chemical engineering or materials science programs.