Unit operation

A fundamental physical step in a process that changes a material’s state, composition, or condition without defining its chemical reactions. Examples include mixing, distillation, and filtration.

Mass balance: An accounting of material entering, leaving, and accumulating within a process. Balances quantify the material flows through each operation.
Fluid mechanics: The study of how liquids and gases move and exert forces. Fluid flow governs pumping, mixing, and movement through process equipment.
Distillation: A separation process that uses vaporization and condensation to exploit differences in volatility. It separates liquid mixtures through repeated vapor–liquid contact.
Arthur D. Little: An American chemical engineer and industrial chemist who led the development of process engineering concepts. His work helped establish unit operations as a way to organize industrial processes.
Unit process: A fundamental chemical transformation, such as oxidation or nitration, used in manufacturing. Unlike a unit operation, it is defined by the reaction taking place.
Energy balance: An accounting of energy entering, leaving, and accumulating within a system. Heat and work requirements often determine how an operation runs.
Heat transfer: The movement of thermal energy between regions or materials. Heating and cooling operations depend on rates of thermal exchange.
Filtration: A process that separates suspended solids from a fluid by passing it through a porous medium. It isolates particles through a physical barrier rather than reaction.
George E. Davis: A British chemical engineer whose lectures helped shape the discipline of chemical engineering. His early teaching addressed recurring physical operations across industries.
Chemical reaction: A process in which substances are converted into different substances through rearrangement of atoms. Unit operations distinguish physical changes from these chemical transformations.

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