Single important chem enginering of all time

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  Ashraf HZ

  I've read the developments of alchemy by Islamic scholars in the Arab world, can't remember anything specific. They have also continued development on the gunpowder after the Chinese. Will find out about it later.
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  gohm

  Ash, do you agree or do you feel there is something else more worthy of the greatest chem engineering event of all time?
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  Kaustubh Katdare

  Would you consider discovery of nuclear fission/fusion a chemical engineering event?
  
  Nuclear fission & fusion changed the world forever.
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  mahul

  Yeah fission and fusion did change the picture of the world, but my vote would go to gunpowder because it changed the everyday life of the human race more intimately than fission and fusion have done till date.
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  Ashraf HZ

  Actually, the profession of Chemical Engineering is only around 100 years old, according to:
  History of ChEn: Struggle for Survival
  
  If thats the case, should we narrow down the timeline? I personally don't know a single important Chem Eng event, as I wasn't too fond of the subject since school 😉 From the top of my head, I think the process of petroleum has a big impact. I think the most senior Chemical CEan amongst us, mbeychok, can contribute his opinion 😀
  
  Speaking of gunpowder amongst other things, heres an interesting insight:
  #-Link-Snipped-#)
  
  discoverer/inventers of true soap, shampoo, acid, alcohol, explosive gunpowder etc.
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  gohm

  Yes, I can't wait to hear from the chem folks who will have some great ideas on this subject!
  
  Big K, I guess if you define chemical engineering loosely you could include nuclear fusion as well.
  
  Ash, also a good one! How could we leave out our use of refined petroleum.
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  smithsan

  Nanotechnology is a vague, overly broad term. The most commonly accepted definition is something like nanotechnology is any technology making use of the unique properties of matter structured on length scales smaller than 100 nm. By this definition the semiconductor industry has been doing nanotechnology for a long time now.
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  smithsan
  
  
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  inferno3

  The invention of the organic light emitting diode in the mid-eighties was extremely important. It was invented by Prof. Tang, currently at the University of Rochester, for Kodak. It's in nearly everything...VCR/TV/stereo/PC standby indicators. He's currently optimizing the efficiency of the reverse LED (turning light into electrical energy) as an alternative energy source.