Chemical reaction engineering (also known as reaction engineering or reactor engineering) is a branch of chemical engineering that deals with chemical reactors. Chemical reaction engineering is the study and optimization of chemical processes with the goal of determining the optimal reactor design. Thus, in order to connect reactor performance to feed composition and operating circumstances, the interactions of flow phenomena, mass transfer, heat transfer, and reaction kinetics are critical.
Chemical engineering and technology meet fundamental molecular chemistry at the interface of reaction engineering. New technologies can help chemists overcome problems, while reaction chemistry advances can help engineers design better process development solutions.