GATE 2023 Syllabus for Chemical Engineering

Updated on Jun 4, 2022 - 1:52 p.m. IST by Team Careers360 #GATE

GATE 2023 Syllabus for Chemical Engineering - Candidates can check the GATE syllabus for CE on
this page. The GATE syllabus for CE 2023 mentions the topics which must be covered for the GATE
exam. Candidates who are preparing for the exam are advised to follow only the official GATE 2023
syllabus to ensure that they do not miss out on any important topic.

The GATE question papers in the exam will be formulated strictly in accordance with the GATE 2023
Chemical Engineering syllabus. Preparing for the exam as per GATE Chemical Engineering syllabus is
highly advisable to score good marks in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. The GATE 2023
Chemical Engineering paper will have questions from General Aptitude, Engineering Mathematics
and the subject of Chemical Engineering. Candidates are also provided with the GATE exam pattern
along with the syllabus of GATE syllabus for Chemical Engineering.

Topics in GATE 2023 Syllabus for Chemical Engineering

Candidates can check the topics in GATE CE syllabus below.

GATE 2023 Syllabus for CE - Topics from Chemical Engineering

Section 1 - Process Calculations and Thermodynamics :

Steady and unsteady state mass and energy balances including multiphase, multicomponent,
reacting, and non-reacting systems. Use of tie components; recycle, bypass and purge calculations;
Gibb’s phase rule and degree of freedom analysis.

First and Second laws of thermodynamics. Applications of first law to close and open systems.
Second law and Entropy. Thermodynamic properties of pure substances: Equation of State and
residual properties, properties of mixtures: partial molar properties, fugacity, excess properties and
activity coefficients; phase equilibria: predicting VLE of systems; chemical reaction equilibrium.

Section 2 - Fluid Mechanics and Mechanical Operations

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.

Section 3 - Heat Transfer

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.

Section 4 - Mass Transfer

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).

Section 5 - Chemical Reaction Engineering

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.

Section 5 - Instrumentation and Process Control

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.

Section 8 - Plant Design and Economics

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.

Section 9 - Chemical Technology

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).

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GATE 2023 Syllabus for Chemical Engineering - Topics from Engineering

Mathematics

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.

To download the complete file of GATE Chemical Engineering syllabus - Click Here

GATE 2023 Exam Pattern for Chemical Engineering

Candidates can find below the exam pattern of GATE Chemical Engineering. Candidates are advised
to prepare for the exam as per the exact exam pattern and syllabus to score good marks in the GATE
2023.

Pattern of Questions

The GATE 2023 Chemical engineering paper will contain two types of questions

● Multiple Choice Questions carrying 1 and 2 marks, each having choice of four answers

● Numerical Ability Type (NAT) questions for which the answers have to be entered by using the
virtual keyboard in the monitor.

Marking Scheme

Students can find below the marking scheme

● The General Aptitude part will carry a total of 15 marks. There will be a total of 5 questions
carrying 1 mark each and 5 questions carrying 2 marks each.

● The Chemical Engineering part will contain 25 questions carrying 1 mark each and 30 questions
carrying 2 marks each.

Reference Books for GATE 2023 Syllabus for Chemical Engineering

S.No Reference Books Authors

Basic Principles and Calculations in David M.

1
Chemical Engineering Himmelblau
 A Textbook of
Chemical
Engineering
Thermodynamics
- K. V. Narayanan.

2 Thermodynamics An Introduction
to Chemical
Engineering
Thermodynamics-
J. M. Smith, H. C.
Van Ness, M. M.
Abbott

Introduction To
Fluid Mechanics
by Yunus A.
Cengel, John M.
3 Fluid Mechanics Cimbala
Introduction to
Fluid Mechanics-
Fox and
Mcdonald

4 Chemical Engineering for GATE Ram Prasad

5 Engineering Mathematics B.S. Grewal

R. Byron Bird,
Warren E.
6 Transport Phenomena
Stewart, Edwin N.
Lightfoot

Dryden’s Outlines
of Chemical
7 Chemical Technology Technology by
Gopala Rao M.
and Marshall S
 Mass Transport
Phenomena-
Christie J.
8 Mass Transfer Geankoplis
Mass Transfer
Operations-
Robert E. Treybal

Heat Transfer-
Binay K. Dutta
9 Heat Transfer Heat Transfer -
Jack Philip
Holman

Unit Operations
of Chemical
Engineering -
Warren McCabe,
Julian Smith,
Peter Harriott
10 Mechanical Operation Mechanical
Operation For
Chemical
Engineering by
Narayanan C. M.
& Bhattacharyya
B. C

Chemical
Reaction
Engineering-
Fogler & Gurmen
11 Chemical Reaction Engineering Chemical
Reaction
Engineering-
Octave
Levenspiel
 Process Systems
Analysis and
12 Process Dynamics and Control Control - Donald
R. Coughanowr &
Steven E. LeBlanc

An Introduction
To Theory And
Practice-
Stephanopoulos.
Process dynamics
and control -
13 Chemical Process Control Seborg, D.E.,
Edgar, T.F. and
Mellichamp, D.A
Plant design and
Economics-
Peters M. S. and
Timmerhaus K. D

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GATE Cutoff for Chemical Engineering

Students can find below the previous year cutoff of GATE Chemical Engineering paper which will help
candidates to prepare accordingly.
 SC/
OBC
Year General ST/
(NCL)
PwD

2022 25.3 22.7 16.8

2021 35.1

2020 35.7 32.1 23.8

2019 34.8 31.3 23.2

2018 37.8 34 25.1

2017 44.30 39.80 29.50

2016 29.7 31.1 22