Chemical engineers turn laboratory chemistry into processes that run safely and economically at scale. Their research appears in a different set of journals from pure chemistry. This guide covers three that come up constantly in searches: Chemical Engineering Journal, Chemical Engineering Science and the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, plus how they compare with the ACS’s I&EC Research.
Chemical Engineering Journal
Published by Elsevier, Chemical Engineering Journal (abbreviated Chem. Eng. J.) covers a wide range of applied topics: catalysis and reaction engineering, separations, materials for energy and the environment, process intensification and water treatment. It publishes a large volume of papers and is especially strong on applied materials and environmental technologies.
Chemical Engineering Science
Chemical Engineering Science (Chem. Eng. Sci.), also published by Elsevier, is one of the longest-established journals in the field. It is known for fundamental chemical engineering: transport phenomena, fluid mechanics, reaction kinetics, multiphase flow, mathematical modelling and process systems. Papers tend to be more theoretical and quantitative.
Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering
The Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering (J. Environ. Chem. Eng.), from Elsevier, focuses on engineering solutions to environmental problems: wastewater and air treatment, adsorption, membranes, advanced oxidation, waste valorisation and resource recovery. It is sometimes searched as “Journal of Environmental and Chemical Engineering”, but the correct title has no “and”.
How they compare
| Journal | Abbreviation | Publisher | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Engineering Journal | Chem. Eng. J. | Elsevier | Applied engineering, materials, environment |
| Chemical Engineering Science | Chem. Eng. Sci. | Elsevier | Fundamentals, modelling, transport |
| Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering | J. Environ. Chem. Eng. | Elsevier | Water, air and waste treatment |
| Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research | Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. | American Chemical Society | Chemistry–engineering interface, process development |
For more on I&EC Research and the ACS’s Accounts of Chemical Research, see our chemistry journals guide.
Tips for reading and choosing journals
- Match the journal to your question. Modelling a reactor? Start with Chem. Eng. Sci. Testing an adsorbent for wastewater? J. Environ. Chem. Eng.
- Check scale and conditions. Lab results under ideal conditions may not survive scale-up; look for pilot data and techno-economic analysis.
- Look for reproducible detail: materials sources, grades and characterisation. See reagent grades.
- Use databases such as Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar to follow citations in both directions.
Frequently asked questions
Who publishes Chemical Engineering Journal?
Elsevier.
Is “Journal of Environmental and Chemical Engineering” the right title?
The correct title is Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering.
What is the difference between Chem. Eng. J. and Chem. Eng. Sci.?
Chem. Eng. J. leans towards applied engineering and materials; Chem. Eng. Sci. leans towards fundamentals and modelling.
