Petroleum or Catalysts?

Hi I'm doing my Chemical Engg from India.I'm not much interested in research activities & would want to work in an industry right after I finish my Bachelors.So which subject would be more pertinent?The problem here is that petroleum needs a lot of effort while catalysis is easier & more numerical based which makes learning it easier & fun.But I want to know which 1 would help me in the long run?Their syllabi are given below.Which 1 should I take?

Catalysis & Catalytic Reactor Design

Module I:

Introduction to homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis; Rate equation; Factors affecting heterogeneous catalytic reaction; Types of catalytic Reactor and their performance equations; Related Problems.

Module II: 10L

Catalyst Preparation; Concept of Promoter & Inhibitor; Catalysis mechanism; Langmuir-Hiselwood model.

Module III: 10L

Determination of Catalyst surface area and particle size; Pore volume Distribution; Design of Fixed Bed and Fluidized Bed Reactors; Two Dimensional Model.

Module IV: 10L

Catalyst deactivation mechanism; Related Problems; Cocept of Nanotechnology in Catalyst.

Text Books/ References:

1. Chemical Reaction Engineering - Levenspiel. O.: Wiley Eastern Ltd. 3^rd Edn.

2. Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering, Fogler, PHI

3. Chemical Engineering Kinetics - Smith J.M. MGH 2^nd Edn.

Petrochemical Technology

Module I: 10 L

Petrochemical Industries & their feed stocks: Survey of Petrochemical industry.Resources and generation of different feedstocks - their purification, separation of individual components by adsorption, low temperature fractionation and crystallization.

Production and Utilization of Synthesis gas: Generation of synthesis gas by steam reforming of naptha & Natural gas, fuel oil partial oxidation. Chemicals from synthesis gas eg. methanol, Oxosynthesis etc. Fischer - Tropsch process.

Module II: 10 L

Petrochemicals based on methane, ethylene, acetylene, propylene and butane: Acetylene & methanol from methane ,VCM, VAM, ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol, ethanol amines from ethylene.VCM, VAM, acrylonitile etc. from acetylene. Isopropanol, propylene oxide, glycerine, acrylonitile, acrylic acid, acrolien etc. from propylene. Production of Butadiene by dehydrogenation of Butane.

Module III: 10 L

Separation and Utilization of Aromatics: Catalytic Reforming operation - Separation of BTX from reformate. Isolation of Benzene, Toluene, Xylene. Aromatics derived from thermal cracking of naptha, pyrolysis gasoline hydrogenation process. Alkylation of Benzene. Production of styrene, cumene and phenol, Isomerization of O and m xylene into p-xylene. Production of pthalic Anhydride etc.

Synthetic Detergents: Classification of detergents, Production of Keryl Benzene sulphonate etc., filter, binders, dyes, perfumes etc. for detergents. Hard and soft detergents.

Module IV: 10 L

Synthetic fibres, rubbers, plastics, resins : Method, mechanism & types of polymerization, production of HDPE, LDPE, PP, PVC, Polystyrene, Polybutadiene etc. Manufacture of Polyesters, nylons, aerylic fibres etc. Production of phenol formaldehyde resin, Epoxy resin Production principle of ABS plastic, polycarbonates etc. Manufacturing techniques of Butyl rubber, SBR, Isoprene rubber etc.

Text Books / References:

1. A Text on Petrochemicals: B.K.B. Rao, Khanna Publishers

2. Petrochemical processes :Chauvel ,Gulf Publishing

3. The Petroleum chemicals Industry: R. F. Goldstein and A. L. Waddams.

4. Advanced Petrochemicals: Dr. G. N. Sarkar, Khanna Publishers