100 Years of Chemical Engineering at Mines Chemical engineers are responsible for many things we take for granted today, such as nylon, Kevlar and Teflon; the mass production of antibiotics such as penicillin; and the cracking of hydrocarbon molecules that give us gasoline and jet fuel. In a sense, chemical engineering began during the Bronze Age, when people made bronze by melting copper with tin. The defining moment in the history of chemical engineering is generally recognized as the Industrial Revolution. South Dakota Mines was founded in 1885, during the Second Industrial Revolution (1870-1914). Mines experienced notable growth between 1915 and 1922: enrollment increased from 30 to 180 students. The Department of