The Department of Chemical Engineering is involved in several research lines: the optimisation of chemical processes, safety in chemical plants and the modelling of accidents, reactors, fluid-particle systems, water technology, food technology, the treatment of industrial and radioactive waste, the analysis of pollutants, the environment, molecular engineering, surfactants, and the synthesis and structure of polymers.

It also runs several research and specialised facilities: a hydrocarbon fire test site (Can Padró), a radioactive test laboratory, a cell culture laboratory for research into eukaryotic cells, an X-ray diffraction laboratory, a laboratory for the synthesis and polymerisation of monomers, and a laboratory for the research of polymer degradation. It has an electronic transmission microscope, an optical imaging microscope with a thermal plate, several computer programs for calculating the effects of accidents and computerised reactors for polycondensation.

The Environment Centre Laboratory, which is also part of the Department, has signed European agreements within the framework of the following programmes: CECA, TRANSPORT, IST, TMR, INCO, BRITE, INTAS, GROWTH, EESD, EURATOM and IMPRO-VING. It also runs the Centre for Technological Risk Studies.