LibGuides: Chemical Engineering Library Guide: Databases

Accessing Databases

To access the electronic databases, go to the UCT Libraries web site (http://www.lib.uct.ac.za) and hover your mouse over Search & Find in the top menu bar. In the dropdown menu, click on Databases to open the alphabetical list of databases, where you can navigate to the database you need.

Databases for chemical engineers

Databases are vast searchable collections of records describing journal articles and other documents such as conference papers, reports, and book chapters. They are produced commercially or by learned societies, and most of them are international in scope, thus enabling you to explore the world's literature in a particular field. When you search a large international database, the articles you discover may, or may not, be available in UCT Libraries. Most databases provide abstracts (or summaries) of the articles' content, and some provide the full text of the articles themselves. When full text is not part of the database, our link resolver software, SFX, will help you track down the full article if it is available in any of our e-journal packages.

Two of the most important databases for chemical engineers are SciFinder and Ei Compendex. For more information about these resources, click on the SciFinder and Ei Compendex tabs of this guide.

The following databases are recommended for chemical engineering searches:

Ei Compendex (Engineering Index) This link opens in a new window
This vast comprehensive engineering database covers journal articles, technical reports, conference proceedings and papers published worldwide. Subjects include: mechanical, civil, environmental, electrical, and structural engineering, materials science, solid state and superconductivity, bioengineering, energy engineering, chemical and process engineering, optics, air & water pollution, solid waste management, hazardous waste management, road transportation and transportation safety.
Materials Research Database This link opens in a new window
This resource consist of several databases: Aluminium Industry Abstracts, Ceramic Abstracts/World Ceramics Abstracts, Copper Data Center Database, Corrosion Abstracts, Engineered Materials Abstracts, Materials Business File, METADEX, and WELDASEARCH
ASTM Standards & Engineering Digital Library This link opens in a new window
The ASTM Standards and Engineering Digital Library is a vast collection of industry-leading standards and technical engineering information. The Library covers a broad range of engineering disciplines, including aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, environmental, geological, health and safety, industrial, materials science, mechanical, nuclear, petroleum, soil science, and solar engineering.
ECS Digital Library (Electrochemical Society) This link opens in a new window
The Digital Library provides searchable full-text access to the various journals, books, and other collections published by The Electrochemical Society.
METADEX This link opens in a new window
METADEX is a comprehensive source for information on metals and alloys: their properties, manufacturing, applications, and development from 1966 to the present. Topics covered include: steel, microstructure, strength, refining, casting, coatings, heat treatment, metal matrix composites, nonferrous metals, corrosion, extracting and smelting, blast furnaces, machining, welding, testing and analysis, and environmental and safety issues.

Web of Science
Web of Science provides multidisciplinary coverage of over 10,000 of the highest impact journals worldwide. It includes current and retrospective coverage in science and engineering, as well as the social sciences, arts, and humanities. UCT Libraries has access to this database from 1962 to the present.
Scopus
Scopus is a vast abstract and citation database of research literature and quality web sources, covering all major science, technology, and medicine publications (over 19,500 peer-reviewed titles from more than 5,000 publishers) as well as 500 million quality web pages.
ScienceDirect
This e-journal package covers physical science and engineering as well as life sciences, health sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Computers & Applied Sciences Complete This link opens in a new window
A good place to start a literature search for technical or engineering information, CASC covers the research and development spectrum of the computing and the applied sciences, including chemical engineering. It provides indexing and abstracts for more than 1,900 academic journals, professional publications, and other reference sources from a diverse collection. Full text is also available for more than 840 periodicals.
MINTEK This link opens in a new window
This useful resource indexes and abstracts original research carried out at Mintek and recorded in the form of journal articles, reports, patents, conference papers, and special publications. Subjects covered include: economic geology, mineralogy, minerals engineering, extraction technology, hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, biotechnology, process chemistry, environmental management, and physical metallurgy.
IMMAGE This link opens in a new window
From the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, this database covers technical research, development, and operating practices for metalliferous and industrial minerals in the fields of economic geology, mining technology, mineral processing, extractive metallurgy, and non-metals extraction from 1979 to the present.
Environmental Engineering Abstracts This link opens in a new window
This database covers technological and engineering aspects of air and water quality, environmental safety, and energy production.
International Tables for Crystallography This link opens in a new window
This database provides articles and tables of data relevant to crystallographic research and to applications of crystallographic methods in all sciences concerned with the structure and properties of materials. Subjects covered include: symmetry, diffraction methods and techniques of crystal structure determination, and the physical and chemical properties of crystals.
Academic OneFile This link opens in a new window
Provides extensive coverage of the physical sciences, technology, medicine, social sciences, the arts, theology, literature and other subjects.
Academic Search Premier This link opens in a new window
This multi-disciplinary database provides full text for more than 8,500 journals, including full text for more than 4,600 peer-reviewed titles. Provides journal coverage for most academic areas of study, including biological sciences, economics, communications, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts and literature, medical sciences and women's studies.
Environment Abstracts This link opens in a new window
This is a broad and comprehensive environmental research resource which provides indexing and abstracts of journal articles from both scholarly journals and popular general interest magazines, monographs, conference papers, research reports, and annual reports containing vital information on all aspects of the impact of humans and their technology on the environment.