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FIG. 031EEngineering

CHEMCAD

by Datacor

Chemical process simulator originally developed by Houston-based Chemstations, now sold under the Datacor name. It is used for steady-state and dynamic flowsheet modelling, distillation and relief system design in chemical and process plants.

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Specification

Vendor
Datacor
Categories
Process Simulation
Phase
EEngineering
Status
Active
Deployment
Desktop
Licensing
Commercial licence
Standards
None documented
Official site
datacor.com

Capabilities

  1. aSequential and simultaneous modular flowsheet solving
  2. bDistillation with mass-transfer calculations
  3. cRelief system design and rating (DIERS)
  4. dFirst-pass equipment costing
  5. eCustom unit operations via Excel, C or user subroutines

Assessment

A practical, affordable chemical process simulator that covers the essentials well. A sensible choice for small and mid-sized teams.

  1. Capability25%7/10

    Sequential and simultaneous flowsheeting, mass-transfer distillation, DIERS relief design and first-pass costing.

  2. Interoperability20%6/10

    Excel and user-subroutine extensibility; limited enterprise-system integration.

  3. Scale15%6/10

    Best for unit- and plant-level chemical work rather than very large integrated models.

  4. Usability15%8/10

    Approachable and cost-effective for smaller teams.

  5. Deployment10%6/10

    Desktop software, with hosted access options mentioned by the vendor.

  6. Ecosystem15%7/10

    Long-standing user base in chemical engineering, now under Datacor.

Strengths

  • Approachable interface
  • DIERS relief design
  • Good value

Considerations

  • Less depth than the premium suites
  • Smaller ecosystem
  • Limited large-model performance

Editorial assessment from public documentation, 23 October 2026. Not a hands-on benchmark. Methodology

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Compare head to head

Sources

  1. CHEMCAD Process Simulation SoftwareDatacor · accessed 22 October 2026
  2. Datacor Announces Acquisition of ChemstationsDatacor · 4 August 2021 · accessed 22 October 2026

Plate updated 23 October 2026 · revision 2