Metallurgical and chemical industry is the cornerstone of the country's development. Construction, energy, defense capability, agriculture, transport and other branches of industry are developing on its base.

      Chemical and metallurgical production is successfully functioning and developing in our country. Their incomes are one of the main sources of filling the country's budget. The Faculty of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy is the only one in the country that provides personnel for enterprises of the mentioned profile.

    The Faculty of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy was created by merging two faculties - the Faculty of Chemical and Biological Technologies and the Faculty of Metallurgy. Before the unification, the faculty went through a long and interesting path of reorganization and development and became a strong educational center. The faculty counts 100 years of successful existence.

       Georgia has been known since ancient times as one of the advanced countries of the civilized world. Our ancestors made a great contribution to the development of applied chemistry and metallurgy. Kartevian tribes were distinguished by a very high level of development of metallurgy, glass production, pottery, pharmacy, cosmetology and other branches of chemical production.

       Based on the scientific analysis of archaeological materials and ancient written sources, Georgia is considered one of the indigenous countries of the origin and revival of metallurgy. The eastern coast of the Black Sea is the birthplace of the production of iron, steel and some non-ferrous metals, and the Georgian tribes - Khalibs, Mosiniks, Moskhs and Tubals - are the first producers of them in the whole world.

     Metallurgy uses chemical transformations, so applied chemistry originates from the extraction of metals. "Chemistry" in its original meaning was considered to be "the art of smelting metals". "Kima" or "Kyuma" means melting in ancient Greek.

The term "chemistry" is mentioned in ancient Georgian manuscripts as early as the 10^th century. In the work translated from Greek by the great Georgian educator, Ekvtime Atoneli (955-1028), "The Life of Saint Bagrati" includes the translated definition of chemistry, according to which, "chemistry is the art of smelting metals". This definition is one of the first definitions of chemistry not only in Georgian but also in Byzantine writings.

In the 11^th century, the elder-monk Giorgi Mtsire, who also worked on Mtatsminda, was the first to introduce the Georgian form of the term "chemist" corresponding to the term "chemist" into Georgian literature. In his work, "The Life of Giorgi Mtatsmindeli", he, like Ekvtime, considers chemistry to be the art of smelting and, therefore, the profession of chemists is "gold", i.e. considers owning the art of smelting metals.

The Scholar king Vakhtang VI of Kartli, David and Ioane Bagrationi give us the definition of chemistry in their works. The quite frequent mention of chemistry in Georgian manuscripts in itself indicates that this field of knowledge was known in Georgia since ancient times.

As mentioned, the Faculty of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy was created by merging two faculties - Chemical and Biological Technology and Metallurgy Faculty (2005). These two indigenous faculties have been at the forefront of training personnel for the chemical and metallurgical fields for years. They have gone through a long and interesting path of reorganization and development and have become strong educational centers.

The faculties were headed by deans and professors in different periods: V. Kakabadze, K. Kutateladze, K. Ivanov, K. Chagunava, A. Kakhadze, E. Chkhikvadze, A. Sarukhanashvili, T. Gabadadze, N. Kutsiava, academician G. Tsintsadze, Professors A. Gulisashvili, Al. Khvichia, L. Oakley, E. Giorgidze, J. Lomsadze, G. Lomtatidze, M. Mindel, G. Kashakashvili.

            Today, this structural unit of the university successfully continues the tradition established by the predecessor faculties and purposefully implements the educational and scientific process for the ideological, moral, civic and professional formation of youth.

Teaching at the faculty is carried out in: bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs - "Chemical and Biological Engineering"; on bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs - "Chemistry"; on bachelor's and master's programs - "Environmental protection engineering"; on bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs - "Metallurgy"; on bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs - "Materials Scienceon bachelor's and master's programs - "Pharmacy"; on bachelor's program - "Food Science and Technology". For the first time, admission to the bachelor's program - "Bionanoceramic and polymer composites and expertise" is being carried out.           

            The educational process at the faculty is adapted to the European educational environment, responds to the changing demands of society, takes into account the achievements of scientific knowledge, is subject to the inseparability of learning and research.

As a result of the reorganization carried out at the university, six departments were created on the basis of the existing cathedras at the faculty:

The Department of Chemical and Biological Technologies (Senior Prof. N. Kutsiava) was established on the basis of cathedras of silicate technology, inorganic substance technology, processes and devices and general chemical technology, electrochemical production technology, organic substance technology, biotechnology, bionanomedical ceramic and polymer composites technology.

The Department of Chemistry (Senior Prof. M. Tsintsadze) was formed on the basis of the departments of general, inorganic and analytical chemistry, organic chemistry and physical chemistry.

The Department of "Environmental Engineering and Ecology" named after Professor Viktor Eristavi (Senior Prof. D. Eristavi) was established on the basis of the Department of Environmental Protection and Ecology.

Department of Pharmacy (Senior Prof. T. Tsintsadze) was established on the basis of the Department of Pharmacy.

Department of Food Production Engineering (Senior Prof. Roza Khutsishvili).

The Department of Metallurgy, Materials Science and Metal Processing (Senior Assoc. Prof. Z. Sabashvili) was established on the basis of the cathedra of ferrous metal metallurgy, non-ferrous metallurgy, pressure treatment of metals, metallurgy and metal technology, foundry production and new technological processes, welding production.

            111 academic staff work at the faculty, including 38 professors, 50 associate professors, 21 assistant professors and 2 assistants.

            The Faculty of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy is one of the powerful scientific centers of the Technical University. The scientific topics of the academic staff working at the faculty are based on both fundamental scientific research and real problems facing applied science. The achieved results found a practical reflection both in our country and outside our country.

The scientific legacy left to us by the meritorious scientists of the faculty is priceless.

            The great work done by prof. R. Nikoladze for 44 years in the capacity of head of the department. He is the author of many scientific and methodological works. He was given great merit in the promotion of chemical knowledge, education of chemical cadres and creation of Georgian technical terminology.

Academician N. Landia, a well-known scientist in the field of chemical thermodynamics, who developed a new method for calculating heat capacity (later known as Landia's method), which gained international recognition, is of general importance.

A number of new methods for determining rare and confused elements developed by the Academy member-correspondent D. Eristavi are of significant theoretical value. His work on determining the composition of the country's mineral waters is also invaluable.

The scientific legacy of prof. V. Kakabadze left the meritorious to the technical intelectuals. His contribution to the creation and development of many products of nitrogen and heavy industry in Rustavi, a city of metallurgists and chemists, is great. This high-ranking scientist served with all his consciousness to the faculty of chemical technology created and strengthened by him.

With the technology developed by Academician Rafiel Agladze and under his leadership, the first electrolytic metallic manganese production in Europe was established in Zestaponi. During the war years, this type of production had a special strategic importance in raising the defense capability. Together with his disciples, he founded the original production of potassium permanganate in Rustavi. He practically carried out utilization and optimization of electrolytic production of manganese dioxide. Accordingly, on the basis of this production, the production of manganese dioxide expert products was carried out.

Academy member-correspondent K. Kutateladze, the head of the scientific school of this field, made a great contribution to the development of the silicate field. The cycle of research works organized by him and his students successfully serves the study and knowledge of the fundamental issues of the physical chemistry of solid amorphous and crystalline silicates and refractory materials.

The research conducted by Professor B. Kandelaki and his colleagues in the direction of studying the structures of lyophobic systems and solutions, as well as in the field of obtaining new types of foaming agents, gained universal recognition.