Process Chemist - Group 14 Metals

WHO WE ARE

Kunin Technologies is revolutionizing the critical mineral supply chain by implementing advanced separation technologies to capture value from overlooked resources.

Metals are everywhere, in solar panels, smartphones, electric vehicles, but as ore grades plummet globally, traditional extraction methods are failing. China dominates critical minerals markets by developing superior separation technologies that extract value from materials American mines discard as waste.

Utilizing Kunin Technologies' breakthrough performance, ion-exchange media significantly more value can be produced from each resource, reducing waste, and unlocking metal abundance.

To achieve metal abundance, humanity must bring separation science down its own Moore’s Law: fix the idiot cost index for micro and nano scale separation materials. This requires mass manufacturing novel ion-exchange media form factors which previously struggled from high costs.

THE ROLE

Group 14 metals (germanium, tin, silicon) are critical materials of the data center build-out, and Kunin is designing, guaranteeing and commissioning a group 14 metal chlorination plant overseas for an industrial partner: metal-bearing feeds from the partner's own process are converted by chlorination, purification and hydrolysis to an electronic-grade metal product, with Kunin's proprietary ion-exchange media recovering the metal from the dilute process liquors. Bench and mini-pilot process development runs in Chattanooga from December 2026 to May 2027, basic engineering issues in May 2027, the plant is built from modular skids in parallel with civil works, and commercial operation is targeted for the first quarter of 2028. The plant is built and operated by our partner; Kunin owns the process, the design package, the performance guarantee and the training of the operating team.

You run the chemistry at the bench and on the mini-pilots. From December 2026 you execute the chlorination, hydrolysis and calcination experiments on metal-bearing oxide and solid feeds: acid concentration and temperature windows, chlorine oxidation of arsenic, phase separation, controlled hydrolysis to a filterable oxide, calcination, and the ion-exchange recovery of the dissolved metal from the hydrolysis liquors on Kunin media. You close the metal and impurity mass balances, prepare the product samples that go to the partner, and from March 2027 you run the continuous mini-pilot campaigns around the clock with the laboratory technicians. Your data become the design basis the plant is built to.

You are part of the research team in Chattanooga and report to the Lead Organic Chemist, working with the distillation process engineer, the Senior Process Engineer and the analytical chemist. This is the first of a series of Kunin-designed metal recovery and conversion plants. You are a founding member of Kunin's Capital Projects team, whose goal is 100 critical metal projects in 10 years. Once this plant is through its gates you are expected to be executing design and delivery work on two to three projects in parallel.

By 5 February 2027 we expect the solid-feed chlorination and hydrolysis window established and two high-purity oxide samples delivered. By 7 May 2027, both mini-pilot campaigns complete with closed mass balances.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Bench chlorination, hydrolysis and calcination experiments on metal-bearing oxide and solid feeds; chlorine and HCl handling

Ion-exchange loading and elution runs on dilute metal liquors with Kunin media: breakthrough, elution, cycling and fouling studies

Metal and impurity mass balances across chlorination, distillation, hydrolysis, recovery and calcination

Continuous mini-pilot operation in campaigns, including shift coverage, sampling plans and campaign reports

Preparation and documentation of product samples and the experimental record that supports the plant design basis

QUALIFICATIONS AND PREFERRED SKILLS

Bachelor's degree in chemistry or chemical engineering required; Master's preferred.

2+ years of laboratory process development in hydrometallurgy, inorganic or specialty chemicals; experience with chlorination, acid leaching, precipitation or calcination preferred.

Comfortable handling chlorine, concentrated hydrochloric acid and moisture-sensitive chlorides under nitrogen in glass and PFA equipment.

Competent with ICP-OES sample preparation, mass balance spreadsheets and clear experimental write-ups.

Ability to work in fast paced and demanding atmosphere

Creative problem solving that brings together inorganic chemistry, careful experiment and plant thinking to turn bench results into a design basis.

COMPENSATION

This role will pay $90,000 - $165,000, benefits, and equity.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Position located in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Extended hours and weekends frequently required to support critical project milestones.

Kunin will do whatever it can to secure work authorization for the right candidate.

Chattanooga is more beautiful than expected, and Tennessee has no income tax.

"The Whole World Is Ion-Exchange And The Rest Are Merely Details!"

Dr. Robert Kunin of Rohm and Haas, The Pioneer of the Ion-Exchange Industry, 1951