Distillation Process Engineer

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 last 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 own the purification train: taking the metal chloride from crude chlorination product to electronic grade, with every metal at or below 10 parts per billion. Several volatile chlorides boil within tens of degrees of the product chloride; the number of distillation passes, the cut points, the reflux ratio and the handling of heads and tails set the plant's capital cost, energy and yield. From December 2026 you run the bench distillation program on a packed laboratory column, map where every impurity reports, and produce the first electronic-grade samples for the partner's qualification trials. From March 2027 you design, build and run the continuous mini-pilot, and from the mini-pilot data you set the column design, the cut points and the performance test protocol the plant is guaranteed against. In 2028 you are the commissioning lead for the distillation train at the partner's site.

You work with the Lead Organic Chemist on chlorination chemistry, with the Senior Process Engineer on the design basis, and with the Analytical Chemist on ppb-level release testing. 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 12 February 2027 we expect three electronic-grade metal chloride samples delivered to the partner. By 7 May 2027, the distillation design basis and test protocol. By 17 March 2028, a distillation train at the partner's site passing its 30-day performance test.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Bench fractional distillation program: cut design, reflux studies, impurity deportment and heads/tails recycle on a packed laboratory column
• Design, build and operation of the continuous chlorination and distillation mini-pilot, including HCl recovery and the product polishing and fill station
• Column and condenser design for the commercial plant: theoretical stages, packing, reflux, energy, materials, and the vendor specification
• The performance test protocol for the plant guarantee: test duration, sampling, acceptance criteria and deviation rules
• Commissioning lead for the distillation train at the partner's site: start-up, total reflux, first heart cut, ramp to nameplate and the performance test

QUALIFICATIONS AND PREFERRED SKILLS

• Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering or chemistry required; PhD or Master's with a distillation or separations focus preferred.
• 5+ years operating or designing fractional distillation of volatile halides or electronic specialty gases: chlorosilanes, group 14 metal chlorides, TiCl4, BCl3, or semiconductor-grade precursors; ppb-level purity targets.
• Has designed or rated a packed or trayed column against measured vapor-liquid data and then run it; comfortable with Aspen Plus or equivalent.
• Hands-on with glass, PFA and lined equipment in HCl and chlorine service; safe handling of moisture-sensitive, hydrolysable chlorides under nitrogen.
• Ability to work in fast paced and demanding atmosphere
• Creative problem solving that brings together distillation theory, impurity chemistry and plant practice to reach electronic grade in the fewest passes.

COMPENSATION

This role will pay $110,000 - $225,000, benefits, and equity.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Position located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Travel to the partner's site for commissioning; on site for late quarter of 2027.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Extended hours and weekends frequently required to support critical project milestones.

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