Job Description — Research Associate / Process Engineer – Molten Salt Electrolysis
Company: Motorall / AmpCycle
Position: Research Associate / Process Engineer – Molten Salt Electrolysis
Department: R&D / Advanced Materials & Electrochemical Processing
Location: Rohini, Delhi 110089.
Employment Type: Full-Time
Experience: 2–5 years relevant experience
Qualification: M.Sc./M.Tech./B.Tech. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrochemistry, Metallurgy or a related field
About the Role
We are looking for a hands-on researcher/engineer to work on the development of molten-salt electrolysis and high-temperature electrochemical processes for the recovery and purification of valuable metallic constituents from complex solid feedstocks.
The candidate will work across the complete laboratory process chain, from feedstock preparation and pretreatment to electrochemical separation, product recovery, purification and characterization, with a focus on developing a scalable and commercially viable process.
Key Responsibilities1. Feedstock Preparation
- Develop methods for receiving, sorting and preparing complex metallic feedstocks.
- Study dismantling, demagnetization and mechanical size reduction requirements.
- Develop crushing, grinding, sieving and particle-size-control procedures.
- Evaluate the effect of particle size and feedstock composition on downstream processing.
- Develop suitable methods for removing coatings, surface contaminants, adhesives and other unwanted materials.
- Establish safe handling and storage procedures for processed powders.
2. Pretreatment & Conditioning
- Develop thermal, chemical or mechanical pretreatment methods as required.
- Investigate oxidation/reduction behaviour of feedstock materials.
- Optimize removal of unwanted phases and contaminants before electrochemical processing.
- Study moisture, oxygen and impurity control requirements.
- Develop suitable drying and conditioning procedures.
- Establish reproducible feedstock specifications for electrolysis.
3. Powder Processing
- Develop laboratory-scale powder-processing procedures.
- Study particle morphology, size distribution and chemical composition.
- Optimize powder preparation for uniform interaction with molten salts.
- Investigate material losses during crushing, sieving, transfer and handling.
- Maintain material balance throughout the process.
4. Molten-Salt Preparation
- Research and select suitable molten-salt systems for electrochemical processing.
- Prepare and condition molten-salt electrolytes.
- Study salt composition, melting behaviour and operating temperature.
- Control moisture and contamination in molten-salt systems.
- Investigate salt conductivity and electrochemical stability.
- Optimize salt-to-feedstock ratio and operating conditions.
- Develop procedures for salt recovery, regeneration and reuse where applicable.
5. Electrochemical Cell Development
- Assist in the design and development of laboratory-scale molten-salt electrolysis cells.
- Select suitable electrode, crucible and reactor materials.
- Study electrode configuration and electrode spacing.
- Develop systems for controlled feeding of solid material.
- Establish electrical connections and current/voltage control.
- Evaluate cell design, sealing, insulation and thermal management.
- Develop safe procedures for high-temperature electrochemical operation.
6. Molten-Salt Electrolysis
- Conduct controlled electrolysis experiments under defined temperature and electrical conditions.
- Optimize current density, cell voltage, temperature and electrolysis duration.
- Study electrodeposition behaviour and product formation.
- Investigate selective deposition and separation behaviour.
- Monitor electrochemical parameters during operation.
- Identify factors affecting current efficiency, recovery, purity and energy consumption.
- Troubleshoot unstable electrolysis, electrode degradation, short circuits and other process issues.
7. Product Collection & Separation
- Develop methods for collecting deposited metallic products.
- Separate deposited material from electrodes and reactor components.
- Develop washing, salt-removal and drying procedures.
- Recover entrained molten salt where possible.
- Develop methods for separating different product fractions.
- Minimize product loss during post-electrolysis processing.
8. Purification & Downstream Processing
- Develop suitable post-processing and purification procedures.
- Study thermal, chemical and electrochemical purification methods where required.
- Optimize removal of residual salts and impurities.
- Develop methods for achieving consistent product purity.
- Establish suitable product specifications based on application requirements.
9. Characterization & Analysis
The candidate should be capable of performing or coordinating characterization using techniques such as:
- XRD
- SEM/FESEM
- EDS/EDX
- ICP-OES / ICP-MS
- XRF
- Raman spectroscopy
- TGA/DSC
- Particle-size analysis
- Electrochemical characterization
- Chemical composition analysis
- Metallographic analysis
The candidate will be responsible for correlating feedstock composition, electrolysis parameters and final product quality.
10. Process Optimization
- Perform experimental optimization of temperature, current density, voltage, salt composition, feedstock loading and electrolysis time.
- Conduct controlled experimental studies and maintain detailed laboratory records.
- Develop material and energy balances.
- Evaluate recovery, purity, current efficiency and specific energy consumption.
- Identify process bottlenecks.
- Develop repeatable laboratory protocols.
- Compare alternative process configurations.
- Support development of Design of Experiments (DoE) where appropriate.
11. Scale-Up
- Support transition from laboratory-scale experiments to larger electrochemical systems.
- Develop preliminary reactor and cell-sizing calculations.
- Study heat management and thermal uniformity.
- Evaluate electrode life and reactor material compatibility.
- Develop continuous or semi-continuous processing concepts where applicable.
- Identify engineering challenges associated with scale-up.
- Support pilot-scale equipment development and commissioning.
12. Process Safety
- Follow strict procedures for high-temperature operations.
- Develop SOPs for molten-salt handling.
- Maintain appropriate ventilation and containment systems.
- Follow procedures for handling reactive chemicals, metallic powders and high-temperature materials.
- Assess risks associated with corrosive salts and chemical exposure.
- Follow appropriate protocols for electrical and high-current equipment.
- Where applicable, understand and follow institutional procedures for handling radioactive materials or contaminated materials.
- Maintain chemical waste and process-residue management procedures.
13. Documentation & R&D
- Maintain detailed laboratory notebooks and experimental records.
- Prepare technical reports and experimental summaries.
- Develop SOPs and process-flow documentation.
- Perform literature and patent reviews.
- Benchmark published electrochemical processes.
- Identify opportunities for process improvement and IP generation.
- Prepare technical data for pilot projects, grants and commercialization activities.
Required Technical Knowledge
Candidates should have working knowledge of several of the following:
- Molten-salt electrochemistry
- Electrolysis
- Electrodeposition
- High-temperature chemical processing
- Electrochemical cell design
- Inorganic chemistry
- Metallurgy
- Materials processing
- Powder processing
- Thermal processing
- Chemical separation
- Electrochemical characterization
- Process development
- Laboratory-scale reactor development
Preferred Experience
Preference will be given to candidates with hands-on experience in:
- Molten-salt electrolysis
- High-temperature electrochemistry
- Electrowinning/electrorefining
- Metal extraction
- Metal deposition
- Chloride/fluoride molten-salt systems
- Electrochemical separation
- High-temperature reactors
- Powder metallurgy
- Metallurgical processing
- Recycling of complex metallic feedstocks
- Electrochemical process scale-up
- High-current DC power systems
- Inert-atmosphere processing
Experience with Glove Box, tube furnace, high-temperature reactor, potentiostat/galvanostat, DC power supply or electrolysis cell development will be advantageous.
Educational Qualification
Preferred:
- M.Tech./M.E. in Metallurgical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Electrochemistry or related fields.
- M.Sc. in Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry, Materials Chemistry or Electrochemistry.
- B.Tech./B.E. in Chemical, Metallurgical, Materials or related engineering disciplines with strong electrochemical research experience.
Experience
2–5 years of relevant research or industrial experience.
Freshers are generally not preferred.
Candidates should demonstrate practical laboratory/research experience rather than only theoretical knowledge.
The ideal candidate should be:
- Hands-on and experimentally strong.
- Comfortable working at high temperatures.
- Strong in electrochemistry and inorganic chemistry.
- Comfortable designing experiments independently.
- Good at troubleshooting experimental failures.
- Strong in scientific data interpretation.
- Comfortable working with laboratory equipment.
- Interested in converting laboratory chemistry into an industrial process.
- Comfortable working in a startup environment where processes are still being developed.
Pay: ₹400,000.00 - ₹700,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Life insurance
- Provident Fund
Work Location: In person
