Job Description:

• 1) Controls heated reaction kettles to process liquid and solid materials into specified chemical products: Turns valves or starts automatic metering pumps that admit specified quantity of liquid materials into kettle.

• 2) Weighs and dumps or scoops prescribed solid, granular, or powdered ingredients into kettle, according to production sheet.

• 3) Starts agitator to mix materials for specified time or stirs mixture with paddle.

• 4) Observes gauges and recording instruments, and adjusts valves and controls to maintain temperature, vacuum pressure, and speed of reaction in kettle within prescribed limits.

• 5) Draws sample of product for laboratory analysis.

• 6) May test product for specified characteristics, such as acidity and composition, using standard litmus paper test and pH meter.

• 7) May observe reaction through porthole in equipment and adjust controls to regulate speed or degree of reaction, according to knowledge of process.

• 8) May tend auxiliary equipment, such as quench tanks and filter presses, to process resulting product or ingredients used to sustain reaction.

• 9) May be designated by degree of pressure maintained in kettle as High-Pressure-Kettle Operator; Low-Pressure-Kettle Operator.