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When did commercial electrolytic zinc production begin?
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zinc processing
Sphalerite from Baxter Springs, Kansas.
Commercial electrolytic zinc production began around 1915–1918. While earlier attempts were made following a 1881 patent by the Frenchman Léon Letrange, these were unsuccessful because they lacked the necessary high-purity sulfate electrolyte. The process eventually succeeded once it was discovered that extreme purification of the electrolyte was critical to prevent the generation of hydrogen at the cathode.12