electrometallurgy

Electrometallurgy is the use of electrochemical processes in metallurgy. This involves using electricity to extract or refine metals. For instance, metals like aluminum, titanium, and alkali metals are obtained through electrodeposition from molten salts. Copper is refined using electrolysis in aqueous solutions.1

Electrolytic refining involves dissolving a metal from an anode and depositing it in a purer form onto a cathode within an electrolytic cell. This method is highly effective for achieving high-purity metals and recovering valuable impurities, and is used for metals such as copper, nickel, gold, and silver. Electrolytic smelting, on the other hand, uses the electrolytic dissociation of liquid metallic compounds at high temperatures to extract metals. This process is used for metals like magnesium and aluminum.23