Electrometallurgy

From BioMineWiki

Electrometallurgy is a method that uses electrical energy to produce metals by electrolysis. Electrometallurgy is usually the last stage in metal production and is therefore preceded by pyro- or hydrometallurgical operations. The electrolysis can be done on a molten metal oxide (smelt electrolysis) which is used for example to produce aluminium from aluminium oxide via the Hall-Hérault process. Electrolysis can be used as a final refining stage in pyrometallurgical metal production (electrorefining) and it is also used for reduction of a metal from an aqueous metal salt solution produced by hydrometallurgy (electrowinning).