Electrometallurgy is a method in metallurgy that uses electrical energy to produce metals by electrolysis. It is usually the last stage in metal production and is therefore preceded by pyrometallurgical or hydrometallurgical operations.[1] 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).
Processes
Electrometallurgy is the field concerned with the processes of metal electrodeposition There are four categories of these processes:
- Electrowinning, the extraction of metal from ores[2]
- Electrorefining, the purification of metals.[2] Metal powder production by electrodeposition is included in this category, or sometimes electrowinning, or a separate category depending on application.[2]
- Electroplating, the deposition of a layer of one metal on another[2]
- Electroforming, the manufacture of, usually thin, metal parts through electroplating[2]
See also
- Electropolishing, the removal of material from a metallic workpiece
References
- ^ "Electrometallurgy", Physical Chemistry of Metallurgical Processes, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 523–557, 2016, doi:10.1002/9781119078326.ch12, ISBN 978-1-119-07832-6, retrieved 2020-09-24
- ^ a b c d e Popov, K. I. (Konstantin Ivanovich) (2002). Fundamental aspects of electrometallurgy. Djokić, Stojan S., Grgur, Branimir N., 1965-. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers. ISBN 0-306-47564-2. OCLC 51893969.