ELECTROREFINING

"An electrochemical process that produces a purified metal from a less pure metal. The metal to be purified is made the anode in an electrolytic cell and it is dissolved by the application of a current into a usually acidic aqueous electrolyte or a molten salt. At the same time, the pure metal is deposited on the cathode. The process is carried out under conditions that most impurities will either precipitate as ""sludge"" or remain dissolved in the electrolyte. Copper is one metal that is often electrorefined in aqueous solutions, and aluminum is electrorefined using a molten salt electrolyte. Also called ""electrolytic refining"" and ""metal refining."" "