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what is electrolytic refining ? explain

Electrolytic Refining

  • It is the removal of impurities from a metal, accomplished through the placement of two electrodes within a fluid-filled container.
  • Impure metal is refined using electricity.

  • The impure metal is made the anode, and a strip of pure metal is made the cathode.

  • A solution of a soluble salt of the same metal is taken as the electrolyte.

  • Impurities get collected below the anode and are known as anode mud.

  • At anode, the metal looses electrons and forms a positively charged metal ion and comes in the solution: 

  • At cathode, the metal ion gains electrons and gets deposited on the electrode: 

 

In this process the pure metal is made cathode and is the negative terminal of the battery, so that, the positively charged metal ions from the anode get attracted to the cathode and deposit on it, leaving behind the impurities from the impure metal electrode as anode mud.

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Electrolysis can be used for both extractions of metal (which cannot be separated by chemical reduction process) as well as for further purification of metals obtained by any other method. In the electrorefining process a block of impure metal is made the anode and a thin sheet of pure metal is made the cathode of of an electrolytic cell containing an aqueous solution of the metal salt. When electric current of a suitable voltage is passed, impure metal at the anode gets dissolved to deposit the pure metal at the cathode.

Metal ions from the anode enter the electrolyte as follows:

The impurities are left behind as anode mud near the anode. The anode finally disintegrates while the cathode gains in weight due to the collection of pure metal.

This method is used for refining volatile metals like copper, silver, tin, nickel that have boiling points lower than their impurities. e.g., zinc, mercury.

HOPE THIS HELPS!!THUMBS UP PLEASE

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Electrolysis can be used for both extractions of metal (which cannot be separated by chemical reduction process) as well as for further purification of metals obtained by any other method. In the electrorefining process a block of impure metal is made the anode and a thin sheet of pure metal is made the cathode of of an electrolytic cell containing an aqueous solution of the metal salt. When electric current of a suitable voltage is passed, impure metal at the anode gets dissolved to deposit the pure metal at the cathode.

Metal ions from the anode enter the electrolyte as follows:

The impurities are left behind as anode mud near the anode. The anode finally disintegrates while the cathode gains in weight due to the collection of pure metal.

This method is used for refining volatile metals like copper, silver, tin, nickel that have boiling points lower than their impurities. e.g., zinc, mercury.

HOPE THIS HELPS!!THUMBS UP PLEASE

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