Dictionary:

electrometallurgy

  (ĭ-lĕk'trō-mĕt'l-ûr'jē)

The use of electric and electrolytic processes to purify metals or reduce metallic compounds to metals.

The branch of process metallurgy dealing with the use of electricity for smelting or refining of metals. The electrochemical effect of an electric current brings about the reduction of metallic compounds, and thereby the extraction of metals from their ores (electrowinning) or the pu-rification of the metals (electrorefining).

In other metallurgical processes, electrically produced heat is utilized in smelting, refining, or alloy manufacturing. For a discussion of electrothermics, that is, the theory and applications of electric heating to metallurgy, See also Electric furnace; Electric heating; Electrochemical process; Steel manufacture.