Electrorefining refers to the process of using electrolysis to increase the purity of a metal extracted from its ore (compound or mixture of compounds from which a metal can be extracted commercially). ... Electrorefining can be used to purify a number of metals including copper, nickel, cobalt, lead and tin.

How is electrolysis used in everyday life?

Electrolysis is used in industry for the production of many metals and non-metals (e.g., aluminium, magnesium, chlorine, and fluorine). Electrolysis is commonly employed for coating one metal with another. The method of coating one metal with another using an electric current is called electroplating.

How is electrorefining done?

Electrolytic refining is a process of refining a metal (mainly copper) by the process of electrolysis. As far as the mechanism of the process is concerned, during electrolysis, a large chunk or slab of impure metal is used as the anode with a thin strip of pure metal at the cathode.