In the field of electrometallurgy, electrorefining and electrowinning (different parts of the same procedure) are important techniques that allow purification of nonferrous (noniron-based) metals to an extreme degree. Economical and straightforward, they use electrical current to separate metals from their accompanying impurities. The overall process is known as electrolysis, which literally means to break down using electricity. Electrorefining is the least expensive way to purify metals because it is so selective in terms of what it produces. In other words, it produces a pure metal in just one step, saving time and money. There are commonly used alternate names for both techniques: electrorefining is also called electrolytic refining, while electrowinning is also called electroextraction.

Electrorefining works by running a current through an electrolyte solution via an electrolytic cell. An anode is the positive electrode (conductor of electricity) through which electrons leave an electrolytic cell...