The present disclosure related to an economic and environmental safe process for obtaining one or more metals from the red mud slag, bauxite, karst bauxite, lateritic bauxite, clay and the like. The present disclosure also related to a process for obtaining elemental aluminum by electrolyzing AlCl.sub.3 in the electrolysis cell.

A process for electrowinning a metal can include the steps of: a) conveying an anolyte material and a metal chemical feedstock material along an anolyte flow path within an anolyte chamber; b) conveying catholyte material along a catholyte flow path within a catholyte chamber that has a cathode; c) applying an activation electric potential between the anode and a cathode that is sufficient to electrolyze and liberate metal ions from the metal chemical feedstock material in the anolyte chamber, thereby causing a flux of metal ions to migrate through a porous membrane from the anolyte chamber to the catholyte chamber and a metal product to be formed in the catholyte chamber; and while applying the activation electric potential, extracting a feedstock-depleted anolyte material from the anolyte chamber; and extracting an outlet material comprising the catholyte material and the metal product from the catholyte chamber via a catholyte outlet.

A process for electrowinning a metal can include the steps of: a) conveying an anolyte material and a metal chemical feedstock material along an anolyte flow path within an anolyte chamber; b) conveying catholyte material along a catholyte flow path within a catholyte chamber that has a cathode; c) applying an activation electric potential between the anode and a cathode that is sufficient to electrolyze and liberate metal ions from the metal chemical feedstock material in the anolyte chamber, thereby causing a flux of metal ions to migrate through a porous membrane from the anolyte chamber to the catholyte chamber and a metal product to be formed in the catholyte chamber; and while applying the activation electric potential, extracting a feedstock-depleted anolyte material from the anolyte chamber; and extracting an outlet material comprising the catholyte material and the metal product from the catholyte chamber via a catholyte outlet.

Disclosed are a method for mining rare earth ore by electrification and a leaching agent for mining rare earth ore by electrification. The method includes: arranging liquid injection holes in a mining area, arranging electrically conductive liquid injection pipes in the liquid injection holes, and connecting N electrically conductive liquid injection pipes in a same row in parallel to an electrification control system; and adding a leaching agent into the liquid injection holes, and applying a direct current between electrodes by the electrification control system, the leaching agent including small molecular betaine. According to the present disclosure, the betaine can reduce the wetting resistance between solid and liquid phases, and promote the wetting and infiltration effects of a leaching agent solution on soil.

Disclosed are a method for mining rare earth ore by electrification and a leaching agent for mining rare earth ore by electrification. The method includes: arranging liquid injection holes in a mining area, arranging electrically conductive liquid injection pipes in the liquid injection holes, and connecting N electrically conductive liquid injection pipes in a same row in parallel to an electrification control system; and adding a leaching agent into the liquid injection holes, and applying a direct current between electrodes by the electrification control system, the leaching agent including small molecular betaine. According to the present disclosure, the betaine can reduce the wetting resistance between solid and liquid phases, and promote the wetting and infiltration effects of a leaching agent solution on soil.

A process for electrowinning a metal using a flow-through electrowinning apparatus can include the steps of: a) conveying an anolyte material and a metal chemical feedstock material along an anolyte flow path within an anolyte chamber; b) conveying catholyte material along a catholyte flow path within a catholyte chamber that has a cathode; c) applying an activation electric potential between the anode and a cathode that is sufficient to electrolyze and liberate metal ions from the metal chemical feedstock material in the anolyte chamber, thereby causing a flux of metal ions to migrate through a porous membrane from the anolyte chamber to the catholyte chamber and a metal product to be formed in the catholyte chamber; and while applying the activation electric potential, extracting a feedstock-depleted anolyte material from the anolyte chamber; and extracting an outlet material comprising the catholyte material and the metal product from the catholyte chamber via a catholyte outlet.

A process for electrowinning a metal using a flow-through electrowinning apparatus can include the steps of: a) conveying an anolyte material and a metal chemical feedstock material along an anolyte flow path within an anolyte chamber; b) conveying catholyte material along a catholyte flow path within a catholyte chamber that has a cathode; c) applying an activation electric potential between the anode and a cathode that is sufficient to electrolyze and liberate metal ions from the metal chemical feedstock material in the anolyte chamber, thereby causing a flux of metal ions to migrate through a porous membrane from the anolyte chamber to the catholyte chamber and a metal product to be formed in the catholyte chamber; and while applying the activation electric potential, extracting a feedstock-depleted anolyte material from the anolyte chamber; and extracting an outlet material comprising the catholyte material and the metal product from the catholyte chamber via a catholyte outlet.

Disclosed are an electrolytic reduction system of a vanadium electrolyte and a method for producing the electrolyte. The electrolytic reduction system includes a separating device and an electrolytic tank. The separating device is configured to separate a mixture consisting of a vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) solid and a sulfate acid solution, thereby obtaining a vanadium solution from a liquid discharging port of the separating device and a vanadium solid from a solid discharging port. The vanadium solution includes pentavalent vanadium ions. The electrolytic tank connects to the liquid discharging port of the separating device to contain the vanadium solution. In the method for producing the vanadium electrolyte, other chemical reagents are unnecessarily to be added into the mixture, and the vanadium solution is subjected to an electrolytic reduction process, such that the pentavalent vanadium ions are reduced to tetravalent vanadium ions and trivalent vanadium ions in the electrolytic tank.

Disclosed are an electrolytic reduction system of a vanadium electrolyte and a method for producing the electrolyte. The electrolytic reduction system includes a separating device and an electrolytic tank. The separating device is configured to separate a mixture consisting of a vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) solid and a sulfate acid solution, thereby obtaining a vanadium solution from a liquid discharging port of the separating device and a vanadium solid from a solid discharging port. The vanadium solution includes pentavalent vanadium ions. The electrolytic tank connects to the liquid discharging port of the separating device to contain the vanadium solution. In the method for producing the vanadium electrolyte, other chemical reagents are unnecessarily to be added into the mixture, and the vanadium solution is subjected to an electrolytic reduction process, such that the pentavalent vanadium ions are reduced to tetravalent vanadium ions and trivalent vanadium ions in the electrolytic tank.

A method for the extraction of at least one target component from a starter electrolyte composition comprises the steps of providing at least one electrochemical cell, introducing to or creating within a catholyte chamber of the at least one electrochemical cell a starter electrolyte composition comprising at least one target component and one or more additives, and facilitating, via the one or more additives, targeted electrochemical manipulation of the at least one target component.