A lithium metal electrode has no more than five ppm of non-metallic elements by mass, and is bonded to a conductive substrate. Optionally, the lithium metal electrode may be bonded on one side to a conductive substrate and on another side to a lithium ion selective membrane. The lithium metal electrode may be integrated into lithium metal batteries. The inventive lithium metal electrode may be manufactured by a process involving electrolysis of lithium ions from an aqueous lithium salt solution through an ion selective membrane, carried out under a blanketing atmosphere having no more than 10 ppm of non-metallic elements, the electrolysis being performed at a constant current between about 10 mA/cm.sup.2 and about 50 mA/cm.sup.2, and wherein the constant current is applied for a time between about 1 minute and about 60 minutes.

A method and an apparatus for manufacturing a metallic article involve providing a non-metallic feedstock, for example in the form of an oxide of a desired metal or a mixture of oxides of the components of a desired metal alloy. A manufacturing apparatus has a reduction apparatus for electrochemically reducing the feedstock to a metallic product and a processor for converting the metallic product to a metallic powder. The powder is fed into an additive-manufacturing apparatus for fabricating the metallic article from the metallic powder. At least the reduction apparatus and the processor, and preferably also the additive-manufacturing apparatus, are collocated, or located in the same container, or in the same building, or on the same site.

A method and an apparatus for manufacturing a metallic article involve providing a non-metallic feedstock, for example in the form of an oxide of a desired metal or a mixture of oxides of the components of a desired metal alloy. A manufacturing apparatus has a reduction apparatus for electrochemically reducing the feedstock to a metallic product and a processor for converting the metallic product to a metallic powder. The powder is fed into an additive-manufacturing apparatus for fabricating the metallic article from the metallic powder. At least the reduction apparatus and the processor, and preferably also the additive-manufacturing apparatus, are collocated, or located in the same container, or in the same building, or on the same site.

Provided is a method for manufacturing high purity tin including: depositing electrodeposited tin on the surface of a cathode by electrowinning in an electrolytic bath in which a diaphragm is placed between an anode and the cathode, by using a raw material for tin as the anode and a leachate obtained by electrolytically leaching the raw material for tin in a sulfuric acid solution as an electrolytic solution, the electrolytic solution containing a smoothing agent for improving a surface property of the electrodeposited tin; discharging the electrolytic solution from the electrolytic bath such that lead in the discharged electrolytic solution is removed; and putting the electrolytic solution from which lead is removed back into the electrolytic bath.

Provided is a method for manufacturing high purity tin including: depositing electrodeposited tin on the surface of a cathode by electrowinning in an electrolytic bath in which a diaphragm is placed between an anode and the cathode, by using a raw material for tin as the anode and a leachate obtained by electrolytically leaching the raw material for tin in a sulfuric acid solution as an electrolytic solution, the electrolytic solution containing a smoothing agent for improving a surface property of the electrodeposited tin; discharging the electrolytic solution from the electrolytic bath such that lead in the discharged electrolytic solution is removed; and putting the electrolytic solution from which lead is removed back into the electrolytic bath.

Methods are proposed for extracting transition metal oxides from scrap batteries by dissolving the metal oxides in a glass-forming oxide melt, followed by electrolytic reduction of the transition metal onto the cathode of an electrolytic cell. Suitable glass-forming oxide melts include borate and pyrophosphate melts with added Na.sub.2O or NaF. The method is particularly suited to the recovery of cobalt, nickel, and manganese from scrap battery and electronic materials. A preferred recycling process includes first recovering lithium metal from scrap battery material, and then extracting transition metal oxides from the lithium-depleted material.

A method for recycling molten salt from electrorefining processes, the method having the steps of collecting actinide metal using a first plurality of cathodes from an electrolyte bath, collecting rare earths metal using a second plurality of cathodes from the electrolyte bath, inserting the collected actinide metal and uranium into the bath, and chlorinating the inserted actinide metal and uranium. Also provided is a system for recycling molten salt, the system having a vessel adapted to receive and heat electrolyte salt, a first plurality of cathodes adapted to be removably inserted into the vessel, a second plurality of cathodes adapted to be removably inserted into the vessel, an anode positioned within the vessel so as to be coaxially aligned with the vessel, and a vehicle for inserting uranium into the salt.

A method for recycling molten salt from electrorefining processes, the method having the steps of collecting actinide metal using a first plurality of cathodes from an electrolyte bath, collecting rare earths metal using a second plurality of cathodes from the electrolyte bath, inserting the collected actinide metal and uranium into the bath, and chlorinating the inserted actinide metal and uranium. Also provided is a system for recycling molten salt, the system having a vessel adapted to receive and heat electrolyte salt, a first plurality of cathodes adapted to be removably inserted into the vessel, a second plurality of cathodes adapted to be removably inserted into the vessel, an anode positioned within the vessel so as to be coaxially aligned with the vessel, and a vehicle for inserting uranium into the salt.

A process is disclosed for the electro-refinement of titanium aluminides to produce titanium-aluminum master alloys which process is effective even in the presence of substantial amounts of aluminum and in the presence of ten (10) or more weight percent oxygen in the material(s) to be refined. The process is likewise effective without the addition of titanium chlorides or other forms of soluble titanium to the electrolyte bath comprising halide salts of alkali metals or alkali-earth metals or a combination thereof.

A process is disclosed for the electro-refinement of titanium aluminides to produce titanium-aluminum master alloys which process is effective even in the presence of substantial amounts of aluminum and in the presence of ten (10) or more weight percent oxygen in the material(s) to be refined. The process is likewise effective without the addition of titanium chlorides or other forms of soluble titanium to the electrolyte bath comprising halide salts of alkali metals or alkali-earth metals or a combination thereof.