The present invention pertains to a method for electrolytic reduction of feedstock elements, made from feedstock, in a melt. In addition, the present invention relates to an apparatus for electrolytic reduction of feedstock elements, made from feedstock, and can be used for the reduction of oxides of metals belonging to Groups 3-14 of the Periodic Table. The method is implemented using the apparatus that, according to the invention, comprises an electrolyzer bath; an electrolytic cell; an electrolyzer bath insert plate; a cover with evolved gas outlets. Moreover, the electrolytic cell contains at least one cathode chamber and two anode plates, which are vertically arranged relative to each other, at least one current source, independently connected to the cathode chamber and one or two anode plates, and a device for horizontal reciprocating movement of the said electrolytic cell, which is found outside of the electrolyzer cover.

The present invention pertains to a method for electrolytic reduction of feedstock elements, made from feedstock, in a melt. In addition, the present invention relates to an apparatus for electrolytic reduction of feedstock elements, made from feedstock, and can be used for the reduction of oxides of metals belonging to Groups 3-14 of the Periodic Table. The method is implemented using the apparatus that, according to the invention, comprises an electrolyzer bath; an electrolytic cell; an electrolyzer bath insert plate; a cover with evolved gas outlets. Moreover, the electrolytic cell contains at least one cathode chamber and two anode plates, which are vertically arranged relative to each other, at least one current source, independently connected to the cathode chamber and one or two anode plates, and a device for horizontal reciprocating movement of the said electrolytic cell, which is found outside of the electrolyzer cover.

A circuit for supplying electrical power (20) at a rated direct current of between 20 kA and 100 kA to an electrolysis cell (21) comprising an upstream busbar (25), a downstream busbar (26), the two upstream (25) and downstream (26) busbars being connected to each other by means of a short-circuiting device (22) which, when closed under the action of an actuating mechanism (229), allows the two busbars to be electrically connected to each other in order to cut off the electrical power supply to the cell (21), an anode bar (213) equipped with an anode connection interface (215) for connection to the anode (211) of the cell, and a cathode connection interface (214) for connection to the cathode (212) of the cell. According to the main features of the invention, the cathode connection interface is connected to the downstream busbar by means of a flexible electrical connector (27), the circuit comprises means for absorbing the movement of the various constituent elements of the circuit due to thermal expansion and a disconnector (23) connected, on the one hand, to the upstream busbar (25) and, on the other hand, to the anode bar (213), the disconnector is opened by an actuating mechanism (239) and electrically disconnects the upstream busbar and the anode bar from each other after a non-zero time interval Tm when the short-circuiting device has been closed, the time interval Tm corresponding to the time of establishment of the rated current in the short-circuiting device (22).

An electrowinning cell for extracting metals from an electrolyte solution, the electrowinning cell comprising a housing, a solution inlet, a solution outlet, a plurality of anodes, a plurality of cathodes and a product outlet, wherein at least one anode is substantially impermeable and configured to maintain a gap between a lower edge of the anode and the housing, so that fluid flow of solution is directed below the anode, and wherein at least one cathode is secured at a lower edge to the housing to prevent fluid flow below the lower edge of the cathode.

An electrowinning cell for extracting metals from an electrolyte solution, the electrowinning cell comprising a housing, a solution inlet, a solution outlet, a plurality of anodes, a plurality of cathodes and a product outlet, wherein at least one anode is substantially impermeable and configured to maintain a gap between a lower edge of the anode and the housing, so that fluid flow of solution is directed below the anode, and wherein at least one cathode is secured at a lower edge to the housing to prevent fluid flow below the lower edge of the cathode.

An electrolysis apparatus for the electrolytic production of oxygen from oxide-containing starting material includes at least one cathode which at least partly delimits a receiving region which in at least one operation state is configured for receiving the oxide-containing starting material and at least one anode, wherein the electrolysis apparatus has at least one selective oxygen pump which is at least partly realized integrally with the anode.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for obtaining efficient aluminum smelters. More specifically disclosed herein is a method comprising: applying an alternating current (AC) comprising an oscillatory current waveform to an electrolytic cell comprising an electrolyte for a first predetermined time, wherein waveform comprises an amplitude, frequency and/or phase that are predetermined to stabilize the electrolytic cell such that substantially no change in a current oscillation is observed in the electrolyte during electrolysis. Also disclosed herein is a system comprising an electrolytic cell, direct current and alternating current sources. The disclosed electrolytic cell exhibits substantially no change in oscillations present in the molten salt electrolyte over a predetermined period of time when the AC is provided to the electrolytic cell.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for obtaining efficient aluminum smelters. More specifically disclosed herein is a method comprising: applying an alternating current (AC) comprising an oscillatory current waveform to an electrolytic cell comprising an electrolyte for a first predetermined time, wherein waveform comprises an amplitude, frequency and/or phase that are predetermined to stabilize the electrolytic cell such that substantially no change in a current oscillation is observed in the electrolyte during electrolysis. Also disclosed herein is a system comprising an electrolytic cell, direct current and alternating current sources. The disclosed electrolytic cell exhibits substantially no change in oscillations present in the molten salt electrolyte over a predetermined period of time when the AC is provided to the electrolytic cell.

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 method for recovering metal resources in coal ash by molten salt electrolysis includes: calcinating the coal ash for decarburization to obtain the decarburized coal ash; subjecting the decarburized coal ash to ball milling to obtain coal ash powders; pressing the coal ash powders to form a plate; placing the plate as a cathode into an electrolyte in a reactor, and performing electrolytic reaction under an oxygen-free condition at an electrolytic reaction temperature of 550° C. to 900° C. in the reactor to obtain a reaction product; and removing the reaction product from the reactor, cooling the reaction product to room temperature in an inert atmosphere, and cleaning the cooled reaction product to obtain a silicon-aluminum based alloy.