Aluminium Electrolysis

What is Aluminium Electrolysis?

The extraction of aluminium by passing electricity through purified aluminium oxide dissolved in molten cryolite. Aluminium ions gain electrons at the negative cathode to form molten aluminium, oxide ions lose electrons at the positive carbon anodes to form oxygen, and that oxygen burns the anodes away so they must be replaced.

This definition is part of the Metals chapter in Cambridge O Level Chemistry.

Concepts related to Aluminium Electrolysis

• cryolite
• Cathode
• Anode
• half-equation