Question

Why isn't electrolytic reduction employed to refine oxides formed with metals of medium reactivity and only for metals of high reactivity?

Answer 1

Metal oxides of medium reactive metals can be reduced easily by chemical methods i.e by using carbon or coke whereas highly reactive metals have high affinity for oxygen, therefore their oxides are stable and cannot be reduced by reducing agents such as carbon. Hence, chemical reduction by coke which is cheap and easily available is employed for medium reactive metals and electrolytic reduction is employed for highly reactive metals.