Question

State three industrial applications or uses of electrolysis.

Answer 1

Electrolysis

• The process of decomposition of a chemical compound in an aqueous solution or in a molten state accompanied by a chemical change by using a direct electric current is called electrolysis.

Industrial uses of electrolysis: Electrolysis has several technical and commercial applications.

Electroplating of metals

• Electroplating of metals is an electrolytic process of depositing a thin film of a non-reactive or a superior metal like gold, silver, nickel, or chromium on another more reactive or inferior metallic article with the help of electricity.
• Reasons for electroplating:

1. For decorating purposes
2. To prevent rusting and corrosion

Electrorefining

• The term ‘electrorefining’ means to purify metals by electrolytic methods. It can also be defined as a process by which metals containing impurities are purified by electrolysis to produce a pure metal.

Electro-metallurgy

• Those metals which are comparatively higher in the electrochemical series are extracted by electrolysis.
• The extraction of metals by electrolysis is called electro-metallurgy.