Betts electrolytic process 1624551 161728585 2007-10-02T04:55:00Z Matthew Yeager 4134475 wiki standards using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] The '''Betts electrolytic process''' is an industrial process for separating [[lead]] and [[bismuth]]. It is named for its inventor Anson Gardner Betts. ==Process description for lead== The electrolyte for this process is a mixture of [[lead fluorosilicate]] (PbSiF<sub>6</sub>) and [[hydrofluorosilicic acid]] (H<sub>2</sub>SiF<sub>6</sub>) heated to 45°C. Cathodes are thin sheets of pure lead and anodes are cast from the impure lead to be purified. A potential of 0.5 volts is applied. At the anode, lead goes into solution, as do metal impurities that are less noble than lead. Impurities that are more noble than lead, such as silver, gold, and bismuth, flake from the anode as it dissolves and settle to the bottom of the vessel as "anode mud." Pure metallic lead plates onto the cathode, with the less noble metals remaining in solution. Because of the high cost of electrolysis, this process is used only when very pure lead is needed. Otherwise the [[Parkes process]] followed by the [[Betterton-Kroll process]] are used to purify lead.<ref name="samans">Samans, Carl H. ''Engineering Metals and their Alloys'', 1949 MacMillan</ref> ==See also== *[[lead#Processing of metal from ore|Processing lead from ore]] ==References== <references/> ==External links== * [http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/other/mining/minedock/id/id4-bis.pdf Bismuth] ---- {{electrolysis}} <!-- Categories --> [[Category:Industrial processes]] [[Category:Metallurgy]] [[Category:Bismuth]] [[Category:Lead]] [[Category:Electrolysis]] {{industry-stub}}