To provide a method for producing a refined metal or metalloid, whereby electrolysis can be carried out at a temperature lower than the melting point of a metallic or metalloid element to be refined and whereby dendritic growth of the refined product or trapping of an electrolytic bath into the refined product can be prevented.
The method for producing the refined metal or metalloid comprises: an electrolysis step of carrying out electrolysis in the electrolytic bath disposed in an electrolytic cell using a material comprising the metallic or metalloid element and an impurity as an anode and using an alloy which comprises the same kind of metallic or metalloid element as the metallic or metalloid element contained in the anode and a solvent metal that does not substantially form a solid solution with the metallic or metalloid element and which has a complete solidifying temperature lower than the melting point of the metallic or metalloid element as a cathode at an electrolysis temperature at which the alloy can become a liquid phase, thereby transferring the metallic or metalloid element present in the anode to the alloy of the cathode; a subsequent withdrawal step; a precipitation step carried out at a temperature higher than the complete solidifying temperature and lower than the electrolysis temperature; and a recovery step.
OISHI TETSUO
KOYAMA KAZUYA
AIST
Yoshinori Shimizu
Takashi Mikami