Patent ID: 7985326

Claim:
An electrolytic cell for production of a metal of interest by electrowinning, said cell comprising in combination: a molten salt electrolyte disposed in a cell, a DC current source; a cathode and an anode in contact with said electrolyte, wherein said anode is a feed electrode formed of a composite of a partially reduced oxide of the metal of interest and carbon, wherein the anode is formed of a composite of a partially reduced oxide of the metal of interest with carbon selected from the group consisting of a titanium oxide-or titanium suboxide-carbon composite, a chromium oxide-carbon composite, a hafnium oxide-carbon composite, a molybdenum oxide-carbon composite, a niobium oxide-carbon composite, a tantalum oxide-carbon composite, a tungsten oxide-carbon composite, a vanadium oxide-carbon composite, and a zirconium oxide-carbon composite.