Patent ID: 8795506

Claim:
A method of electrowinning an element from a compound, comprising: providing a liquid electrolyte, in which the compound is dissolved; providing a cathode in electrical contact with the liquid electrolyte; providing an anode separated from the liquid electrolyte by a membrane capable of conducting the ions from the electrolyte; and executing a deposition-dissolution cycle comprising: extracting electrons from the anode while providing electrons to the cathode during a first interval, thereby depositing a solid product, the element constituting at least 99% of the deposited solid product, onto the cathode, and electrically isolating the anode while extracting electrons from the cathode and providing electrons to a counter cathode in contact with the liquid electrolyte during a second interval, thereby electrodissolving a portion of the deposited solid product from the cathode and plating solid material comprising the element onto the counter cathode.