The word electrolysis is a combination of Greek words, electron and lysis, and was first introduced by Michael Faraday in the 19th century. Electrolysis has been used as a tool to study chemical reactions and obtain pure elements much before the term was coined.
Electrolysis is a technique in which a direct current (DC) is passed through an ionic substance (that is either molten or dissolved in a suitable solvent) to produce chemical reactions at the electrodes and separate materials. The main components required to achieve electrolysis are electrolyte, direct current and electrodes.
Electrolysis is used in industry for the production of many metals and non-metals (e.g., aluminium, magnesium, chlorine, and fluorine). Electrolysis is commonly employed for coating one metal with another. The method of coating one metal with another using an electric current is called electroplating.