CBSE Class 10 Answered

Electrolytic reduction involves passing a large current through a molten metal oxide or an aqueous solution of the metal's salt. The molten metal oxide gets reduced to metal in the process. The step of metallurgy where this process comes is reduction of metal oxide to metal.For example, aluminium is electrolysed from aluminium oxide dissolved in molten cryolite to aluminium via the Hall-Héroult process.

2 Al₂O₃ + 3 C → 4 Al + 3 CO₂

Electrolytic refining is involved in the step of refining of impure metal to pure metal.Electrolytic refining consists of purifying an impure material, in this case a metal.

The only similarity in both the processes is involvement of electric current. But both are entirely different processes.