Question

which element is initially obtained commercially by electrolytic reduction?

Answer 1

Aluminium was obtained initially in commercial scale by electrolytic reduction.

The process is known as Hall-Heroult process, which was discovered in 1886.

In 1888 they produced Aluminium by this process in large scale.

The Hall–Heroult process is the major industrial process for smelting aluminium. It involves dissolving aluminium oxide (alumina) (obtained most often from bauxite, aluminium's chief ore, through the Bayer process) in molten cryolite, and electrolysing the molten salt bath, typically in a purpose-built cell. The Hall–Héroult process applied at industrial scale happens at 940–980°C and produces 99.5–99.8% pure aluminium. Recycled aluminum requires no electrolysis, thus it does not end up in this process.