Process:
1) The electrolytic cell consists of an iron tank lined at the bottom with carbon, which serve as anode. A number of graphite rods serve as cathode.
2) The cell is filled with three liquid layers of different densities.
i) The top most layer consists of molten pure aluminum which acts as cathode.
ii) The middle layer is of electrolyte which consist of a mixture of molten fluorides of Al , Ba & Na.
iii) The bottom layer consists of molten impure aluminum.
3) On passing electric current, the aluminum ions from the middle layer discharged at the cathode and get collected in the top most layers. Same amount of aluminum ions from the bottom layer goes into the middle layer. Pure Al collected at the top is tapped out from time to time. Crude or impure Al is added to the bottom layer from time to time. The process is thus continued.