utilizes a cell 1 containing a steel bar 6 in carbon cathode 7 during normal operation a cryolite alumina electrolyte 2 is subjected to a current sufficient to maintain the electrolyte in a liquid state the current flows to carbon anodes 4 resulting in the separation of molten aluminum metal 3 the generation of oxygen at the anode facilitates the formation of cryolite alumina crust 5 formation of the cryolite alumina crust 5 is to be expected fig2 depicts the normal operation of my process in which the cell 1 carbon cathode 7 cryolite alumina electrolyte 2 and molten aluminum 3 are disposed similar to the conventional process in fig1 the terminal 9 however is not carbon and may be any metal known to be useful for connecting a carbon anode as in fig1 preferably steel or titanium also different is the function of cryolite crust 5 as the anode the temperature is 800 1000 u00b0 c imparted entirely by resistance to the high current which should be at least 200 ka per cell preferably 225 ka to 275 ka and may be as high as 300 ka or higher in normal operation crust 5 covers the entire surface of the molten electrolyte 2 there should be at least one terminal 9 for every three square meters of crust 5 preferably there will be one terminal for each square meter of the cell in a rectangular cell 3 3 meters wide and ten meters long for example from ten to twenty terminals or as many as 30 or more may be used somewhat more or fewer terminals may be used within the operator 39 s discretion.