Copper recycling has been around for hundreds of years, even starting from the Middle Ages. During those times, bronze cannons were melted and reused for other items. Even old church bells were recycled to be used as cannon. Copper is the third most recycled metal next to aluminum and iron. The most common use for copper is for electrical applications like wires and power cords because of its high conductivity and freedom from breaks even after production.
Before buying or selling scrap copper, be aware of the current rates so the sale will be worth it. A stripped coated wire has a higher value. Just be careful when using razor when pulling out the wires from their coating. Scrap copper also has different prices, depending on their quality. A new shiny clean copper has the higher price. Copper wires that have a decent thickness, no smudges of paint or solder are the next higher value. The one with the lowest value is the coated wires, meaning coaxial cables, phone cables that are just too difficult to strip. Sorting scrap copper before recycling is important, otherwise, the recycling center will rate it at the lowest value.
There are several considerations in the copper recycling process. When the scrap copper is made up of only one alloy, it’s easier to melt and turn into a good quality product. If it’s contaminated or mixed with other materials, like solder, adjusting its composition in the final product will be more difficult, especially when copper buying wholesalers have certain quality specifications. If it’s just added tin or lead, the composition can still be adjusted to a particular level of quality. If the scrap copper has been contaminated to a much larger degree, the only way to turn it into an acceptable quality is to refine it back to pure copper with the use of metal refining techniques. In copper recycling, higher quality copper goes through a furnace where it’s melted and turned into ingots and billets, while lower quality copper is first refined through electroplating in a sulphuric acid bath.
Before buying or selling scrap copper, be aware of the current rates so the sale will be worth it. A stripped coated wire has a higher value. Just be careful when using razor when pulling out the wires from their coating. Scrap copper also has different prices, depending on their quality. A new shiny clean copper has the higher price. Copper wires that have a decent thickness, no smudges of paint or solder are the next higher value. The one with the lowest value is the coated wires, meaning coaxial cables, phone cables that are just too difficult to strip. Sorting scrap copper before recycling is important, otherwise, the recycling center will rate it at the lowest value.
There are several considerations in the copper recycling process. When the scrap copper is made up of only one alloy, it’s easier to melt and turn into a good quality product. If it’s contaminated or mixed with other materials, like solder, adjusting its composition in the final product will be more difficult, especially when copper buying wholesalers have certain quality specifications. If it’s just added tin or lead, the composition can still be adjusted to a particular level of quality. If the scrap copper has been contaminated to a much larger degree, the only way to turn it into an acceptable quality is to refine it back to pure copper with the use of metal refining techniques. In copper recycling, higher quality copper goes through a furnace where it’s melted and turned into ingots and billets, while lower quality copper is first refined through electroplating in a sulphuric acid bath.
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