How do I know what metal is for scrap?

The presence or lack of oxidation can tell you a lot about a scrap metal’s chemical makeup. Iron scrap metal will often have a distinctive red rust. Oxidation on bronze and copper has a greenish coloring. Chromium and stainless steel will not have any oxidation on them.

What is the most common scrap metal?

The most common scrap metals that we have found are: aluminum, brass, steel, and copper. We can call those common scrap metals the “core four.” Scrap metals are easy to sort if you just start off by learning the most common scrap metals and where you can find them.

How do you separate scrap metal for the most money?

Separate Your Scrap Separating each metal will wield you more profit because you’ll get higher prices for the rarer metals. To separate your scrap, set up different containers in your garage or where you scrap that are pre-labeled with the specific type of metal and throw your scrap into each different container.

Is cast iron worth money in scrap?

5—Cast Iron While it may be the least valuable household scrap metal, what it lacks in price it makes up for in weight. This is why many scrappers won’t pass up on cast iron. The cost per pound of this scrap metal can add up pretty fast, which makes it worth your while to bring it over to the recycling yard.

Is it worth sorting scrap metal?

It’s a fact that clean metal is simply worth more than dirty metals, so sort yours according to whether or not they have any rust, dirt, mud and other contaminates. Typically, you should look to completely separate out the most expensive metals such as copper.

Is burnt copper worth less?

(When you burn copper wire, it loses about half its weight, depending on the type of wire.) On the other hand, if you were to strip the same wire, you would make at least $31! If you DO want to strip the wire yourself, you will generally get Copper #1, the highest value copper available.

Can you burn the plastic off copper wire?

NO BURNING: First and foremost, we would like to reiterate that you should NEVER under any circumstances “burn” your copper wire to remove the insulation. Not only does it harm the environment from the fumes, but it will downgrade your copper at the scrap yard.