What Types Of Metals Are Reusable?

Knowing your brass from your bronze is a huge advantage when you're recycling metal. After all, pre-sorting metal is advantageous - scrap metal yards usually pay more for metal that is sorted by type.

Below, you'll find a primer on the different types often accepted by scrap metal recycling centres. That way, you can set aside your scrap and make money for your metal, while doing something good for the environment!

Copper

Copper is a recycler's prized metal. It's found in all kinds of building materials, from gutters to wiring, and it's one of the most valuable materials you can pull up at a scrapyard. Why is it like this? Only 12% of the world's natural metal supply has been mined - so it is relatively rare from a scrapper's point of view. And it's one of the easiest-to-recycle materials.

All copper is precious, but some grades are more valuable than others. Bare-glazed copper—Shined copper thinner than 16 gauge is not built into the pipe. And then there's Copper #1 and Copper #2, and the big difference between them is how clean they are. So if possible, remove your wire and clean the pipes before bringing them in!

Aluminium

One of the most common metals around, aluminium can be found in tons of different products. Dishwashers, refrigerators and other appliance scrap yards are often sources of aluminium, but you can also find it in building materials, household items, and even fewer soda cans. At Gardner Metals, we carry all types of aluminium—window and door frames, sheet metal, aluminium alloys, and yes, cans too!

The recycling of aluminium is so efficient that the turnaround for recycled cans can be up to 60 days. This means that in less than two months, cans dropped at scrap metal recycling centres can be back on the shelves as a new product. And the process uses 95% less energy than freshly mined aluminium. Now that's an environmental victory!

Brass and Bronze

Brass and bronze are both copper alloys. Most scrap yards carry red brass or gunmetal, as it's also known—which is actually a type of bronze made from copper, tin, and zinc. Gunmetal earned its name from its original use: making firearms. Guns today are usually made from steel, but you can still find red brass in pipes, valves, and plumbing fixtures.

Then there's yellow brass, an alloy of copper and zinc, which most scrap metal recycling centres will happily get out of your hands. Reputed for its use in musical instruments such as horns and bells, yellow brass is also in heavy rotation in door hinges, handles and locks, as well as in plumbing pipes and fixtures and electrical components. Brass is a heavy metal that can rapidly add to the scale. And because it's non-ferrous (it doesn't contain iron), it will fetch you high value at the scrap yard!

Stainless Steel

You're probably already familiar with stainless steel—in fact, chances are you have some stainless steel items and fixtures in your kitchen or bathroom right now. Stainless is the most valuable type of steel because it does not rust like untreated steel. This is because it is actually a steel alloy. A little chromium is added to it during the production process to give it corrosion resistance.

Stainless steel comes in a variety of grades and finishes, which can affect the steel's value to the business. Because of this, it is sometimes confused with aluminium, which has a much lower market rate. Try testing your stainless steel products with a magnet to determine if they contain iron - if the magnet sticks, you have aluminium, not stainless steel!

Iron And Tin

Cast iron is a heavy, black metal that is incredibly worn resistant. This makes it an ideal material for sturdier products such as gates, rails and stoves. Tin, on the other hand, is a soft, malleable metal commonly used for electrical and plumbing connections and food packaging. Again, the best way to detect iron is to give it a magnet test - if it sticks, you have iron!

Other Metals

Of course, scrap metal recycling dealers will take other metals as well. For example, at Gardner Metals, we will gladly accept exotic metals such as Hastelloy, Inconel, Monel, Nitronic, Molybdenum, Titanium and Tantalum. These metals have high-temperature points, which give them their strength. Thus they are often used in speciality industrial products and computer parts.

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