Tips and tricks for identifying scrap metal

If you can work efficiently and effectively, scrap metal recycling can provide a great source of income. It is crucial to know what to look out for and how to identify what you have discovered. The composition of the item you find will affect its value. Some metals, like copper, are more valuable than others.

It is crucial to distinguish what you find once you have decided where to look. As certain buyers may only require specific products, you need to be able separate the metals accurately. You also need to determine exactly what you have to do to make sure you get paid correctly.

Which Metal Do You Have?

Maybe your family members or friends give you scrap metal. You might even be able to collect it at bulk pick-ups. It may be collected from garbage locations. No matter what method you use, there will likely be a mixture of metals in your collection. The first step is to accurately separate them.

Commonly Found Metals: Traits

Although many metals appear to have the same properties on the surface, a few characteristics help distinguish them. These traits are discussed below.

Copper: Pure copper can be identified by its color. It is pink when pure, but it turns reddish or brown when it gets tarnished. You think something is copper but it’s green. It could be true. This is how copper’s color changes when it oxidizes in certain conditions. Copper can be found in electrical wiring and cookware, common sources. It can also be found in radiators and electronics. Copper can be extremely valuable as scrap metal.

Aluminum: Although aluminum is a plentiful metal, it does not rust and can sometimes oxidize to a white or powdery appearance. Aluminum is easy to find in trash cans and street garbage.

Bronze/Brass – While they are less valuable than pure copper these metals can still be found. These metals are often found in the form of old musical instruments, sculpture, pipe, or plumbing valves. The yellow color of these metals is often a sign that they are valuable. It’s not all yellow. There are two main types of brass: ‘Yellow Brass” and ‘Red Brass”. Red brass is more valuable than yellow brass because it contains more copper.

Stainless Steel: Available in various varieties, this metal can often be identified in discarded appliances. These metals may be of interest to scrap metal buyers.

The right tools can help

Although your eyes and hands are the best ways to identify metals (looking at colors and determining their weight), sometimes tools can be helpful. Magnets are one of the most useful and easy to use. A ferrous element is an item that attracts to a magnet. This is iron for all intents, but nickel and cobalt can also be ferrous elements.

For the most part, items that do not respond to magnets are not ferrous. Ferrous metals are made up of iron. Your magnet can be used to separate iron-containing metals from other metals like aluminum. A magnet can be a great investment if you’re interested in scrap metal sales. This tool is portable and affordable, and can be extremely valuable in separating metals or determining their composition.

*Stainless steels can be ferrous but not magnetic. This is due to the complex interaction between iron and nickel atoms and how the nickel alters the atomic lattice. Non-magnetic stainless steels are more valuable than magnetic stainless, just as with the non-ferrous metals. We will be posting more information about sorting stainless steel in a future blog.