How To Prepare Your Copper Wire For A Scrap Metal Recycling Service
Posted on: 18 October 2021
Scrap copper is often thrown away and that's a shame. Copper is in high demand and is very valuable. Not only can you help the environment by selling scrap metal, but you can turn a profit as well. It's also not very difficult to prepare your scrap metal for recycling.
Separate Different Types of Copper Scrap Metal
With scrap copper, you will need to separate the copper from other components that are not made from copper. You will also need to separate different grades of copper from each other. This is because a copper recycling company will not pay as much for copper that is not properly separated.
Remove Unnecessary Materials and Clean the Scrap Metal
The copper will also need to be thoroughly cleaned and polished. Copper can begin to develop a layer of tarnish. The tarnish does not hurt the copper, but well-cleaned copper is more likely to sell for a higher price. However, you will not want to scrub the copper so hard that it becomes scratched and loses its finish.
You are able to remove tarnish by using lemon juice and salt. You will want to fill the bowl with lemon juice and then sprinkle salt on top. You will want to stir it until the salt dissolves. Then, dip a rag into the container and use the lemon juice to scrub the copper to remove dirt and tarnish. There might also be paint and oil residue that you need to remove.
Remove the Fittings and Insulation
Oftentimes, the copper will have fittings that are made of many different materials. You might have tin, solder, and brass fittings. This is especially the case with copper tubes and flashing.
The copper might have rubber, insulation, or plastic attached to it. If this is the case, these materials need to be removed. Do not use fire to burn off the insulation because this can damage the wires. Instead, make sure to use a wire stripper to prepare the wire for sale.
Separate Your Copper
Copper that went under fire will be worth so little that it might not be worth selling. Copper that comes from your roof might be worth less because of the amount of tar and paint that will remain on the copper pieces. However, copper sheets can be valuable if they have not been damaged. If the copper is in good enough condition, you may make a tidy profit.
Reach out to a copper recycling company to learn more.
Share