Computer heat sinks..hidden copper

**easyrecycle** · 06-15-2011, 08:44 PM

This one hit me as I was training a new employ yesterday.

There are some computer heat sinks that are copper but look like AL. You have to "scratch test" the bottom part of it to see if it shows white or copper.

You can tell what one are copper or not..but the weight of them. You can feel that they are "bottom" heavy.

I will take a photo of the ones I am talking about next time I am at the unit (an if I don't forget about taking the photo)

Just thought I would let ya'll know that some of them have copper base on them that is coated in white metal (sometimes AL or nickel...mostly AL)

**Scrap Master J** · 06-16-2011, 04:45 AM

Thanks for the heads up on this. I have several styles of heat sinks that are copper aluminum mix. Do these go as copper aluminum fin or ? Some have round cylinder of copper surrounded by AL. Any slick trick to seperate? Tried to press it out with a ball joint press but the tool was kinda messed up and didn't work.

**wdaddy** · 08-03-2011, 12:58 PM

I remove the copper plug from heat sinks by straddling it over 2 transformers and driving a large square punch into the copper until it pops out the bottom. 5 or 6 good strikes from my hammer does the trick. I thought about using my balljoint press, but it seems like to much work.

Taking these to the yard without separating them results in prices less then aluminum. Lots of money lost the first time I took some in.

**fiat128** · 08-10-2011, 04:36 PM

My Toshiba laptop has a huge finned copper heatsink in it. It still runs but everytime I pick it up I stare at the heatsink knowing one day it's scrap.

**Copper Head** · 08-10-2011, 08:26 PM

I have some of those heat sinks it's a chunk of copper with AL fins until fins are off it's $1.00 per pound as of Aug 10 2011 same price as air conditioner copper AL fins

**wdaddy** · 08-11-2011, 10:02 AM

my scrap yard called them aluminum breakage or irony aluminum (or something like that. I would have to look up the ticket). They gave me much less then the .50 /lb that I was getting for the aluminum heat sinks. I kicked myself when I found out how easy they were to take apart.

**Copper Head** · 08-12-2011, 03:29 AM

Irony aluminum is just that (dirty Aluminum) the lowest pay , when i have some DA or IA that's just to hard to clean i just put it with mixed load .
Copper & Aluminum is not irony aluminum the pay should be ok on it. the magnet never lies. Copper & Aluminum mix always pays more then just Aluminum at-least at my yard
For the most part when sufficient copper is on any type of metal it will improve the price of the lower cost metal.

Of-course Sliver , Gold , Platinum would not benefit from copper

**newattitude** · 08-12-2011, 04:35 PM

Well I'll be. I remember throwing a few ''heavy'' ones into the bucket not thinking to check them, thanks for the heads up!!

*Adds this new tip to list*

**Hurrikane** · 08-12-2011, 09:39 PM

Don't forget the little heat sinks that attach the big heat sink to the circuit board. They are little black plastic looking things with some kinda dielectric white paste on them.They are usually copper and aluminum.

**Dumpster-Dee** · 08-12-2011, 10:57 PM

thank you Hurrikane...I've never checked those.

**zakmattingly** · 08-12-2011, 11:18 PM

Originally Posted by Hurrikane

Don't forget the little heat sinks that attach the big heat sink to the circuit board. They are little black plastic looking things with some kinda dielectric white paste on them.They are usually copper and aluminum.

Really? I never thought to mess with em cuz of the plastic on em. I've saved every circuit board since I started scrappin a few months ago so I think I might have to go back through em.

**newattitude** · 08-12-2011, 11:44 PM

Originally Posted by Hurrikane

Don't forget the little heat sinks that attach the big heat sink to the circuit board. They are little black plastic looking things with some kinda dielectric white paste on them.They are usually copper and aluminum.

Seriously? I had no idea what they were, I thought the black plastic was ceramic or something hard like that.

**easyrecycle** · 08-13-2011, 12:20 PM

I'm a computer recycling company an I am lost on what you all are talking about...so maybe post a photo?

**wdaddy** · 08-13-2011, 01:05 PM

Heat sinks on the onboard video and sub processors. I just leave them on the board. Boards are $3-$4 / lb. Aluminum is $.50 / lb.

**easyrecycle** · 08-13-2011, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by wdaddy

Heat sinks on the onboard video and sub processors. I just leave them on the board. Boards are $3-$4 / lb. Aluminum is $.50 / lb.

Lol thats what I do...but you can only push the $4.00 if you have a ton of weight.

I will pay up to $4.00 but you have to have like three gaylords to make it worth it to me.

**PartTimeScrapper** · 08-13-2011, 08:14 PM

Looks like boardsort.com is paying $4.50 a pound for them. Never dealt with them before though so dont know how good they are about stuff.

**newattitude** · 08-26-2011, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by easyrecycle

I'm a computer recycling company an I am lost on what you all are talking about...so maybe post a photo?

G]

**ilyaz** · 08-26-2011, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by PartTimeScrapper

Looks like boardsort.com is paying $4.50 a pound for them. Never dealt with them before though so dont know how good they are about stuff.

I've been selling them all my escrap for a few months now. I send him the list of what I have (with accurate weights) , get a quote, ship, send him the tracking #, he pays me through Paypal. I have not seen anyone offer prices that good and so I assume this beats trying to sell your boards etc on eBay. plus you save on ebay fees. You still end up with a Paypal fee and so I asked them to send me a check instead but they only pay through payPal.

Also, I have send him dozens oh photos with "how much is this worth?" questions. He usually replies fairly quickly.

**BarrenRealms007** · 06-22-2012, 08:05 AM

For the ones that are coper with an aluminum coating you can soak the in HCL for a little while to remove the aluminum, for the anodized aluminum ones you can soak them in a light solution of sodium hydroxide and remove the anodized coating and have clean aluminum.

**msearl3244** · 06-22-2012, 08:36 AM

I have been running into these on servers. I think I have about 12 of them now. My best friend is a retired Professor at a local university. He looked at it and told me the bottoms were copper. I asked him how he knew, and he told me that was why they call him Doctor and call me Mike...lol On a serious note, I have not had time to try to separate them and don't know how I will when the time comes. I have just set them off to the side for now.

Computer heat sinks..hidden copper

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