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Im pretty new to scrapping and have a few questions about copper.
First i was breaking down a box fan last night and when i took the motor apart i found green, red, and normal copper colored windings. Are these all copper or are the colored ones another type of metal?
Second, what does your yards consider #1 copper? Does it have to be bright or can it be dull colored? Does it count #1 as anything stripped?
depending on state laws, burnt copper can just as easily be #1 as it can #2..
the easiest thing really to go by is if one "strand" of the copper is bigger than a pencil lead, and has no additives, or corrosion,
it will be #1.
On the burnt copper some yards won't even take it or you will get a lower price. The best thing to do is take a knife and cut a slice off those windings because sometimes they are aluminum. Once you start handling a lot of copper you will be able to feel the weight difference between the copper and aluminum windings. The colored windings if they are copper go as #2 at my yard. And anything bigger than a pencil lead wether dull or bright n shiny goes as #1 at my yard also
Its not burnt, its just a iguess youd say a little oxidized where its a deeper shade of copper than the bright stuff. Would there really be any way to tell the difference between copper and aluminum windings besides the weight?
you could carry around a butane light or a mini propane torch and light a piece of it if you are absolutely unsure and observe a flame test..
quickest is to snip straight across a few strands with a pair of aviation snips. aluminum will be silver color, copper will be copper color. if still unsure then the flame test mentioned above
but you will get used to the weight of copper vs. ali pretty darn quickly
aluminum windings look like bloated copper windings. You can simply scratch across it with a knife to know
We really do not condone burning any wire. :(Quote:
Originally Posted by iicekingg
First of all any copper that comes out of those small motors is going to be #2. If it's a diffrant color do like Bear said and scrap it with a knife or screw driver, if it's silver in color then it is aluminum.
Quote:
Originally Posted by happyscraper
LOL you and your scraps and scrapes.