categories of copper

Hi, I am new to the forums and have already gained much information in regards to scrapping through those who post frequently.....so Thank You!!



My local scrap yard pays for copper wire as #1 & #2 stripped and #1 & #2 insulated. However, I see they break it down into more distinct groups where they warehouse it. Is it common for scrap yards to not acknowledge bright & shiny?

I would travel out of my area if it meant getting a few more dollars, but if that is the norm I wouldn't bother going elsewhere. Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks Filthy, for that info.

The two local yards in Panama City do not acknowledge bare bright, they just pay you for #1. I'll be hoarding for a while and will take it elsewhere.

That's a thought. Thank you.

As a rule iv;e always recieved .10 a lb more fore bright and shinney how ever as you find out over time in the business different buyers different pricing I some times think it just depends on their mood.

just remember clean/shinny hair wire(welding cable) will most likely be a number 1. smelter says its so small some of it burns up and they lose some.

So I'm a little confused....read in a few places that #1 is clean copper and is based on size (not less than 1/16 thick). Anything smaller than this will be worth drastically less. Is this true? Also, just to clarify: bare bright just refers to the shininess of the copper? Thank you in advance for the input.

Thank you for the clarification. I guess the reason I was thinking substantial difference all comes down to the volume. Our largest granulator will oftentimes produce around 2,000 lbs of copper/hour output. That being said, .10 adds up quick!

I really don't see why the size of the granules would matter when you're looking at a 4,000 - 5,000 lb box of clean copper. Isn't the mill just going to melt it all down anyway?

Anybody out there know if the size of granules makes a difference?

My yard refers to bare bright as at least 12 gauge (thicker than a pencil lead), multi-stranded and free of insulation, tarnish and any other contaminates. Basically this is MCM wire that has been stripped. Try referring to it as bare bright when you bring it in, so the yard knows that you know what you have. If they don't give you a different price from #1 copper (about $0.10 more) than take it somewhere that will...like my yard! I'll pay you $3.41 a pound for it today!

And is far as wire goes...I have 11 categories of ICW on my buying sheet. However, we probably have three times that many categories when we sell it. It all comes down to the recovery % of copper. We even have a full-time guy whose sole job is to test bales of wire for recovery %.

some info here... http://planet-metals.com/copper_recycling/

and here... http://www.recycle.net/Metal-N/Coppe...affilid=100029

I briefly looked at buying a granulator, before the price brought me back down to Earth ($38 000 Cdn to start). The granulator dealer told me that in his experience, any product that came out of the granulator, at any of his customers, was graded as #2. Didn't matter what kind of wire or cable it started out as, or how big the crumbs were, or how bright and shiny it was. It is simply graded as #2 copper. He told me he had sold 8 systems in various parts of the country, and all his customers had the same experience. I don't know if they were all selling to the same mill(s), or what the deal was, but that is what I was told. Each person's own results obviously may be different, though.