Silver color insulated wire

I took apart about 5 computers. I went to strip some of the wires but the wire inside is a silver color.I assumed it would be copper. What is the wire made of? Also what would i scrap it as?

Some people have said that computer wires are normally copper, but could be colored differently. Take a file to it and rub off some of the exterior color, you might find that it is indeed copper.

Will give that a try. Thank you.

computer wire might be tinned to help make soldering easier.

That's a good question J&J, because I'll strip even the braided wire as long as it's the copper color all the way through. But the silver colored wire, I thought was aluminum so I turn that stuff in insulated.

Out of computers that is all copper. Solder covered. Just hit it with file and you will see. I have torn down about 20 computers so far and all the data processing wires have been solder covered copper. Yards will buy it as #2, or atleast mine does.

I checked it is copper. Thank you for the help.

I think its just Copper coated with Tin.
I just put mine into a seperate sack & keep it with the copper & then mention the 'tinned' copper & put them together.
They know what it is, its Copper.

'Tinned' is probably a misnomer, its Tin, but solder coated copper (wire or a soldering bolt) is called "Tinned" even though its a mixture of tin & lead (solder).

I find it on braided copper wire (TV signal cable & such) & odd, mostly old wire.

I have been scrapping copper for a long time, but just came across some elecrical parts that someone told me were silver coated copper. I also have some silver plated copper plates I have picked up from local garage sales. I'm wondering if its worth more or less than #2 scrap.

Originally Posted by red-scrapper

I have been scrapping copper for a long time, but just came across some elecrical parts that someone told me were silver coated copper. I also have some silver plated copper plates I have picked up from local garage sales. I'm wondering if its worth more or less than #2 scrap.

I just stripped the insulation off some wire I tore out of some very, very old 8' flouresent light fixtures here a while back and to my surprise a lot of the wiring was a shiny silver color with shiny bright copper underneath.

I did a couple searches on the 'net to see what I could find out about it and mostly came up with sterling silver jewelry wire. Haha However, I did turn up a couple electrical wire results, but nothing that really told me much.

I, too, am wondering if this worth more or less than regular copper wiring 'cause it appears to be, from my searches, actual silver that is covering the copper.

Thanks, ya'll!

Strip the wire if it still has tin coating then it is number #2 no matter the gauge. #1 scrap copper wire is based on many variables including: 8 Gauge or heavier?, Is each individual strand as thick as a pencil lead / hanger? If so #1 unless tin coated or shelaq example some welding & mtw wire have this coating which is similiar to the coating that is used in electric motor winding.

Avg #1 copper wire includes:

Stripped or Jacket Removed Romex / Houswire, with the jacket removed some call this spaghetti wire which is considered a single pencil lead wire that bends and stays bent "Stiff"
THHN 250 - 700 MCM
THHN 1 - 3 "O"
Some THWN in thick gauges
etc etc.

Whats THHN, THWN, MTW?
THHN is a hard plastic insulated wire, THWN is a soft rubber type insulatiom, MTW "Machine & Tooling Wire"
MCM has a hard plastic insulation MCM is what you see on powerlines.