Tin coated copper

**fatboy2131** · 07-28-2011, 04:38 PM

I have access to a lot of copper that has been tin coated...Does anybody know if I should try to "buff" the tin coating off, or take it to the scrap as is? I wasn't sure what type of price difference I would see.

I also have nickel plated brass too...

**Mick** · 07-28-2011, 05:17 PM

Start by getting a price list to compare. I'd say it's not worth it but some people don't mind going to a lot of trouble.

**sjones99** · 07-28-2011, 06:32 PM

Tin coated copper goes for #2...only way to remove it is to burn it off

**wayne1956** · 07-29-2011, 10:10 AM

I took a good size batch of it in and they said the same thing, #2.

**fatboy2131** · 07-30-2011, 08:08 PM

It is 99% pure tin over the copper. I was worried about not getting a very good price if they suspected it wasn't copper. I'm not worried about recovering the tin - as I am not sure how. Each piece of copper can be between 20 & 50 pounds, then it is coated with the tin, so I see good weight in copper, but I wasn't really sure about the tin part - leave it on or buff it out. If there is a way to recover it, that would be awesome, but I'm not sure how to do that.

**Dru702** · 07-30-2011, 10:44 PM

@fatboy2131 Tin is only worth 12 CENTS /lb on LME its not worth trying to recover it.

**hobo finds** · 07-30-2011, 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by Dru702

@fatboy2131 Tin is only worth 12 CENTS /lb on LME its not worth trying to recover it.

Tin is $12.00 a pound. I think you are getting mixed up with steel for .12 a pound. Someplaces call steel tin

**Scraplogic** · 08-02-2011, 12:42 AM

Around here, we call steel tin and it's 9-10 cents/lb. I've never sorted anything into a seperate true tin or pure tin pile. Can someone who knows give me an example of something made of true tin?

I sure know my food cans ("tin cans") aren't worth $12/lb.

**IdahoScrapper** · 08-02-2011, 01:02 AM

Steel and tin are used interchangeably. I don't think anything is actually made using tin. Things are plated with it though.

**Mick** · 08-02-2011, 04:35 AM

Tin (the element) is used as a coating to prevent corrosion. It is never used as a separately. Commonly used in solder and to coat food containers (ie: tin cans).