most escrap buyers buy gold plated pins but prices vary wildly so dont get offended by these numbers if you offer less =), $50 per pound for lowgrade to $1,000+ for high end milspec pins.
ribbon connector breakdown for 1 connector, using my jewelers scale, it is so accurate that just the airflow across it will make the numbers change:
connector as is after the ribbon wire has been completely separated properly from the connector: (0.183 ounces / 16) x $2 (connector grade) = 2.28 cents
gold plated pins only: (0.030 ounces / 16) x $50 (gold pin grade)= 9.30 cents
By processing this 1 connector i increased the value of my scrap by 407%, i made it into a much lighter higher yield item that is now profitable to ship and is more desirable to a refiner.
So 533 ribbon cable connectors produce 1 pound of gold plated pins. Definitely not worth breaking down unless you have absolutely nothing else to do. The trick would be to find a way to get the pins out quickly. Ball mill has been suggested but the abrasive action will reduce the quality/yield of the pins.
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