Get a visual understanding of all the various metals and materials available for scrapping. Choose between Non-Ferrous, Ferrous and Electronic Metals. We make it easy!
Non-Ferrous Metal List
- #1 Bare Bright Copper Wire
- Bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire free of attachments.
- #1 Copper Tubing
- Bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper bus bar/pipe free of attachments
- #2 Copper Tubing
- Burnt copper wire, copper with light tin coating or solder.
- #3 Roofing Copper
- Roofing/gutter/flashing copper with little tar or attachments
- #3 w/Tar
- Roofing copper with heavy tar, wood, or attachments.
- 300 Series Stainless Steel
- Most common form of Stainless Steel, will not stick to a magnet
- 304 Stainless Steel
- Must be analyzed and have no attachments
- 316 Stainless Steel
- Must be analyzed and have no attachments
- 400 Series Stainless Steel
- Contains no nickel and is magnetic
- 500/750 Insulated Cable
- Insulated Copper Cable with rubber jacket
- ACR
- Free of brass/iron/plastic
- AL Thermopane
- Aluminum with plastic insulated running through the middle.
- AL/ Copper Rads w/Iron
- Plastic/iron/steel attached.
- AL/Copper Cutoffs
- Ends from the ACR/Copper Fins.
- Aluminum 6061
- Clean cutoff 6061 material.
- Aluminum 6063
- Clean cutoff 6063 material.
- Aluminum Cans
- Free of foil/tin/plastic/liquid/ garbage/etc. Can be crushed or whole.
- Aluminum Clips
- Clean cutoff 6061 material.
- Aluminum Copper Radiators
- Free of brass/iron/plastic
- Aluminum Litho
- No paper/plastic/ink or other contaminants
- Aluminum Radiators
- Auto radiators free of steel/plastic/liquid
- Aluminum Rims
- Free of rubber tire/dirt/attachments. Free of Lead Wheel Weights.
- Aluminum Scrap
- Aluminum Scrap: Many variations of aluminum, ask scrap yard
- Aluminum Siding
- Clean of plastic coating/foam/dirt/steel
- Aluminum Thermopane/break
- Aluminum with plastic insulated running through the middle.
- Aluminum Thermo-pane/break
- Aluminum Transformers
- Has a steel core with aluminum windings surrounding it. Could have an outer case surrounding the aluminum as well.
- Aluminum Turnings
- The excess from machine cut aluminum free of oil or steel.
- Bare Bright Copper
- Bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire free of attachments.
- Brass
- Mixed Brass castings, taps, valves, rod brass, chrome plated brass
- Brass Hair Wire
- No oil or contaminents
- Brass Pipe
- Free of solder/cast iron connections/free of sediment inside
- Brass Radiators
- Free of steel sides and no coolant inside
- Brass Scrap
- Many variations of copper, ask scrap yard
- Brass Shells
- Little plastic/dirt/steel attached or residue inside w/out primers
- Brass Turnings
- The excess from machine cut brass free of oil or steel.
- Bronze
- Free of high lead contamination or steel.
- Burnt Copper
- Copper wire that has been burnt and has residue/contamination
- Car/Truck Batteries
- No holes, battery intact.
- Carbide
- Must be analyzed and have no attachments
- Cast Aluminum
- Clean casted aluminum without steel/rubber/attachments
- Catalytic Converters
- Must have both ends of exhaust cut off so scrap yard can see inside
- CATV Wire
- Must be separated white from black.
- Clean ACR
- Free of brass/iron/plastic
- Clean AL Wire
- Free of steel, plastic, rubber
- Clean AL/Copper Fin
- Free of brass/iron/plastic
- Clean Brass Radiators
- Free of steel sides and no coolant inside
- Clean Brass Turnings
- No aluminum/steel mixed in, free of oil.
- Clean Roofing Copper
- Roofing/gutter/flashing copper with no tar or attachments
- Communications Wire
- CAT 5/6, Data wire, Insulated copper with plastic
- Composition
- Red Brass free of high lead contamination or steel.
- Compressors
- Drained from oil/fluids from AC Units/Cooling Units
- Copper Scrap
- Many variations of copper, ask scrap yard
- Copper Transformers
- Has a steel core with copper windings surrounding it. Could have an outer case surrounding the copper as well.
- Copper Turnings
- No aluminum/steel mixed in, free of oil.
- Die Cast
- Free of steel/iron/platic and melted pieces.
- Dirty ACR
- Plastic/iron/steel attached.
- Dirty AL Radiators
- Auto radiators with steel/plastic (no liquids).
- Dirty AL/Copper Fin
- Plastic/iron/steel attached.
- Dirty Aluminum Turnings
- Containing traces of steel or oil.
- Dirty Brass
- Contaminated with heavy iron, castings, plastic,
- Dirty Brass Radiators
- Plastic or iron attached to radiators (no coolant).
- Dirty Roofing Copper
- Roofing copper with heavy tar, wood, or attachments.
- EC Wire
- Free of steel, plastic, rubber
- Electric Motors (Aluminum)
- Whole motor without heavy steel attachments (pumps, bases, loose iron)
- Electric Motors (Copper)
- Whole motor without heavy steel attachments (pumps, bases, loose iron)
- Enameled Copper
- Coated copper, similar to a dirty copper pipe.
- Gold
- Please call dealer for their description on buying gold scrap. Most will require State ID.
- Hastelloy Solids
- Must be analyzed and have no attachments
- Hastelloy Turnings
- Must be analyzed and have no attachments
- Heliax Wire
- Cell Phone Wire, several kinds, contact your yard to explain which you have.
- High Speed Steel
- Must be analyzed and have no attachments
- Housewire
- Romex, CAT 5/6, Aluminum Jacketed BX w/copper inside
- Inconel
- Must be analyzed and have no attachments
- Insulated Aluminum Wire
- AL Wire covered by jacket free of steel
- Insulated Copper Cable
- Copper cable with heavier jacket or coating
- Insulated Copper Wire
- Romex, CAT 5/6, Aluminum Jacketed BX w/copper inside
- Insulated Steel BX
- Steel clad jacket with copper wire inside
- Junkshop Extrusion
- Irony Extrusion, containing rivets and steel.
- Lead
- Soft Scrap lead with no steel/foil/paper/brass or attachments
- Lead Batteries
- No holes, battery intact
- Lead Coated Copper
- Roofing Copper/Bus bar with lead coating.
- Lead Shot
- Lead from bullets.
- Lead Wheel Weights
- No iron clips attached.
- Light Copper
- Roofing/gutter/flashing copper with little tar or attachments
- Monel
- Must be analyzed and be free of attachments.
- Ni-Cad Batteries
- No holes, battery intact.
- Nickel
- Must be analyzed and have no attachments
- Old Sheet Aluminum
- No plastic/steel/glass/dirt on the material
- Painted Aluminum
- Window Frame, AL Siding, that has been painted
- Platinum
- Must be analyzed and have no attachments
- Plumbers Brass
- Mixed Brass castings, taps, valves, rod brass, chrome plated brass
- Prepared Aluminum
- No dirt/steel/attachments
- Red Brass
- Free of high lead contamination or steel.
- Rod Brass
- Cutoffs from machine shops and new brass production
- Rod Brass Turnings
- The excess from machine cut brass free of oil or steel.
- Romex Wire
- Most common in homes, has two jackets on the copper.
- Sealed Units
- Drained from oil/fluids from AC Units/Cooling Units
- Semi-Red Brass
- A good example is a water meter, ask your scrap yard for their classification
- Sheet Aluminum
- No plastic/steel/glass/dirt on the material
- Silver
- Please call dealer for their description on buying silver scrap. Most will require State ID.
- Silver Plated Copper
- Copper with a small amount of silver as the coating.
- Stainless Steel
- Must not stick to a magnet, have steel or other items attached.
- Stainless Turnings
- The excess from machine cut stainless steel free of oil or steel.
- Steel BX
- Steel clad jacket with copper wire inside
- THHN Wire
- 10-14 gage wire, Spaghetti Wire, Solid copper inside
- Tin
- Must be analyzed and have no attachments
- Tin Coated Copper
- Copper with a small amount of tin as the coating.
- Tin Insulated Copper Wire
- Tin Coated copper with insulation of any kind
- Unclean Brass Radiators
- Plastic or iron attached to radiators (no coolant).
- Wire Scrap
- Many variations of copper, ask scrap yard
- Wiring Harness
- Wires inside of a heavy plastic from cars.
- Yellow Brass
- Mixed Brass castings, taps, valves, rod brass, chrome plated brass
- Zinc
- Pure Zinc without any foreign material.
These metals are not representative of what a specific yard purchases but a glossary of materials to educate the customer.