• Metal List with Glossary of Common Scrap Metals

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. All the insulation has been removed from the wire and it is free of solder and paint.
  • #1 Copper Tubing
  • Bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper bus bar/pipe free of attachments.
  • #2/3 Mix Copper
  • When Copper Tubing and Roofing Copper are mixed together instead of separated.
  • #3 with Tar
  • Roofing copper with heavy tar, wood, or attachments.
  • ACR
  • Free of brass/iron/plastic
  • ACR Ends
  • Ends from the ACR/Copper Fins, usually contain iron or steel.
  • AL Extrusion
  • Must not contain other alloys of aluminum and be free of zinc corners, iron attachments, felt, plastic, paper, cardboard, and thermo break.
  • AL Thermopane
  • Aluminum with plastic insulated running through the middle.
  • Alternators
  • Found in cars, trucks, and other vehicles, they are filled with wound copper wire.
  • Aluminum Boat
  • Many boats will have wood, debris, foam, or other contaminants in them. It is recommended you clean out all non-aluminum items to maximize your returns.
  • Aluminum Cans
  • Free of foil/tin/plastic/liquid/ garbage/etc. Can be crushed or whole.
  • Aluminum Diesel Tank
  • The fuel tanks off of diesel trucks, make sure that there is a hole cut in it and that it was drained correctly.
  • Aluminum Engine Block
  • From cars, trucks, other vehicles, make sure that they are free of oil and remove plastic attachments
  • 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 Transformers
  • Has a steel core with aluminum windings surrounding it. Could have an outer case surrounding the aluminum as well.
  • Aluminum Wire w/Steel
  • Clean aluminum wire can sometimes have a steel core going through or around it. Use your magnet to find out.
  • Ballasts
  • Consist of copper inside of them, found in lighting fixtures.
  • Brass
  • Mixed Brass castings, taps, valves, rod brass, chrome plated brass
  • Brass Pipe
  • Free of solder/cast iron connections/free of sediment 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.
  • Bronze Turnings
  • The excess from machine cut bronze, free of oil or steel.
  • Burnt Copper
  • Copper wire that has been burnt and has residue/contamination
  • Carbide
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments
  • Cast Aluminum
  • Clean casted aluminum without steel/rubber/attachments
  • CATV Wire
  • Must be separated white from black.
  • Christmas Lights
  • Separate these from other wire due to the higher plastic content from the bulbs and other insulation.
  • Circuit Breakers
  • Many scrap yards will buy these as low bearing copper material.
  • Cobalt
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments.
  • Compressors
  • Drained from oil/fluids from AC Units/Cooling Units
  • Copper Transformers
  • Has a steel core with copper windings surrounding it. Could have an outer case surrounding the copper as well.
  • Die Cast
  • Free of steel/iron/platic and melted pieces.
  • Dirty AL Extrusion
  • Dirty aluminum with plastic, rubber, contaminants on or as part of it.
  • Dirty Brass
  • Contaminated with heavy iron, castings, plastic,
  • Double Insulated Cable
  • Used in many high voltage situations to ensure that copper is protected due to heavy electrical current.
  • EC Wire
  • Free of steel, plastic, rubber
  • Elevator Wire
  • Insulated copper wire used in powering and running elevators, this will have a heavy cloth insulation as well as a steel core.
  • F 75
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments.
  • Fire Wire
  • Used for running fire alarm systems.
  • Forktruck Battery
  • Steel encased lead acid batteries, they will be bought for less then a normal car battery price.
  • FSX 414
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments.
  • Fuses
  • Many scrap yards will buy these as low bearing copper material.
  • Gold
  • Please call dealer for their description on buying gold scrap. Most will require State ID.
  • Heliax Wire
  • Cell Phone Wire, several kinds, contact your yard to explain which you have.
  • Housewire
  • Romex, CAT 5/6, Aluminum Jacketed BX w/copper inside, and other insulated wire.
  • Inconel
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments
  • Inconel 792
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments.
  • Inconel 800
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments.
  • Inconel 825
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments.
  • Invar
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments.
  • Kovar
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments.
  • Lead
  • Soft Scrap lead with no steel/foil/paper/brass or attachments
  • Light Copper
  • Roofing/gutter/flashing copper with little tar or attachments
  • MarM247
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments.
  • Monel
  • Must be analyzed and be free of attachments.
  • Nickel
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments
  • Pewter
  • With many types and grades of pewter, most scrap yards will have to analyze it before giving you a price.
  • Platinum
  • Must be analyzed and have no attachments
  • Plumbers Brass
  • Mixed Brass castings, taps, valves, rod brass, chrome plated brass
  • Red Brass
  • Free of high lead contamination or steel.
  • Rod Brass
  • Cutoffs from machine shops and new brass production
  • 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
  • Silver
  • Please call dealer for their description on buying silver scrap. Most will require State ID.
  • Solid Core Heliax
  • Used in cell phone systems, they have a solid aluminum core running through them along with copper on the outside.
  • Stainless Steel
  • Must not stick to a magnet, have steel or other items attached.
  • Stainless Steel Kegs
  • Many states will not let you scrap these, so check with your local laws before trying to scrap them. Make sure that they are empty before scrapping them.
  • Stainless Steel Sinks
  • Most sinks will have a steel ring going around the bottom and will be bought lower then clean stainless.
  • Starters
  • Found in cars, trucks, and other vehicles, they are filled with wound copper wire.
  • 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
  • Wire Scrap
  • Many variations of copper, ask scrap yard
  • Yellow Brass
  • Mixed Brass castings, taps, valves, rod brass, chrome plated brass
  • Zinc
  • Pure Zinc without any foreign material.
  • #1 HMS
  • Prepared pieces smaller then 60”x 24” over ¼“ thick
  • #1 Prepared
  • Prepared scrap steel smaller then 5 ft by 2 ft and with a heavy gauge of ¼ inch or more.
  • #1 Steel
  • Prepared pieces smaller then 60”x 24” over ¼“ thick
  • #2 HMS
  • Scrap Steel with a lighter gauge and cannot include Light Iron or Sheet Metal.
  • #2 Prepared
  • Scrap Steel with a lighter gauge and cannot include Light Iron or Sheet Metal.
  • Automobiles
  • Scrap Autos are to be prepared by a licensed “auto recycler,” once processed free of gas tank, fluids, and battery it is densified or “crushed” for transportation purposes.
  • Busheling
  • Unpainted, new production scrap smaller then 12” and nothing coated on, no rust, or paint.
  • Cast Iron
  • Coil or old water piping, castings or plates from machinery.
  • Crushed Cars
  • Scrap Autos are to be prepared by a licensed “auto recycler,” once processed free of gas tank, fluids, and battery it is densified or “crushed” for transportation purposes.
  • Dryers
  • Could be sold as-is for scrap.
  • Light Iron
  • Household appliances (“white” goods), hot water heaters, and misc sheet steel.
  • Plate & Structural Steel
  • Prepared I-Beams, channels, angles and/or plates, steel gerters, and structural steel from demolition scrap. Clean/dry plate- not to be over 24” wide and 36-60” in lengeth depending on a “3 foot” or “5 foot” specification.
  • Scrap Iron
  • All scrap ferrous materials, light or heavy in gauge, free of glass/plastics/debris & contamination.
  • Sheet Iron
  • Household appliances (“white” goods), hot water heaters, and misc sheet steel.
  • Unprepared P & S
  • Beam (I-Beams), channels, angles and/or plates, steel gerters, and structural steel from demolitition scrap. Material is over 36-60” in length dpending on a “3 or 5 foot” specification.
  • Back Panels
  • Where many boards connect to, higher precious metals.
  • Backup Batteries
  • Also known as UPS’, these systems are what you plug your computers and other networking gear into so you can prevent power surges.
  • Cellphones
  • Old cell phones with/without batteries attached
  • CRT’s
  • Intact screen, not broken, generally costs money to recycle.
  • Empty PC Servers
  • After many of the networking boards are removed, these will remain and can be sold for some of the gold boards still attached.
  • Hard Drive Boards
  • The boards off of the hard drives, while small, can be worth more then normal motherboards.
  • Hard Drives without Boards
  • These will be worth much less then normal hard drives, many scrap yards might buy them as a dirty aluminum.
  • Laptops
  • Old laptops with/without battery is buyers preference.
  • Mainframes
  • Massive computer storage unit with hard drives, power supplies, PC boards & generally all in a large case.
  • Non-Green PC Board
  • Found in many newer computers, make sure that they have aluminum heatsinks and other attachments removed.
  • PC Board with Steel
  • Many PC boards will have a steel plate, if you sell them as is, be prepared to get a much lower price.
  • PC Boards
  • Holds crucial components, and connects all the pieces
  • PC Tower
  • Towers must be intact with motherboard, power supply, hard drive, and all other components inside.
  • Servers
  • Used to store massive amounts of data
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These metals are not representative of what a specific yard purchases but a glossary of materials to educate the customer.