TYPES OF COPPER SCRAP

No. 1 Scrap copper. It consists of uncoated, clean, unalloyed copper and can include
punchings, clippings, bus bars, pipe, wire over 1/16 thick with no burnt or brittle wire
and commutator segments.
No. 2 scrap copper. It consists of clean, non-alloyed copper. It needs to be clean, but
can be oxidized or coated clippings, bus bars, punchings, commutator segments. It can
also include clean oxidized pipe or tubing, but should be free of excessive solder. Light
gauge, clean, coated or oxidized wire is also allowed, but must be free of fine gauge
wire. All No. 2 scrap copper should
be free of excessive oxidization,
ash, brittle burnt wire and scale.
The third category of scrap
copper is soldered copper pipe
scrap. It can consist of any length of
copper pipe that has soldered
joints. It should be free of bronze or
brass fittings or any other fittings
that are not made of copper.
Beryllium copper scrap consists of
solid beryllium alloyed copper. It can be in the form of clippings, pipe, tubing and
elbows, bar or punchings. Beryllium copper brings the fourth highest price for recycled
copper.
Light scrap copper contains unalloyed copper solids and can include sheet copper,
downspouts, gutters, foil, unburned hair wire, boilers and kettle. Light scrap copper is
generally any thin gauge scrap copper or solid copper with a high surface area that has
only surface oxidation. The minimum re-melt recovery rate for light scrap copper is
88%.
Copper Turnings are recovered from unalloyed grindings, borings or turnings and they
may be contaminated with cutting oils.
No. 1 Bare bright copper wire is uncoated, unalloyed, bare copper wire that is larger
than 16 gauge. Green wire is not allowed in this category.
No. 1 Copper wire scrap is recovered from clean, unalloyed, uncoated wire that is no
smaller than 16 gauge.

No. 2 Copper wire scrap includes only unalloyed, clean copper wire. Hair wire, burnt
and brittle wire and any wire that has excessive oils on it is not allowed. The minimum
content within the re-melt recovery rate of No. 2 copper wire scrap is 94%.
No. 1 Copper wire nodules consist of No. 1 bare, unalloyed, uncoated copper wire
nodules that are gathered from choppings or shredding and are no smaller than 16
gauge. No. 1 copper wire nodules provide a 99% content re-melt recovery rate.
No. 2 Copper wire nodules provide a 97% minimum copper content in the re-melt
recovery rate. This category consists of No. 2 copper wire nodules that are unalloyed
and are from a shredding or chopping operation.
No. 1 Insulated copper wire scrap is recycled from plastic insulated, uncoated or
plated, unalloyed wire that is larger than 16 gauge.
No. 2 Insulated copper wire scrap consists of different plastic insulated, unalloyed
copper wire, which is free of double insulation or heavy insulation.
No. 3 Insulated copper wire scrap is made up of assorted unalloyed copper wire that is
plastic insulated and includes telephone cable and heavy or double insulated wire.
The Copper/Aluminum BX cable scrap category is made up of plastic insulated copper
wire that is coated with aluminum casing.
Copper/Steel BX cable scrap is taken from plastic insulated copper wire that is coated
with a steel casing.
The scrap copper/fractional electric motors category includes less than 1 horsepower
electric motors and small copper coil windings.
Scrap copper/large electric motors are in a category consisting of large copper coil
windings. These motors are over 1 horsepower.
Scrap copper/sealed motors consist of compressor motors from refrigerators and
freezers. These motors are also sealed.
Scrap copper/aluminum rads are unalloyed copper tubing that is surrounded by
cooling fins made of aluminum. They generally come from heat exchange radiators.
Copper content scrap contains, by weight, not less than 30% copper. Plating racks,
laminated items, irony copper, brittle burnt wires, copper scale, comutators and
armatures are generally in this category.
Other scrap copper is the final category and includes items and materials not defined
by any of the other copper grades.