How To Get The Best Price For Your Scrap Copper Wire

#1 Scrap Copper aka Candy:  

The second most profitable grade is #1 copper. Copper under this category is similar to bare bright copper but has traces of oxidation. Scrap materials in this grade include bus bars, clippings and clean copper tubing free of fittings, insulation, paint, and solder.

#1 copper is the second most profitable type of scrap copper to trade-in.  To be classified as #1, the copper should be comprised of bus bars, clippings, commutator segments and scrap wire of at least 1/16th of an inch in diameter.  It should also be clean in appearance, unalloyed and uncoated.

The most valuable type of copper pipe must be clean copper tubing free of fittings, insulation, paint, solder, and other materials.   In fact, most copper tubing and copper pipes can be of #1 grade providing they show few signs of corrosion and have their fittings removed.  Trace amounts of oxidation on the tubing are generally acceptable.   Trace amounts of oxidation is also ok for scrap copper wire to qualify as # 1-grade copper.

#2 Copper wire aka Birch/Cliff:

 Scrap copper that has a dirty appearance falls under the #2 copper grade. To qualify for this category, the material’s copper content should be 94 to 96 percent. Any unalloyed wire or pipe that has solder, paint, coating and other types of tarnishing falls are classified as #2 copper. Copper fittings with oxidation are generally accepted as long as the damage is not extreme.

Shall consist of miscellaneous, unalloyed copper scrap having nominal 96% copper content (minimum 94%) as determined by electrolytic assay. Should be free of the following: Excessively leaded, tinned, soldered copper scrap; brasses and bronzes; excessive oil content, iron and non-metallics; copper tubing with other than copper connections or with sediment; copper wire from burning, containing insulation; hair wire, burnt wire which is brittle; and should be reasonably free of ash.