Sorting out scrap copper and brass

[David WE Roberts]

about to sort out the stuff recovered from the CH and H&C - lots of pipe and fittings plus radiators etc.

The above article is very useful, in that it recommends sorting into 3 piles copper brazing copper (copper with e.g. soldered fittings) brass

However there will be times when there are things which can't be seperated (without some hassle), such as brass olives on copper pipe. So which pile do those go into, or is there yet another pile for 'mixed'?

I assume that bath taps and the like which are mainly brass but have chrome plus plastic inlays just go into the brass pile.

Any other advice on sorting out scrap to get the best value will be much appreciated.

TIA

Dave R

[Dave Liquorice]

Doesn't take much to saw a diagonal cut through the olive with a junior hacksaw then open it with a flat scredriver to get the olive off.

Or I saw an different design olive removal tool in been and queued the other day. This one will fit any pipe with an ID > than about 10mm.

not at that price...

[David WE Roberts]

Don't think I could recover the cost on one lot of pipe. It is mind numbingly boring removing all the fittings anyway and having to hacksaw each olive would probably finish me off. Angle grinder seems a bit over the top. On 15mm pipe I am alternating between a pipe slice and bolt croppers. Bolt croppers are quicker but heavier and more hassle. You can use a pipe slice sitting down :-)

So the question remains - if I have mixed brass and copper (such as with a compression joint which is all scaled up and too much effort to take appart) or a stub of copper with a brass olive, which pile does it go in?

Cheers

Dave R

[A.Lee]

There is no point at all in separating domestic copper based scrap. Unless it is as clean as freshly stripped copper cable, you will only get brazier copper price.

[Brian Gaff]

Some taps seem to also have some kind of honeycomb piece inserted up the outflow, presumably to make the stream more contained. I have no idea what this is made of. Brian

[David WE Roberts]

Um.... So you are saying that the advice in the youtube video linked to in the OP is not correct?

[David WE Roberts]

See your point, though. From

"Non Ferrous GRADE PRICE PER METRIC TONNE Copper Dry Bright Wire £3,766.00 Clean New Copper Tube £3,625.00 Heavy Copper (98%) £3,458.00 Braziery Copper £3,083.00 Brass Mixed Heavy Brass (Free From Steel Plastic) £2,308.00 "

So the difference is between 45p and 62p per Kilo.

Shame, just spent several hours last night chopping and sorting.

However it does look as though it was worth getting all the brass bits out of the radiators.

I assume that as brass is a mix of copper and zinc and less valuable than copper alone then bits of mixed copper and brass will be O.K. but not brass in braziery copper.

Cheers

Dave R

[sm_jamieson]

Does that mean old copper tube that has gone "brown" can be increased in value just be rubbing it with some wire wool ? Simon.

[John Williamson]

just be rubbing it with some wire wool ?

Only if you do the inside as well. ;-)

[A.Lee]

No idea, I didnt look at it. Any corrosion inside a pipe makes it 'brazier copper'. It is rare to get used pipe that has not got some evidence of corrosion in it, so, for the small amounts of monetary gain by sorting domestic pipework, it just isnt worth the effort trying to separate it out.

If however it was in the 100's of kilos, then it may well be worth it, bit for less than 100kg, I wouldnt bother.

[newshound]

Brass, assuming it doesn't also have soldered fittings

[David WE Roberts]

Well, the scrapyard payed me for 'heavy copper', which is one down from 'clean new' so I must have done something right :-)

[David WE Roberts]

You could try a bath of Cola as this seems to shine up pennies amazingly well. I asume they do the industrial equivalent (drop the dirty copper into a chemical cleaning solution) before re-using it. OTOH just melting it may remove most of the impurities.