Many metal products surround your everyday life. Eventually, scrap metal that has no viable use has to be removed and shaped into a new product. The role you play as the home or business owner in metal recycling in NJ plays is crucial in ensuring scrap metal does not litter landfills and is introduced into the recycling stream.
The key to successful metal recycling in NJ is the proper identification of scrap metal. However, before you start, you need to have the following:
* Knowledge on how to take apart the metal products safely
* A magnet, which is your tool for the identification of non-ferrous and ferrous metals
* Need to know how to carry out the spark test
Listed below is a guide to identifying the most common metals found in offices and homes.
Steel/Iron
* Three times as dense as aluminum
* Has the tendency to rust when exposed to the right conditions
* Attracts a magnet
* Is readily available
* Durable
Aluminum
* Quite light
* Does not draw in the magnet
* Does not throw sparks if grounded using an angle grinder
* Does not rust
Copper
* Mostly found in electronics and wiring
* Material makes for excellent cookware
* When pure, it comes with a beautiful pink pigmentation
* When tarnished, it is either brown or red
* When oxidized, it gives off a strong green color -; example, the Statue of Liberty
* Is denser than iron by at least 15%
* Bright Copper, also known as pure copper, is used in wiring and happens to be the most expensive of scrap copper
* Clean copper, copper number 1, is found in pipes without the soldering joints
* Painted copper, copper number 2, is that which has some solder joints
* Copper sheeting, light copper, is also known as copper number 3 in some yards
Bronze/Brass
* The metal gives off a yellowish color and is about half price of clean copper
* Some people call it copper alloy
* Is popular in pipe valves, instruments and as decorative pieces
* Can be easily alloyed with nickel to create cupronickel
Visit American Auto Salvage & Recycling for more information.
Other common metals include the copper wire, lead, stainless steel, heating elements (such as those found in scrap boilers and cookers) and carbide. If you are not sure about the metal you are handling, it is best to consult with experts in metal recycling in NJ. These experts can be found at Americanscrapmetal.net.
