Learning About Finance and Money

3 Tips To Find More Valuable Materials When Looking For Scrap Metal To Recycle

29 February 2016

Jordy De Pijper

Whether you are doing spring cleaning or hunting for metal to put a little extra cash in your pocket, there are some metals that can be worth a little extra effort to separate. Metals like aluminum and copper can get you a lot more when you take them to cash-in at the recycling service. Here are some tips to help you find the more valuable metals when looking for scrap for extra cash:

1. Take Motors Out And Strip Wiring To Get Pure, Bare Metals

There are a lot of things that you may take in and just get a flat rate because they have electric motors. If you take the time to take the motor apart and remove the copper, you may get a little more for the pure metal scrap. In addition, strip any wiring and other materials, so the only thing you are taking in to recycle is pure copper.

2. Pay Attention When Recycling Car Parts To Separate Aluminum From Steel

It is also important to pay attention when you are recycling car parts. There may be some parts that are attached to that old motor that are not steel. Parts like valve covers, heads and transmission casings can often be aluminum blocks. In addition, smaller compact cars often have an engine block that is solid aluminum, which is worth a lot more than steel. Use a simple magnet test to see if the metal is aluminum; a non-ferrous metal that the magnet will not stick to.

3. Get The Gold And Silver Out Of Electrical Equipment For An Extra Bonus

There are other rewards that you can get for your efforts in the form of silver and gold. Gold is often found in old electronics, which can be pins that you can easily break off. Silver is also use in electronics, as well as electrical equipment. When taking things apart, look for the silver and gold pieces and put them in a separate container to collect. To get more gold out of electronics, you can give the parts an acid bath to separate the unwanted materials from the valuable gold.

These are some tips that will help you find the more valuable metals to get the most cash for your recycling efforts. If you have collected a considerable amount of copper, contact a scrap recycling service like Sackin Metals and talk with them about the current prices they are offering.

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