Scrapping metal for cash might seem like a dirty job for most people until they see the amount of money metal scrappers pocket. While most metals fetch a tidy amount of money, copper remains the king for scrappers. The high value of copper can be attributed to its versatility and high-volume usage. However, new metal scrappers should know that all copper metals do not attract the same price. Most importantly, understanding industry terms describing the different copper grades is imperative for strategic scrapping. 

Millberry Copper 

Millberry often attracts the highest amount of money. Millberry copper is characteristically clean, meaning that metal recyclers do not have to spend time cleaning it. The best sources of millberry copper include the wiring in your house and electrical cords. Although millberry copper attracts a premium, remember to strip the insulation when delivering your load to a dealer. Doing it ensures that you get the maximum value for your copper. The reason is that stripped millberry cooper looks clean from afar, precisely what scrap metal dealers look for. However, millberry copper wires only qualify as such if they measure at least 2mm- 8mm in diameter.      

Candy Copper 

Candy copper scrap is heavier than millberry but is slightly lower in value. It consists of clean, uncoated copper clippings or commuter segments. Construction sites and fabrication shops are arguably the two best sources for candy copper because most of it is raw and unused. An excellent example of candy copper scrap is the copper tube that your plumber leaves behind after completing repairs on in-wall plumbing tubes. Most importantly, the copper tubes are free of solder or paint. Besides, candy copper scrap wires should be free of burnt sections because dealers would render your load brittle and less valuable. If you have a copper wire with burnt areas, you can cut off the sections before delivering your load. However, it would mean collecting more copper wires to meet your target.   

Birch Cliff 

Scrap copper metal or wire in this category is the least valuable. Thus, it includes any burnt copper wires in your load. Because it falls at the bottom of the barrel as far a value goes, birch cliff copper scrap might contain oil content, non-metallics such as plastics, lead or tin solder connections or burnt insulation. For example, if your plumber tries to join the copper tube under your sink by soldering but fails, they will make a replacement. In this case, a metal scrap dealer can buy the tube as birch cliff copper scrap.

To get cash for copper scraps, contact a local recycling plant.