Scrap metal grading is the process of classifying scrap metal based on its type, purity, form and contamination level. This grading level then has a significant impact on the scrap metal value and how it can be processed, with higher grades being given to purer and more valuable metals, while lower grades are assigned to materials with impurities or mixed components.
To learn more about scrap metal grading, keep reading this blog!
Key Factors for Grading:
- Metal Type: Specific metal types like copper, brass, aluminium and different grades of steel will get you the highest price for your scrap.
- Purity: The percentage of the primary metal in a material is a key factor when it comes to scrap metal grading. Materials that have the highest purity levels will secure better prices.
- Contamination: Any presence of dirt, plastic, paint, oil or solder will lower the grade and price of a material. A piece of copper could be 99% pure, but if it is not clean of all external contamination, it will receive a Grade 2, not Grade 1.
- Form: In order to achieve top grading, the scrap metal must also be a particular diameter and size. Long or solid pieces of metal achieve higher grades than bent or small materials.
The Grading Process:
Scrap yards will start by using magnets to separate ferrous materials (like iron and steel) and non-ferrous metals (like aluminium and copper). Graders will then assess each piece of metal’s cleanliness and identify any attached or foreign materials. Some scrap yards will even use X-ray technology to get rapid and accurate analysis of the alloy composition and elemental makeup of the metal. Based on this analysis, materials will be sorted into recognised categories or grades.
Each grade has a corresponding price based on market rates and influenced by the metal’s purity and the amount of processing required for refining. To learn more about the current scrap metal prices in the UK, check out our Scrap Metal Prices page.
At A&L, we buy any unwanted scrap metal, whether you have pure copper and lead or just old household appliances and car parts that have been kicking around.
We offer competitive prices that are in line with the best rates available, so if you are unsure on how much your scrap metal is worth or what grade it is, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us – we can even pay you on the same day!
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