A Brief History

Did you know that when a car or truck engine is running, the fuel it burns produce toxic gases, such as Nitrogen Oxide, Carbon Monoxide, and unburnt fuel residue? Because of these environmental hazards, the Catalytic Converter (“CAT”) was invented. The main function of a CAT is to help reduce emissions from cars and trucks.

For decades, car and truck manufacturers around the world have been adding Catalytic Converters (“CAT”) to the standard assembly of vehicles. These CATs are typically located under the hood, and attached to the motor, just right before the exhaust system. This setup is designed to help reduce emissions and keep the air we breathe clean.

Gases produced by the motor go straight into the CAT and exit the other side, often less than 1 10th of a second later. The CAT processes the toxic substances and produces harmless water vapor and oxygen, which exit the vehicle’s exhaust system. The CAT can eliminate up to 99% of an engine’s toxic gases.

In this post, we will cover the basics of catalytic converters, how they are recycled, and how you can make money from scrapping spent CATs.

What Is A Catalytic Converter (CAT) Made Of?

The exterior housing of the CAT, or “shell”, is made of steel or a low grade stainless steel alloy. It is important to note that the contents of a CAT can affect its functionality, scrap value, and how it protects the environment. The housing contains 2 blocks that feature a ceramic structure. They are often coated with 3 rare precious metals: Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium. The blocks are the core (also called an “Auto Motive Core”) of the converter and are also commonly known in the recycling industry as a “honeycomb” or “biscuit.” Each block is filled with thousands of micro ducts, which are coated with the above-mentioned precious metals. These metals cause the toxic gases to react and recombine, producing other gases that are harmless to your health. The elements (metals) remain unaltered and do not rust. That’s why Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium are ideal metals for this process. Because these precious metals are so expensive, the CAT is designed to expose the maximum surface area of these elements to the exhaust stream while minimizing the quantity of precious metals required (the area of the honeycomb equals that of a football field).

How Does A Catalytic Converter Work? 

The process of converting toxic gases to harmless substances happens most efficiently when the CAT is hot. It can reach internal temperatures of up to 1,300 °F (700°C)! The toxic gases heat up the converter. The converter essentially acts like a small super-heated furnace to breakdown and reform gas molecules into harmless substances. These elements then exit the unit at temperatures as high as 900 degrees Fahrenheit. A car typically has to travel about six miles before the CAT converter reaches its ideal operating temperature and start filtering out harmful gases from the engine.

Many CATs have oxygen sensors built into them, which electronically monitor the amount of exhaust fumes and uses this information to control the vehicle’s fuel injection system. This information is sent to the vehicle’s engine computer and results in both the CAT converter and vehicle running more efficiently.

Why Do CATs Go Bad?

Have you ever noticed a sulfur-like, rotten-egg odor coming from your car or truck after driving it? This is a common sign that the CAT is starting to malfunction. Most Cat’s will properly function for the life-span of a vehicle. But over time, due to the high heat generated in the honeycomb, or from a malfunctioning vehicle engine or other mechanical issues–Cat’s can fail.

Other symptoms that indicate your CAT needs to be replaced can include:

• The vehicle is burning more gas than usual
• A visit to your mechanic or local inspection station for a car inspection results in a failed emissions test
• A check-engine light is on
• Difficulty starting your vehicle
• There is a lack of acceleration

How Are CATs Recycled?

When a CAT converter fails, it must be replaced. What should you do with it? Some metal recyclers, including H&C Metals, accept and pay for spent CAT converter cores as scrap.

H&C Metals is the 1st step in the recycling process. Spent CATs are shipped to the 2nd step in the recycling process to go through a de-canning process. This way, precious metals, as well as the steel or stainless-steel housing around them can be reclaimed. There is a 100% recovery rate of all these metals! The CATs are placed on a conveyor and a hydraulic shear and/or hammer mill pulverize the scrap core. Small pieces land on a shaker-table where the heavy magnetic metal is separated from the non-magnetic (Nonferrous) materials. A magnet belt picks up the magnetic waste and distributes it to a scrap steel holding area for eventual shipment to a steel mill for smelting or repurposing into new steel products. This then leads to the 3rd stage of recycling a CAT Converter. The catalyst ceramic block (Honeycomb) is picked-up by an air separator, which carries the small solid pieces and automatically drops them into large holding bags.

The 4th recycling step takes place when the bags of crushed cores are sold/shipped to a refinery. There are refineries (smelters) designed to only recycle CAT converters. There, the materials are grinded further to reduce their size before smelting. The ceramic waste is melted in furnaces at 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 hours. This process separates the non-metallic components (ceramics) from the three precious metals. Once melted, the Nonferrous recoverable metal content is removed first. The precious metals that remain are cooled and solidified, then a multi-stage chemical separation process creates a purified version of platinum, palladium, and rhodium.

The final stage of the recycling process occurs when the refinery sells the purified precious metals to various manufacturers and industries — not limited to those building catalytic converters. It’s estimated that 80% of the demand for PGM’s (precious grade metals) is derived from auto manufacturing industries. However, other applications include industrial raw materials such as nylon and synthetic rubber; jet engine and missile parts as conductors; and consumer electronics and jewelry.

Environmental Benefits Of Recycling CATs

American emission pollutants have dropped on an average of over 70% since car manufacturers began to include CAT converters in their automobile designs.

It is estimated that refiners need about eight tons of raw precious metals ore to produce one ounce of platinum. But, recycling spent CAT converters means you can generate the same quantity of platinum from only 30 pounds of auto CAT cores. Therefore, it is much more cost effective and environmentally friendly for CAT refiners to capture precious metals from recycling spent cores than to mine raw ore from the Earth.

How To Sell CATs Converters As Scrap. How Much Are They Worth?

The auto core, or honeycomb, found inside the outer metal housing or “shell”, contains three rare precious metals: Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium. Although the quantity of these metals is extremely small, their presence is the reason why failed CATs have greater value than the scrap values of outer steel or low-grade stainless steel shells and attached steel exhaust pipes. Without the biscuit inside, the CAT converter will have minimum value and be graded and paid for as steel by a metal recycling company.

For anyone who wants to scrap a CAT, it is highly recommended that they avoid removing the honeycomb from the outer shell if they think separating the steel shell from the core will result in higher scrap value for the core. This is not the case. In order for the scrap dealer/CAT buyer to determine the value of the CAT, the entire CAT must be intact. The whole CAT will provide the buyer with the recognizable, necessary information to determine the CATs value. Crucial information includes the imprinted/stamped presence of a specific CAT model number, possible auto manufacturer’s logo or name, as well as the design and construction of the unit.

The percentage of precious metals built into a converter is determined by the type of combustion engine and auto model the CAT will be attached to. The amount of toxins produced in a vehicle’s exhaust system determines the quantity of precious metals required to meet emissions standards for that model and the CAT’s eventual scrap value. The value of any spent CAT is also determined by what the global commodity value is at any time for Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium.

Ultimately, scrap value is set by the CAT refineries and what they pay determines what your local scrap buyer will pay you. There are hundreds of types and categories of Catalytic Converters on today’s market.

Many scrap metal dealers do not purchase spent CATs, but don’t worry; H&C Metals has the expertise and experience to quickly and accurately grade your spent CAT. When you deliver any type of scrap metal to us, you can also conveniently bring your CATs to us! We pay top dollar for CATs—in cash! Call (973)589-7778 to speak with an H&C Metals representative today and get a professional CAT quote.

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H&C Metals Accepts Scrap Metal From Retail Customers

Do you deliver scrap metal? Whether it be post-consumer or post-industrial scrap metal from a general contractor, an HVAC company, a plumber, an electrician, a mechanic, a small scrap metal collector, or a homeowner who is cleaning your garage, basement or attic, H&C Metals strives to be the Number One destination for unwanted, excess scrap metal, as well as select computer and electronic scrap.

About H&C Metals, Inc.

While H&C Metals is well known as a New Jersey supplier of heavy trucking, providing hauling services for large quantities of industrial & commercial scrap metal for their metal recycling pick-up accounts, H&C highly values its scrap drop- off retail customers to supplement the quantity of scrap their trucks transport.

Why Do We Work with Retail Scrap Customers?

H&C recognizes the importance of its retail scrap customer base. The face-to-face interactions our employees have with customers provides a great opportunity to earn their trust. We exchange information about scrap materials, answer questions about scrap markets and pricing matters, consult them on scrap metal segregation to speed up their transaction and help them earn more money, as well as alerting them about our trucking options which they can frequently take advantage of to expedite a project. We also solicit their feedback about the quality of our retail scrap metal services and the steps we can take to enhance their overall scrap delivery experiences.

Understanding H&C Metals’ Key Retail Scrap Service Components

Courting new customers and retaining them is of ultimate importance to H&C Metals. Word-of-mouth marketing and our website are constant sources of new customers. Once customers are here, however, the goal is to make their overall experience welcoming. We strive to accomplish this by:

• Paying a competitive price for ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
• Providing quick, easy, accurate cash payments via our ATM machine that is conveniently accessible to where customers unload their scrap.
• Providing a clean environment to deliver scrap:
  – H&C staff routinely sweeps the street and sidewalk adjacent to our building to ensure arriving customer vehicles have a clear path to park & begin unloading
  – Customers unloading their scrap materials at curbside are separated from and not competing with H&C scrap processors, or piles of scrap found on the ground inside our plant.
• Managing Traffic flow
  – H&C employees actively direct customer vehicles where and when to unload, which results in minimizing their wait time, expediting unloading, and ultimately paying them faster.
• Accepting both Ferrous (steel scrap) and Nonferrous (non-magnetic metals, such as Copper, Aluminum, Brass & Lead), to make it convenient for the customer to make one stop at a single location to drop off all their scrap metal.
• Providing multiple scales close to where customers unload and with digital weight display for better visibility.
• Offering essential equipment for customers to conveniently organize, separate, and unload their scrap—including mobile carts and industrial hoppers, a mechanical aluminum can sorter, as well as H&C fork-lift trucks to assist with moving and weighing heavier, bulkier materials, such as lead acid batteries on pallets, cast iron, aluminum siding, and copper cable.
• Providing each customer with a professional, easy to read, computer generated scale ticket, including their name, unique account number, the list of commodities sold, their corresponding weight, price, and total dollar amount.
• Operating at a convenient location—close proximity to major State highways and the two primary City of Newark-based arteries: McCarter Highway (Route 21) and Broad St.
• Accepting any size scrap delivery, with a scale weight that equates to a minimum of $1.00 value.

Choose H&C Metals for Stellar Retail Scrap Delivery Services Today

H&C Metals provides a clean and safe environment for dropping off your scrap metals. Enjoy complete peace of mind knowing that H&C Metals pays fair and competitive prices based on market conditions for all ferrous and non-ferrous materials.

For additional information about our company, services or prices, please visit our web site at www.hcmetals.com or contact us at (973) 589-7778.

Is your company ever in a situation where you have to deal with large amounts of scrap metal? H&C Metals understands how frustrating it can be to manage, clean- up, and remove these unwanted materials as part of an organization’s day-to-day operations. Fortunately, there is a convenient way to simplify the process of recycling scrap metal. You can consider calling a professional scrap metal pickup service provider for the means to store and haul away all of these materials on your behalf.

So, what are some of the careful considerations your company should think about when you have scrap metal that needs to be hauled away?

Work with an Insured Scrap Metal Recycling Company

It is important to consider the potential negative cost that your organization might incur when hauling your own scrap metal. For example, hauling large, heavy, or bulky scrap without using heavy-duty trucking solutions designed for this purpose could damage your and other people’s vehicles while in-transit. These materials will often shift during transport, resulting in potential loss of control of the vehicle. Additionally, sharp materials may scatter across the road and cause hazards to surrounding vehicles, ruining vehicle parts that are typically expensive to replace. There are also associated insurance costs should damage occur to a company or employee-owned vehicle.

Choose Environmentally Friendly Scrap Metal Recyclers

Trusting a metal recycling company to dispose of your scrap metals is an environmentally responsible action. Metal recycling companies are motivated by profit: By working with a professional pickup service provider (such as a metal recycler), your industrial scrap metal will be delivered to a metal recycler for further processing and sold to smelters. For your peace of mind, metal recycling companies can provide certification of metal destruction and the proper disposal of materials.

Opt for Scrap Metal Recycling Solutions that Help Increase Productivity

Will managing and disposing of metal waste affect your operations and/or productivity levels? If the answer is yes, your company may be losing valuable time and money trying to do both. When your employees do not have to stress about organizing scrap waste on your premises (or at your job site) and hauling it away numerous times, they can instead position all their focus on their jobs to expedite job completion. For some types of businesses such as contractors, there is a financial advantage to completing a project as fast as possible in order to start the next one. If you want to see your company’s productivity skyrocket, it’s time to consult with a reliable scrap metal pick-up service provider in New Jersey.

Select a Metal Recycling Company that Promotes Workplace Safety

Industrial scrap metal comes in all shapes and sizes. Because commercial scrap materials can be heavy, feature jagged edges, and are large enough to cause serious harm to workers and significant property damage, you may create a potentially dangerous situation if scrap metals accumulate within your construction or project site, warehouse, or place of business. By selecting a professional scrap hauler to transport waste materials to a trusted scrap recycling center on a regular basis, you can create and maintain a clean and safe work environment for all of your employees. For example, business owners can significantly reduce the risks of falling objects and/or fire hazards and in turn, avoid costly Workers’ Compensation claims and other legal issues.

Who Can You Call to Pick Up Your Scrap Metal?

When you call H&C Metals for your scrap metal recycling needs, we help save our customers time, money, and labor. We advise customers regarding the most efficient logistical means to manage their materials. For example, if you have no experience in packaging, loading and hauling scrap, our recycling experts and drivers can provide consultation services at the job site to benefit all parties involved. Our company is fully insured and has proven solutions for efficient on-site scrap storage strategies in tandem with large trucks able to transport packaged or loose scrap materials. This will result in organizing your scrap and minimizing the frequency of trips needed to remove them.

If you want to schedule a pick-up with H&C Metals, do not hesitate to contact us today.

H&C Metals receives, hauls, purchases, and processes scrap metals from the public, general contractors, manufacturers, small and large businesses, schools, hospitals, municipal and public works agencies, and much more. On a retail basis, however, retail contractors constitute one of the biggest groups of customers that deliver scrap metals to H&C Metals. Our full-service scrap metal facility has been in business for over four decades. We can provide expert assistance with unloading our retail contractor customers’ material from their trucks, including forklift truck service for heavy or awkwardly large items, as well as advice on separating scrap commodities to maximize scrap value for our customers. In the event a retail contractor needs additional trucking services to haul their scrap to us, scrap metal pickup and drop-off solutions for retail contractors in the Newark, NJ area and the Tri-State region is only a phone call or email away.

Types of Scrap Metals that Retail Contractor Customers Generate

To give you a better idea on the types of scrap metals that retail contractors produce on a daily basis, check out the list below:

●  Electrical Contractors: Insulated copper wire (ICW), including – copper MCM power cables, THHN, ROMEX, communication cables, CAT5/6 wiring, data cables, Heliax, BX cables, high-voltage cables/wiring, ground wire, control wire, house wire, weatherproof, line wire, bare bright copper, light iron (receptacles), copper bus bar, steel or aluminum light fixtures, electric motors, ballast, cast aluminum, aluminum power cable, leaded copper cable, lead cable, conduit pipes, and bus panels.

●  Plumbing Contractors: Brass, valves, copper piping, copper tubing, sprinkler systems, hot water heaters, aluminum and stainless-steel sinks, brass pipes, fittings, faucets, water meters, lead pipes, and cast iron.

●  Public Utility, Lineman & Municipal (PSE&G, JCP&L, DPW’s etc.) Employees: Copper power cables, aluminum power cables, copper transformers, Aluminum Transformers, underground power cables, aluminum light poles, cast aluminum, spools of wire, fire hydrants, cast iron pipes, cast iron sewer grates, gas pipe, valves, and water meters.

●  Mechanical Contractors: Furnaces, boilers, HVAC equipment, fans & pumps, Cooling Towers, rooftop HVAC units, generators, aluminum copper radiators, coils, electric motors, duct work, sheet metal, light iron, steel sheet, copper piping, copper tubing, cast iron pipes, cast iron radiators, sealed units (compressors), AC units, hot water heaters, baseboard heaters, gas lines, gas piping, air cleaners, and air purifiers.

●  Roofing Contractors: Light copper (copper flashing), sheet copper, aluminum & copper gutters, aluminum siding, aluminum & copper downspouts, and air compressors.

●  General Contractors: Excess new construction materials such as steel roof decking, duct work, angle iron, beams, steel and aluminum conduit, insulated copper wire, ROMEX, gutters, and downspouts.

●  Elevator Contractors: Elevator cable, insulated copper wire, electric motors, copper transformers, brass fittings, hardware, steel cables, stainless steel, mechanical equipment, machinery, handrails, pulleys, structural steel, circuit boards, steel shafts, brass gears (gear brass), armatures, and stators.

Why Do Scrap Metals Exist? Why Do They Originate from Retail Contractors?

From home improvement to construction to demolition to manufacturing processes, there will be excess building and industrial materials of scrap metals generated during every job at completion. To generate additional revenue and reduce operational costs, as well keep scrap from landfills, retail contractors are encouraged to collect these materials, sort them by like item, and prepare for pickup from, or delivery to, a scrap metal recycling center.

Once at a scrapyard, the retail contractor customer’s scrap is weighed and the materials—Ferrous (Iron & Steel) and Nonferrous scrap (all other metal, such as Copper & Brass) are sorted & grouped (packaged) together with like items having equal value. The purification process continues as the numerous types of scrap commodities are sold and shipped to other companies who further refine the materials through various means, including chopping, shearing, shredding, and ultimately melting in a furnace. Molten metal is then cooled and solidified into ingots which are sold to a manufacturer—such as a foundry, to be re-melted and poured into molds designed to create new consumer and commercial products for the marketplace. Thereafter, the lifecycle of metal begins again.

How H&C Metals Can Help Our Retail Contractor Customers

●  Specialty project options: When the job calls for it, various trucking options are provided to contractors; we have the equipment and expertise to match up the appropriate trucking options to the specific project and needs of the customer.

●  Increased convenience: Two drop-off locations for retail contractors so that they can quickly unload what they have without making an appointment. Contractors also do not have to drive around with all of the disposed materials they have collected from their jobs. They can conveniently unload their scrap, place it on our digital scales, get paid for it and move on to their next customer.

●  Payment: H&C Metals provides computerized scale tickets showing the scrap commodity description, the weight, the price and dollars paid for the scrap metal. Cash payment is immediate (contractors can get paid at our ATM instantly). H&C Metals’ retail contractor customers appreciate our competitive rates and convenient, prompt payment.

●  Free on-site project consultation: Depending on the size and scope of the project, an experienced scrap metal buyer from H&C Metals can visit a contractor’s job site to assist with managing scrap disposal. Contractors can count on us to identify and assess the metals that can be recycled. If necessary, we have a mobile handheld metal analyzer to identify metals to be scrapped and can advise the value of these materials.

H&C Metals strives to provide value-added experiences for both retail (delivery customers) and commercial contractors (scrap pick-up customers) and be a professional recycling partner who pays competitive prices.

COVID-19 continues to spread around the world and nearly every country has reported cases of the infection. The months ahead will be significantly volatile, especially the economy. While healthcare agencies and the government continue their efforts in slowing the spread of COVID-19, the nation remains focused on maintaining its critical infrastructure workforce. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), recycling operations are being recognized as essential businesses, metal recycling included. By keeping these channels intact, critical raw materials can be delivered to manufacturers and keep them in operation.

Today, organizations are increasingly improving the availability of hospital capacity, emergency supplies, ventilators, testing equipment, and much more. All of these elements are paramount for the well-being of Americans and overall public health. Recycled metal feeds critical U.S. manufacturing operations that produce these essential supplies.

COVID-19 Crisis: What Does It Mean For H&C Metals?

Don’t worry; both H&C Metals and our sister company Balemet Recycling, Inc. are recognized as essential businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. Locally, our companies provide essential recycling services to support the City of Newark and its residents. Both H&C Metals and Balemet Recycling, Inc. continue to accept and process metal waste so that we can help protect public health and safety, especially during these tumultuous times. So, enjoy complete peace of mind knowing that our comprehensive trucking solutions are available. We will provide uninterrupted scrap metal hauling services for all existing and new commercial and industrial customers.

H&C Metals Has Made Operational Adjustments To Mitigate COVID-19 Risks

H&C Metals is open to the public for scrap metal deliveries, focusing on the purchase of Nonferrous Metals (Copper, Brass, Aluminum, Wire, Auto Batteries, Lead, and E-Scrap). Additionally, we accept heavy steel materials, such as Pipes, Beams, Rotors, Drums, Auto Rims, Cast Iron Radiators, and Tubs, as well as Boilers and Angle Iron.

At H&C Metals, we are:
● Open from Monday through Friday (7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).
● Temporarily closed on Saturdays until further notice.

All customers must arrive in a vehicle because walk-ins will be turned away. Additionally, the recommended arrival time is by 3:30 p.m. Because H&C Metal’s building is closed to the public, only staff members are permitted beyond the bay door entrance leading to our scale.

New customers must have proper ID as per City of Newark Ordinance (H&C Metals requires valid Driver’s license from any State or a Passport along with proof of commercial or residential address). As for existing customers, they must present their H&C issued key tag ID or unique customer account number to an H&C employee to start a new transaction. If the customer does not have either, they must provide a valid driver’s license to enable our employees to search the customer database or create a new account.

Important COVID-19 Procedures To Keep In Mind

New and existing customers can expect this basic flow of events when working with H&C Metals during this period:

● The customer pulls up in front of H&C Metals.

● Customers are asked to stay in their vehicles.

● An H&C Metals employee will approach the customer’s vehicle to inquire about what scrap materials they have and the quantity.

● Based on the customer’s reply, our employee will provide the appropriate type of scrap bin for the customer to use to unload their scrap.

● If a forklift is needed to unload the scrap from a truck, we will provide that service.
● If there is a line of vehicles waiting to unload, and H&C employee will guide customers as to when to move up in the line.

● An H&C employee will then instruct the customer when to exit their vehicle to start unloading their scrap metal items.

● H&C employees will sort the customer’s nonferrous scrap at the scale.

● After the customer unloads, they will be asked to return to their vehicles and remain inside until further notice.

● H&C Metals will deliver a computerized weight/scale ticket to the customer’s vehicle where it will be placed under the windshield wiper for retrieval by the vehicle occupant.

● Once our employee is 6’ away from the customer’s vehicle, the customer can collect weight tickets.

● Customer walks to H&C’s ATM (mounted/located at front of our building) to scan bar code on the ticket and receive a cash payment to complete their transaction.

Note: Depending on what time of the day it is and the number of vehicles that are at H&C Metals to unload their scrap, we may direct large customer loads (with light iron) to Balemet Recycling instead. This is H&C Metals’ sister company and steel processing facility that is located only ½ mile from us, at 227 Clifford St., Newark.

Our Safe Practices and Procedures During COVID-19

● H&C Metals’ employees are wearing masks and gloves at all times.

● We request that our customers also wear masks at any time they are outside their vehicles and near our premises.

● We have signs on the front of the building reminding our staff and customers to practice social distancing of at least 6’ apart.

● H&C Metals appreciates all customers practicing social distancing between themselves and our employees at all times.

● We appreciate our customers’ cooperation during these challenging times by following our instructions. Let’s work together to protect everyone’s safety and wellbeing!

Call H&C Metals, Inc. today and let us know your scrap recycling and hauling requirements. You may call us at +(973) 589-7778 or schedule a pick-up here.

Today, due to their function & resulting high demand, ROMEX and CAT5/6 cables are two of the most commonly used insulated copper wire (ICW) products on the market. They are therefore, two of the most common types of insulated copper wire products sold as scrap to scrap processors such as H&C Metals, Inc.  ROMEX is the trade name of an electrical conductor that has non-metallic sheathing (exterior jacket). ROMEX’s primary function is to receive power from the main sources (utilities) and distribute electricity throughout a structure to a residence or a commercial space. CAT 5/6 insulated copper wire is a type of Ethernet cable, found in an enclosed environment where electronic devices such as network servers are connected to other devices so they can communicate with each other.

Understanding ROMEX Insulated Copper Wire Products

ROMEX is a type of insulated commercial copper wire that distributes electricity. To manufacture this type of ICW product, raw copper is first extracted from the earth. Copper ore is then turned into pure copper through various refining and purification processes. Copper ore is crushed into smaller, workable sizes before smelting takes place to extract copper from the ore.

The newly produced pure copper which is an excellent conductor of electricity is then manufactured to produce new copper-based products including single copper strands; the primary material used to make ROMEX wire. Romex is the most commonly used electrical wire for power transmission in a house or commercial building. It is hidden within the walls of a house or a commercial structure which powers light switches and other electrical receptacles (for plugs, etc.).  Romex typically has a white or yellow plastic exterior insulation (jacket) and contains two or three interior plastic insulated conductors (wires) and an uninsulated ground wire. The most common Romex has two strands and a ground. The great benefit of Romex is that it is safe to use in a home.  It is designed so that the exterior wire jacket is flame-resistant & moisture-resistant & is therefore also permitted in damp environments, such as basements.

The copper wire in Romex is graded as high grade # 1 copper which accounts for an average of between 62 and 64 percent copper recovery. The recovery will vary with the number of copper strands it has but usually, scrap ROMEX is sold at a high price. Romex usually generates bare copper, which is a high grade copper without any plating. The cloth-jacketed Romex, which is an older production type and frequently has tin-plated copper conductors has a recovery rate of an estimated 48% copper.

The great thing about ROMEX cables is that they can be recycled and repurposed. Once they are sent to scrap recyclers such as H&C Metals, these scrap insulated copper wire products are processed into bales and prepared to be shipped to the next step in the recycling process, i.e., chopping machines, which separate the plastic jacket from the copper. The resulting clean copper wire is shipped to a copper smelting company which melts & pours the metal into molds to make ingots (a cast shape suitable for further processing). These ingots are then sold to other companies that will re-melt them and pour the molten cooper into new molds to manufacture new products.

Understanding CAT5/6 Communication Wiring Products

CAT5/6 ICW is a type of globally used communication data cable which functions as the means for connecting devices to networks, including connecting to the Internet. The “CAT” refers to the category of fast Ethernet cables which these belong to. These cables contain four pairs of thin gauged, individually insulated solid copper strands. The number associated with “CAT” indicates the manufactured specifications of the cable. The higher the number (“5” or “6”) the faster the download speed & better connections. CAT5 wire is a standard Ethernet cable built primarily for computer networks & has other applications such as for telephones & video.  Today, CAT6 is the default cable for most commercial & office network installations. These cables offer a good balance of distance and speed, as well as gigabit connections of up to 100m. In addition, CAT6 cables feature a more robust sheathing for crosstalk reduction.

CAT5/6 are the most commonly used Ethernet cables in households & among the preferred choices for companies due to the prices they are sold at. They remain the most cost effective options for networking cables.

CAT5/6 wire products sold for recycling are processed similarly to ROMEX, e.g., in bales.

When Do CAT5/6 and ROMEX Insulated Copper Wiring Become Scrap Metals?

For CAT5/6 cable, there is a shelf life for these ICW products due to the growth of wireless communication technologies. As technology changes, hubs, switches, and routers will be upgraded. This means that cabling will also need to be replaced to improve overall performance. Like most cables, CAT5/6 cables will wear and tear overtime.

During the installation of Romex in new houses and buildings, there is the potential to have excess Romex not installed, which will result in Romex scrap. Romex can also be one of many scrap items generated as a result of demolition projects, when either a structure is knocked down to the foundation or its interior is reconfigured due to its new architectural design. Due to the fact that Romex delivers electrical power throughout a structure & is hidden within walls, building code prohibits Romex from being spliced together in an effort to potentially reuse it. Therefore, new insulated copper wire must be installed after the older wire is removed.

H&C Metals buys all type of ROMEX and CAT5/6 insulated copper wire by the pound daily. If you are considering selling scrap ICW products, keep in mind that copper prices are influenced by market volatility and can fluctuate daily based upon supply, demand and several other factors.

If you have any questions, please call +(973) 937-8917 or contact us here.

At H&C Metals, Inc., most of the materials we haul in our scrap metal trucks are typically steel based. Steel, which is developed from mining iron ore, is considered to be a ferrous metal—it is magnetic and is the most commonly manufactured and recycled metal in existence. Other types of scrap metals we handle on a daily basis include stainless steel, copper tubing, and appliances, and much more. Our company utilizes a wide array of scrap metal trucks to transport these materials for further processing.

Although we can handle the majority of trucking requirements and scrap loads, our choice of vehicles typically depends on the type and volume of scrap that needs to be moved, its form, and how it is packaged by the client. For example, some applications require us to utilize our owned and operated 53ft tractor-trailers to transport pallets of servers, used commercial office furniture, or large quantities of appliances. In addition, we may use flatbed trucks to transport large stainless steel tanks or oversized equipment and machinery.

The majority of the scrap we haul is via our roll-off trucks. This type of scrap metal truck delivers open-top roll-off containers (e.g., dumpsters) to our customers who load the container from over the top or at one side which can be opened. Read on if you want to know what else is inside our scrap metal trucks!

Demolition and Construction Scrap

H&C Metals’ trucks for scrap metals can haul materials from interior and exterior building demolition projects. Common scrap metals from these projects include steel beams, trusses, metal studs (interior frame of a building), sheet pile, pipes (such as sprinkler pipes), large cast-iron boilers, and even insulated copper wire products. In most cases, our team hauls loose, mixed types of metals of varying dimensions (non-uniform size), including heavy beams and angle iron. To complete the job, these types of scrap loads are ideal for our industrial roll-off trucks.

Manufacturing Scrap

Manufacturers generate scrap during most production processes. Scrap metals and materials are typically collected and sold to scrap recycling companies for processing and then sold to mills. A mill, or foundry, will eventually sell the new metal it’s prepared back to those same manufacturers to build more consumer products; a typical product life cycle. Manufacturing scrap metal refers to a range of different material forms, from shavings (turnings) to cut-offs to skeletons to excess punchings and solids, which can be generated during the process of building products.

e-Scrap or Electronic Scrap

Technology grows at an incredible pace; the ever-changing landscape of consumer electronics could mean your devices (computers, cell phones, etc.) will be obsolete in just a few years. Although upgrading your end-of-life devices is a fairly simple process, knowing how to deal with old electronics isn’t. Due to New Jersey’s Electronic Waste Recycling Act, old PC’s, Laptops, Cellphones, and Servers, etc. should be recovered for repurposing. You will be pleased to know that H&C Metals has a computer recycling program that accepts many types of commercial and consumer electronics waste. These scrap items include insulated copper wire products (e.g., power cords), smartphones, routers, network gear, laptop computers, servers, computer towers, loose circuits and motherboards, and more.

H&C Metals adheres to a strict policy of distributing electronic scrap only to vetted and approved domestic dismantlers. These consumers are either R2 or e-Steward certified electronic equipment recyclers that maintain the highest standards of environmental responsibility.

Scrap from Materials Recovery Facilities – Waste Management

Also known as MRF’s, materials recovery facilities typically recover scrap such as tin cans (steel food or pet cans), aluminum cans (used beverage cans: “UBC”) and other types of Aluminum solids such as foil, as well as steel—primarily light iron (light gauge steel).

Contractor Scrap

At H&C Metals, we have been providing recycling, hauling, and scrap metal pick-up services for a variety of contractors for decades. Our company processes and hauls a combination of ferrous metals and nonferrous metals. Ferrous metals can include sprinkler pipe, roof-top HVAC equipment, duct-work, steel studs, cast iron pipe, corrugated roof decking, and construction materials from renovation projects. Nonferrous materials can include items such as insulated wires and cables (e.g., Romex, Aluminum & Steel BX Cable, CAT 5/6 Wire), electric motors, sealed units (compressors), and various grades of aluminum scrap.

If you want to learn more about what our scrap metal trucks can haul, be sure to check out our What We Accept Page.

Lead acid batteries, especially the flooded type, are widely used in the automotive industry. These batteries provide the most cost-effective solution, in terms of cost per amp hour. Modern wet cell batteries come in two main styles: maintenance-free and serviceable. How do these batteries work? Sulfuric acid in the electrolyte is typically depleted when a battery is being discharged. This reaction allows the electrolytes to closely resemble water. At the same time, sulfate from the acid coats the plates and reduces the surface area where a chemical reaction takes place. The ions that move around in the electrolytes are responsible for creating the current flow.

Some Important Facts About Lead Acid Batteries

Lead acid batteries are a successful sustainable non-ferrous recyclable item. They represent the most recycled consumer goods in the United States. Today, nearly 99 percent of all lead-acid batteries are recycled and more than 85% of lead is used to manufacture lead acid batteries across the globe. In addition, approximately 96% of a lead acid battery’s internal components are recoverable. For example, sulfuric acid and plastic can be reclaimed and all of the lead in the battery is recycled.

According to the Federal EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency), recycling lead acid batteries is one of the best examples in the world of proven environmentally conscious technology.

Most suppliers of scrap batteries are required by state laws to collect used batteries for recycling and sell them to authorized scrap dealers for safe disposal, enabling effective recovery of valuable materials for downstream (battery mills, smelters and manufacturers). In 2018, the industry had a total revenue of $637M; there were nearly 170 companies in this industry with an annual growth rate of 1.6% (from 2013 to 2018).

The value of scrap lead acid batteries varies, influenced by the global trading of lead, the season, supply and demand, the geographic region they are sold in, and what a scrap dealer ultimately offers for them. Most metal recycling companies, including H&C Metals, purchase batteries by the pound, but some companies buy them by the each. In today’s market, retail battery prices can range between $0.18/LB and $.30/LB, delivered to a scrap dealer.

Now that you are aware of the potential values of batteries, below are five types that you should start recycling in 2020:

Auto/Truck Batteries

Auto and truck batteries are the most common units that we receive from suppliers. There are approximately 21 pounds of lead in a typical car battery. Because some of our customers deliver multiple batteries at one time, H&C will provide pallets and a helping hand for convenient loading and assistance. This significantly reduces the amount of labor and time necessary to transfer heavy batteries to our scales. Our forklift truck operators can then easily weigh the pallets for prompt service and payment.

Steel Cased industrial Forklift Batteries

Steel cased industrial batteries are typically scrapped from forklift trucks and other types of heavy machinery. These units are significantly larger than standard car batteries. The large battery cell units are situated in an open-top, steel plate box or “tub”, with the battery terminals facing up at the open part of the tub. The combined weight of the steel box and multiple battery units make these types of batteries very heavy — ranging in weight from 1,200 lbs. to 5,000 lbs. each. If you are planning to scrap these steel case batteries, be sure to check their labels to ensure that you have lead-acid based batteries. GNB Industrial Power does manufacture steel cased industrial batteries that are absolyte batteries— they are not considered lead acid batteries. If you are not sure what you have, you can leave this task to H&C Metals. We have years of experience in identifying and handling industrial batteries.

Uninterruptible Power Supply Batteries (UPS)

UPS batteries are typically used to provide back-up power for data centers, computer systems, servers, and other types of telecommunication systems. These batteries are often found and used in large companies. They are not to be confused with standby batteries because they are typically larger than UPS batteries and weigh approximately 700 pounds due to increased lead content. In addition, standby batteries are manufactured to sometimes last a couple of decades, e.g., 20-25 years.

Valve Regulated Lead Acid Batteries (VRLA)

Also known as sealed glass mat batteries, valve regulated batteries are a type of rechargeable battery. This type of battery also functions as a back-up to provide uninterrupted power supply to computer and telecommunication systems. VRLA battery end-users are required to comply with all applicable State and Federal regulations by arranging their VRLAs to be recycled in an environmentally sound manner. For example, these batteries should be sent to fully EPA-approved secondary lead smelters—the same parties that H&C sells to.

Absolute Batteries

Absolutes are one of the best-selling large VRLA batteries in the world. It is a sealed maintenance-free battery that features high capacity and superior industrial quality. It is primarily designed for longevity (lasts up to 20 years) and enhanced cycling performance.

Because these batteries contain a toxic chemical element called cadmium in the battery plates, absolutes must be recycled differently than other typical batteries. In order to avoid harming the environment around you, it is important to work with a reputable scrap dealer or SAFE “home” that is familiar with this type of battery.

Who do You Call if You Want to Recycle Batteries?

All of these batteries can be recycled at a mill designed to process them—depending on their content, whether in domestic or international mills (e.g., South Korea). If you have questions about how to recycle any of these five kinds of batteries, don’t hesitate to call H&C Metals. We can advise about the type of battery, value, proper packaging prior to transport, and more. H&C Metals is your regional professional expert for all your battery identification and recycling needs.

If you are interested in knowing how batteries are processed and repurposed at a battery mill, be sure to watch this educational video.

Copper is a soft metal with a reddish color & has an array of impressive uses with an infinitely recyclable life. It has innumerable applications & uses such as in electric motors, construction, industrial & everyday household products. If you collect copper scrap due to your profession, for example, a contractor, a construction or a demolition company, or if you do your own repairs, prior to selling copper scrap, it is helpful to know there are standard scrap copper grades recognized by the nonferrous metal recycling industry. The “grade” of copper refers to its value as recyclable metal. Value is based on two primary factors – the purity of copper scrap & the quantity of that copper recovered when it is eventually melted.

These grades were established by the metal recycling industry decades ago and are universally applied by scrap dealers in the United States, including H&C Metals, who buy copper scrap. The copper grading is largely influenced by the consumers (buyers) of copper scrap whom the dealers sell to.  The “consumers” are a key component in the next stage of the recycling of copper because they receive the copper for smelting (melting), refining & repurposing.

The following are the most common copper grades, starting with the grade that is most valuable:

Copper Grades

Bare Bright Copper

This type of copper is typically supplied by electricians and utility companies. Also known as bright & shiny copper, bare bright is 99.9% copper and is a highly targeted item for scrap dealers and their customers due to its high value. Additionally, it should not be thinner than 16-gauge in thickness size and be free of tarnish, oxidation, insulation, rubber or cloth residual, burnt wire, tinned, coated, plated, copper-clad (steel with copper exterior plating) and any other non-copper attachments. It’s useful to note that this type of copper is used to make power cables that deliver heavy voltage electricity into a building. Because Bare Bright comes from power cables, you will need to remove the insulation to generate bare bright copper.

# 1 Copper

It is bare copper in the form of a tube, pipe, bus bar or some grades of wire that are not less than 1/16 of an inch in thickness. For example, the bus bar is used in transformers within large industrial buildings for transferring large amounts of electricity. Number one cooper should not have other metals attached to it, & be un-plated, un-coated & free of any contaminants. It is most commonly sold to H&C Metals in the form of a clean plumbing tube or pipe.

# 2 Copper

Number 2 copper has a minimum of 94% copper content and may come in the form of bare bright with contamination and be tin-plated. Common examples of # 2 copper include piping, tubing, bus bar and some grades of thin gauge wire. It should be free of attachments such as brass, steel, die-cast, stainless steel, aluminum, Lead, etc.,  or other solid non-metallics such as insulation, foam, excessive oil & heavy sediment. Scrap dealers receive # 2 copper as plumbing scrap with solder, paint, a small percentage of grease or dirt, as well as enameled wire, oxidized copper, electric motor windings, copper-bearing, and tin-plated solids. It is common that # 2 copper is often supplied by plumbers, do-it-yourselfers, demolition contractors, electricians & mechanical & HVAC contractors.

Light Copper

This type of copper is sometimes referred to as “# 3 copper” & comes in the form of a thin gauge sheet & should have a minimum 92% copper content. A common example of a product that is in Light Copper form, is flashing– used on the base of a chimney to prevent water from seeping between the chimney & roofline. Other forms include sheet copper, gutters, downspouts, kettles, boilers & old fire extinguishers.  Light copper should be free of excessively leaded, tinned, soldered scrap, brasses & bronzes, oil, iron, & reasonably free of tar.

The Copper Scrap Supplier to Dealer to Consumer Relationship

The majority of all copper-based metal products are reclaimed from scrap suppliers by scrap dealers (such as H&C Metals) as old metal and comes back into production due to recycling. The industries (“consumers”) through which a major part of these reclaimed copper products return to use are the brass & bronze ingot makers, brass & copper mills and the secondary smelters and refiners of copper. These industries heat & melt copper in a furnace into liquid form, from which it is poured into a cast to form an ingot—a block-shape, suitable for convenient shipping to the next step in the recycling process, where a manufacturer will re-melt the ingot & pour the liquid copper into a mold to create a new product, such as a water pipe sold to the plumbing industry or copper wire sold to the electrical industry.

Purity

Regarding the purity of copper collected by scrap yards, copper can be free of other metals (unalloyed), or  either chemically combined (alloyed) or plated with other metals, including Tin, Lead, Beryllium, Phosphorus & Silicon, etc.,   or contaminated by the presence of dirt,  solder, paint, grease, oil, tape, enamel or fiber, etc. The value of copper scrap is affected by the cost associated with the melting process (described above). The purer the copper to be melted–the lower the cost to process it. The presence of other metals or non-metallics increases the cost of the melting process. During the melting stage, the process of separating various types of metals as well as contaminants to either recover metal or dispose of impurities results in higher operating costs for the consumer and a lower value assigned to the scrap.

Recovery

Recovery pertains to the amount of copper that solidifies after it’s been melted in a furnace. If 10,000 lbs. of copper scrap is added to a furnace of which 5% percent of the weight is solder or dirt & 5% of the copper evaporates while melting after the copper cools into solid material again, its recovery equates to 90%.

Whether you have any of the above grades of copper, or other copper-bearing materials such as insulated wire/cable, electric motors, transformers, armatures & stators, feel free to consult with H&C Metals for accurate valuation purposes. We rely on 43 years of metal recycling expertise to correctly grade & price all forms of copper scrap.