How Much is Brass Worth?(titanium vs steel strength April)
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But how much is brass actually worth? Here's a look at brass pricing and what impacts the current market value.
Brass Pricing Per Pound
Like most commodities, brass pricing fluctuates regularly based on market conditions. However, most types of new brass currently sell for $1.50 to $3.50 per pound. Architectural brass tends to fetch the lowest pricing while naval brass and other high-copper alloys sell for more.
The specific brass composition greatly affects the base price. Here are typical price ranges:
- Architectural brass (85% copper/15% zinc): $1.50-$2.00 per pound
- Cartridge brass (70% copper/30% zinc): $1.75-$2.50 per pound
- Yellow brass (65% copper/35% zinc): $2.00-$3.00 per pound
- Naval brass (60% copper/39% zinc): $2.50-$3.25 per pound
- Red brass (85% copper/5% tin/5% lead/5% zinc): $2.75-$3.50 per pound
Keep in mind that these are general estimates. Actual pricing varies based on supplier, volume, and current market conditions. Smaller quantities from retailers may cost significantly more per pound compared to bulk rates from wholesalers or metal recycling firms.
Factors That Impact Brass Scrap Prices
In addition to new brass, recycled and scrap brass also provides a key source of material. The scrap metal market is complex, but some of the key factors that influence brass scrap pricing include:
- New brass prices: Scrap brass prices correlate closely with the cost of new brass alloys. When demand for new brass is high, scrap prices follow.
- Copper prices: Since copper makes up 55-95% of brass, the price of copper on commodities markets greatly impacts brass costs. Copper recently hit record highs over $4.50 per pound, dragging brass prices up as well.
- Economic conditions: Strong industrial demand lifts brass and copper pricing during healthy economic periods. Weaker economic activity and recessions put downward pressure on metals prices.
-Inventory levels: Brass supply and stockpiles at major metal suppliers also affect brass market pricing. High inventory keeps new brass costs down.
- Competition: Numerous metal recyclers compete in the brass scrap market, which prevents pricing from varying extremely between different vendors. But lack of competition can allow some firms to dictate higher prices.
- Quality: Higher-purity brass scrap with reduced contaminants commands better pricing than lower-quality mixed metal. Proper sorting and processing increases scrap brass value.
- Transportation costs: Shipping and fuel prices to transport brass scrap metal nationally and globally impacts pricing as well.
Brass Scrap Pricing Per Pound
Like other commodities, brass scrap is bought and sold by the pound. Current scrap prices range considerably based on brass type, purity and form:
- Clean copper-alloy scrap: $1.50 - $2.50/lb
- Dirty scrap: $0.60 - $1.50/lb
- Brass turning/borings: $1.20 - $1.80/lb
- Radiators: $1.00 - $1.80/lb
- Brass breakage: $1.20 - $2.00/lb
- Yellow brass solids: $1.60 - $2.40/lb
- Brass shell casings: $1.50 - $2.25/lb
Brass scrap often pays more than heavily mixed low copper-content scrap metals. Prices also vary based on form. Turnings and borings are less desirable than solid scrap pieces. And certain brass types like radiators are purchased based on their common value rather than exact contents.
Selling Scrap Brass
Many options exist for selling your brass scrap to take advantage of current pricing:
- Scrap yards: Major scrap and recycling firms purchase all types of metal scrap, including brass. Yards pay based on purity, weight and market rates.
- Online scrap companies: Online sellers like iScrapApp connect you with scrap yards to get quotes, arrange shipping and payment.
- Flea markets/classifieds: Listing brass scrap for local pickup can avoid shipping costs. But expect to accept lower offers compared to large buyers.
- Metal recycling businesses: Smaller local recyclers may pay above scrap yard rates for common items like shells and radiators.
- DIY selling on eBay/Etsy: You can sell cleaned up brass scrap directly to other creators and DIYers online. But this takes more time and effort.
Selling brass scrap doesn't yield high profits compared to other activities. But with the right approach, it can help offset the cost of projects or provide some side income. And it keeps valuable brass out of landfills. So next time you're left with some brass scraps or old fixtures, consider turning it into cash instead of trash. CNC Milling CNC Machining