Copper Clad Stampings/Busheling

Hello All,
I'm new to the forum but I've been working in scrap metal for a long time.

We have been handing an stamping plant for years that generates steel busheling as well as a small amount of copper clad busheling, which we take for basically no cost. I'm not sure how it's generated but it's definitely a plating of some sort and it's not able to be manually separated.

In the past we have handled this a variety of ways:
- Let it sit out for months at a time so that it rusts and "hides" the copper color to be sold in a #2 Busheling or Dealer Busheling package
- Burnt it in a small test batch with great results but not able to be done on a large scale for various (obvious) reasons
- Mixed it in with exported Tin Plated Steel (no longer an option)

I've tried to market this material by itself but have had no luck.
Any thoughts on how to handle and/or process this material?
I'm not looking to recover any copper. I just want to be able to sell the steel.

Welcome to the forum. So scrap yards don't want it at all?? Is it because it is copper plated? If so would it be possible to tumble it in a media that could remove the copper. 73, Mike

will they accept it as a lower grade of steel?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mcrawford

Hello All,
I'm new to the forum but I've been working in scrap metal for a long time.

We have been handing an stamping plant for years that generates steel busheling as well as a small amount of copper clad busheling, which we take for basically no cost. I'm not sure how it's generated but it's definitely a plating of some sort and it's not able to be manually separated.

In the past we have handled this a variety of ways:
- Let it sit out for months at a time so that it rusts and "hides" the copper color to be sold in a #2 Busheling or Dealer Busheling package
- Burnt it in a small test batch with great results but not able to be done on a large scale for various (obvious) reasons
- Mixed it in with exported Tin Plated Steel (no longer an option)

I've tried to market this material by itself but have had no luck.
Any thoughts on how to handle and/or process this material?
I'm not looking to recover any copper. I just want to be able to sell the steel.

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With the small percentage of copper versus steel this material would sell as scrap steel. If your able to weather this material into rusting the copper ain't all that thick cause copper won't rust.

Thanks for all the help so far. I should add that we have handled this customer since the late 90's so this problem isn't new and we/they have tried MANY solutions. Selling as-is has been very difficult and spotty so I feel the best solution is to fix the issue in house (remove as much copper as possible) and blend into obsolete scrap loads. The issue at the mills is obviously the copper content and it can blow a heat - or so I've been told.

alloy2 - Yes, it has sold as scrap before...but it never lasts unfortunately. I'm not sure how it rusts since I'm guessing the copper coating is to PREVENT oxidation but I do know that if left outside long enough it begins to look like regular, rusted steel.

mattinthehat - We have found a place to accept it at close-to-no-value but they don't buy enough and generally stop accepting it after a while.

miked - We have sold to other scrap yards before, especially ones with Shredders. They will take it with #2 Heavy Melt or Shredder Feed Stock Loads but eventually they end up segregating it and asking us to keep it out of the loads. Are you saying that some type of abrasion could help remove the coating? I've thought of that but i'd need to find a way to do with on a large level. Any suggestions?

You will be looking for a steel mill that produces an ally called NUCu-60 used to manufacture steel for rail cars and bridges.

Your research begins with the link, https://duckduckgo.com/?q=NUCu-60+steel&t=canonical&ia=web

how much per load and how often?

if there is enough volume it may be worth contacting the corporate office, or regional office of one of the large scrap companies. Sims metal management is an example.

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Originally Posted by MattInTheHat

how much per load and how often?

if there is enough volume it may be worth contacting the corporate office, or regional office of one of the large scrap companies. Sims metal management is an example.

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in volume someone will definitely want it. but I would try and market it for the Cu content, I have unloaded copper clad grounding rods at 8% recovery Cu breakage...

V/r HT1

we're the rods new or used

HT1 - The CU content is very low since it's just a plating - it's like .5% or something. The recovery of CU is not where the value is. It would be the low cost of purchasing (which we are ok with) and the ferrous recovery.

MattintheHatt - I won't give too much detail but i will say that SIMS is familiar with this customer and has handled them in the past. I contacted the former sales rep of the account and found out how they handled this CU Clad. They were the ones who suggested to let it sit out for months at a time so that it rusts and "hides" the copper color.

maybe the copper washes away after it corrodes.

I have actually done this with 82< pennies and it works. Use a copper sulfate solution and a copper wire to use electrolysis to remove the copper from the bushings and deposit it onto the copper wire. You will wind up with bushings with no copper and an eventual accumulation of copper on the wire. You can use a battery charger to provide the charge to remove the plating. I don't remember which goes to which, but a quick experiment will solve the problem.

Try a mill that's make's rebar as rebar doe's have copper in it. Way back when we used to get this type of material we bailed it and shipped it to Nucor Kankakee I think, not sure. You might also try Trockman in Evansville, IN. as they buy rebar. Good luck.

BrassBuster - thank you very much, I will def look into Rebar mills.
t00nces - nice suggestion. unfortunately with the volume of material (thousands of pounds at a time) I believe this is not cost-effective

Everyone thanks for your help. With this information we should be good.

All,
I'd like to update you on the formal chemical composition of the Copper-Clad Steel. We recently had it melted and tested before we go to market.
Here are the results:

FE 86.06
Cu 12.56
Sn 0.94
Mn 0.24
Si 0.04
Cr 0.04
C 0.03
Ni 0.03
Ph 0.02
Al 0.02
Mb 0.01
Ti 0.01

It would be interesting to know where you are located. That may get more people interested in providing suggestions to you.

I am interested In purchasing. Where are you located?

That is a high percent of Cu for scrap yards to turn their noses up at. With volume and the amount of Cu someone will pay for that material. 73, Mike

We are located in the Midwest near the Illinois/Indiana border.

Good results, I still think Nucor or Trockman will be your best bet, there both are close to you so transportion won't be to much. Good Luck.