New Trends in the Scrap Metal Industry

Posted date: 18-03-2014

What Type Of Scrap Can Be Recycled

At Carbide USA we understand that there are many different kinds of metals that can be recycled once they have become scrap or are otherwise deemed no longer useful. SomTungsten Carbide scrap, Tungsten Carbide Pricing, Tungsten Carbide Recyclinge metals such as stainless steel are primarily reused in the construction industry. Others like aluminum are a little more multipurpose and can be reused not just for construction, but for the production of automobiles, cookware, and many household items. Even silver and gold can be recycled into jewelry, accessories, or parts for computer circuit boards. However, of all the valued metals that are recyclable, there are few that are as affected by the current trends in the scrap industry than tungsten carbide.

Tungsten carbide is a compound material that contains a certain percentage of both carbon and tungsten to make it extremely versatile. The resulting material boasts a hardness level that is three times that of stainless steel as well as incredible resistance to pitting or rust buildup. This makes it useful for constructing tools and accessories for many industries including medical instruments and inserts, ammunition, industrial gears, jewelry, drill bits, mining tips, inserts, end mills, and much more.

Why Carbide Is So Intertwined With Recycling Trends

Despite the vast amount of applications that tungsten carbide can be used for, the chief reason why the material so revered for recycling is not because of its versatility, but because of its rarity domestically. The truth is that natural stores of tungsten in the United States are quite low and as a result, 90% of tungsten carbide comes from overseas (mainly the orient). The Tungsten Industry Association has surveyed that only up to 40% of the material is actually being recycled in the states after it has been used. Fortunately, recent trends that are unfolding regarding scrap metal are helping to bring those numbers up.

What Trends Are Affecting Carbide Recycling

The earliest carbide recycling efforts regarding tungsten carbide date back to World War II. During the war, the military needed the material to produce armor piercing bullets, add greater strength to their own armor plates, and aid with bomb production. Today, the military’s needs are even greater since in addition to the above, tungsten carbide is being used extensively by the aeronautical industry to create specialized circuitry, gears, instruments, and reinforce hull materials of various air and space craft. As we are currently at war, the demand from the government for recycled carbide is higher than ever.

Of course, there are other trends that are driving the need to recycle carbide materials. For instance, America’s growing ambition to be less reliant on foreign materials has become aTungsten Carbide scrap, Tungsten Carbide Pricing, Tungsten Carbide Recycling huge driver for reusing resources like carbide that we cannot produce in mass as a country. Moreover, because the demand and retail prices for carbide items are so high, recyclers like Carbide USA will pay top dollar for recycled scrap. This notion has helped to shift the market toward buying and recycling American manufactured carbide materials.

The idea of running a greener business is also a recent development that is driving many companies to consider recycling tungsten carbide. Every bit of this valuable material that is not recycled will just pile on top of the rubbish to already overcrowding landfills. Moreover, there are few recyclable materials that can be turned in for a cash profit. Whether your business is motivated by the savings incentives or the idea that doing your part will help to make the world a better place, you can always count on your extra recycling efforts improving your image to the general public.

The Big Picture

The truth is that the recycling prices for the scrap metal business have been moving sideways since the recession. However, it is promising to know that the going prices for scrap continue to chug along at a somewhat steady rate and show the promise of slowly climbing. Based on the incentives and market trends, recycling carbide scrap is just as important for the businesses that steadily purchase items made of the material for day to day activities as it is for scrappers who travel around collecting and turning in material from third party resources. Regardless of where you fall in the equation, know that doing your part will help to keep reusable materials out of landfills, reduce your carbon foot print, improve your public image, and put cash in your pocket. In essence, the newest trends affecting the scrap metal business will help your company stay on top. Carbide-usa

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