Recycling Yellow Brass in Missouri
The mixture of copper and zinc creates an alloy known as yellow brass solids. People typically describe brass as an element metal, even though it does not have an element symbol. Yellow brass solids get their golden color because of the higher percentage of zinc rather than copper. Manufacturers can typically tell if they have scrap yellow brass because of the color, but it is good to get a professional opinion. Yellow brass is very common in everyday life which makes recycling yellow brass in Missouri essential. When looking around at everyday things, one can find yellow brass in these places:
- Household plumbing
- Connectors
- Radiators
- Keys
In addition, many people use yellow brass solids when decorating their home because of the decorative element they provide. Yellow brass often makes up many bowls, shelves, and even some jewelry. When manufacturers require a material that cannot spark, they often use brass. Yellow brass provides a low-friction,soft, and safe material.
Scrap Yellow Brass
The high amount of scrap yellow brass creates a high demand for recycling yellow brass in Missouri. Yellow brass solids play a large role in the bronze and brass industries. Therefore, the brass and bronze industry causes the sometimes-high prices for yellow brass. Manufactures produce yellow brass in the form of:
- Brass sheets
- Tubing rods
- Castings
The Recycling Process
Manufacturers produce a lot of scrap, yet yellow brass should not be thrown away. Interco buys scrap yellow brass and takes it through a recycling process. In today’s world, almost 90% of brass is recycled. In order to be successful at recycling yellow brass in Missouri, Interco must find yellow brass that has low levels of aluminum and manganese bronze. This difficult-to-find yellow brass can be easily recycled.
Brass typically has a mix of nonferrous and ferrous materials. When this happens, the two kinds of materials need to be separated. The separation process starts with a powerful magnet that isolates the two kind of metals. The process of disengaging the different metals proves to be easy because brass is nonferrous.
The process of recycling yellow brass is very much like the process of recycling other non-ferrous metals. After determining what metal we have and completing the separation process, Interco will:
- Compact the yellow brass solids into very small pieces so they do not take up as much space
- Place the metals into a furnace that will reach very high temperatures which will cause the brass to soften
- Pour the metal into a mold for it to cool
Interco purchases yellow brass from anywhere in the United States. Because of transportation costs, recycling materials that are great distances away can cause difficulties. Despite these difficulties, Interco continues to develop and expand.
Conclusion
Yellow brass is a very common metal in everyday life. Due to the high levels of yellow brass, recycling yellow brass in Missouri proves to be a necessity. We must strive to recycle more than 90% of all brass products. If you have any questions about what to do with your scrap yellow brass, please contact Interco here.