Making Scrap Iron Recycling Easy!
Known as one of the world’s most recycled scrap metals, iron is a ferrous metal with extremely magnetic properties, often used to create other useful metal alloys such as steel. Scrap iron recycling is a huge part of the industry in the 21st century, due to its low manufacturing cost and high strength when produced. There are several types of scrap iron we come across on a daily basis, including: cast iron, heavy-duty iron, low-duty iron, wrought iron and so on.
Here at Kas Metal Trading, we are a friendly and efficient team of scrap metal merchants with over 30 years of experience in scrap iron recycling. We source and sell the best-quality scrap iron from across the UK, ready for processing. Visit our scrap yard to begin weighing-in your scrap iron today.
Scrap Iron Recycling Specialists
Did you know that iron is one of the most abundant metals on our planet, and the chemical symbol ‘Fe’ comes from Latin, meaning ‘ferrum’? Due to its versatile properties, we see scrap iron in all sorts of shapes and sizes, which has been used in a wide variety of commercial and domestic applications.
Examples of Scrap Iron
Examples of scrap iron include, but are not limited to, automotive parts, household appliances and white goods, construction materials, industrial equipment, machinery, garden furniture, fencing and much more! Compared with non-ferrous metals, iron is unique in its magnetic properties, making it easier to separate from other recyclable metals which are traded in at our scrap yard.
Scrap Iron Prices
Cast iron scrap price and cast iron price per kg can change daily, and is influenced by a number of environmental and economic factors. As with many different scrap metals, whether it be copper, brass, aluminium and so on, the higher the demand for scrap iron, the higher the price. If you’ve got plans to sell your scrap iron, you must source a knowledgeable merchant who knows the scrap metal market inside and out, ensuring you’ll always be receiving the best possible prices.
At KAS Metal, all of our scrap iron pricing is based on the London Metal Exchange (LME), a third-party governing body for the metal market. In doing so, we keep up to date with the variable prices and can reflect this when selling or buying iron scrap ourselves.
What Types of Scrap Iron Can Be Recycled?
Iron is the second most abundant metal on Earth. In fact, iron composes about 80% of the Earth’s inner and outer cores. A very strong and highly ductile metal, iron can be drawn out into a thin wire or moulded into different shapes without losing any of its original strength. Some of the most common types of iron include:
Cast Iron
Cast iron is an alloy of iron, carbon and silicon. Cast iron is hard, brittle, non-malleable and more fusible than steel. It is a popular material in the construction of buildings, bridges, pipes and cookware due to its strength and non-malleability.
Wrought Iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content in comparison to cast iron. It is often characterised by its fibrous appearance, but is also softer and more ductile than cast iron. Typical uses include fences, gates and railings, balconies, porches and verandas.
Pig Iron
Pig iron, sometimes referred to as crude iron, is created by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace, or by smelting ilmenite in an electric furnace. Pig iron is wear-resistant, brittle and mildly fusible, often used for steel-making, foundries, alloy-making and automotive castings.
Scrap Iron Recycling
Scrap iron recycling reduces the need to mine for new ores and refine metals, which can cause air pollution. Recycling also helps preserve natural resources, helping to protect natural habitats and wildlife, as well as benefitting local economies by creating jobs in the scrap metal recycling industry.
Iron is a highly valuable metal, as without it, we wouldn’t be able to produce steel, which in turn maintains a strong industrial base. Approximately 98% of iron ore is used in steelmaking. Recycling one tonne of steel saves 1.5 tonnes of iron ore which is the source of primary iron for the world’s iron and steel industries.
What Are the Grades of Scrap Iron?
The different grades of scrap iron depend on poor-quality steel content and sizes, including specific widths.
Heavy Melting Scrap Iron
Heavy iron, or heavy melting scrap (HMS) is generally categorised as recyclable steel and wrought iron. Heavy iron can be broken down into two different categories – HMS1 and HMS 2. HMS 1 contains no galvanised and blackened steel, whereas HMS 2 does.
#1 Scrap Iron (Unprepared)
Unprepared #1 scrap iron is heavy melt iron that usually has a width of more than a quarter-inch.
#1 Scrap Iron (Prepared)
Prepared #1 scrap iron is heavy melt iron that has a width of more than a quarter-inch that is no more than 5 feet by 2 feet in size.
We can guarantee…
Sell Scrap Iron With Ease
Thanks to over 30 years in the industry, we’ve perfected our weigh-in and metal analysis systems to make them as efficient as possible. This means no more long wait times to get paid for your scrap iron, with various payment options on offer. If you have iron to sell, get in touch with our experts below.
Our iron recycling centre is based in Atherton, meaning we are able to help the public and businesses recycle iron across the Lancashire area. We cover the following areas: Wigan, Bolton, Chorley, Manchester, Salford, Preston, Leigh, Tyldesley and Westhoughton.
Scrap Iron Recycling: FAQs
Heavy Melting Scrap (HMS) Iron. An essential material for electric arc furnaces (EAFs), HMS iron is now more valuable than ever, thanks to the government’s Plan for Steel, alongside their Net Zero goals.
Clean iron scrap is generally free from rust, contaminants, non-ferrous scrap and non-metal attachments, such as plastic, rubber and sometimes wood.
Yes, you can still recycle rusted scrap metal. However, removing rust before weighing it in will typically result in a better price.
You’ll get much better value if you remove the rust from your scrap iron before visiting our scrap yard. Surface-level rust should be easy to remove, but black or pitted rust will prove to be a bigger challenge.