The Five Metal Categories You Should Know

The world of scrap metal recycling lends itself to various types of metals and alloys, but most of these metals fall under the five metal categories you should know.

This will help you determine the most common metals you may come across, and how different types can affect your profit when engaging in scrap metal trading.

What Are The Five Metal Categories?

1. Ferrous metals
2. Non-ferrous metals
3. Precious metals
4. Base metals
5. Noble metals

Ferrous Metals

Ferrous metals are those that contain a significant amount of iron within their chemical composition, as the word ‘ferrous’ translates to ‘of iron’.

Iron is a magnetic metal, hence, if an unidentified piece of scrap metal has the ability to attract a magnet – it is likely a ferrous metal. Other common properties of ferrous metals include: durability, great tensile strength, a silver-like colour, corrosion-resistance and high conductivity, as well as recyclability.

Some of the most common types of ferrous metals include:

• Wrought iron – generally found in nails, wire, chains, railways, etc.
• Cast iron – has a relatively low melting point, as well as good fluidity, castability, machinability and a resistance to deformation, making it an ideal material to use for pipes, machines, automotive industry parts, etc.
• Mild steel (also known as low-carbon steel) – one of the most widely used types of steel, mild steel has good weldability, machinability and ductility, so it’s commonly found in the construction and automotive sectors for fencing and signage applications.
• Carbon steel – high-carbon steels often have greater durability than mild steel, and are often used for cutting tools, springs, coils, wrenches, hammers and other common building tools/equipment.
• Stainless steel – less ductile grades of stainless steel are used to make knives and the more ductile grades are often used to make grills, cookers, saucepans and sinks, but can also be used to finish fridges, freezers, dishwashers and countertops.

Non-Ferrous Metals

Non-ferrous metals include those that do not contain a significant amount of iron within their chemical composition, and are found in the Earth as chemical compounds.

If an unidentified piece of scrap metal cannot be attracted by a magnet, it is safe to assume that it is non-ferrous. Other common properties of non-ferrous metals include: machinability, castability, weldability, corrosion resistance, good thermal and electrical conductivity and low density.

Some of the most common types of non-ferrous metals include:

• Aluminium – a soft and malleable metal, aluminium is used to make cans, foils, kitchen utensils, window frames, beer kegs and aeroplane parts.
• Brass – commonly used in applications where corrosion resistance and low friction are required, brass is widely used to make locks, hinges, gears, zips, plumbing, electrical plugs & sockets, etc.
• Bronze – due to its corrosion resistance and unique colour, bronze is commonly used to make coins, hardware mounts, furniture trims, ceiling or wall panels, ship hardware and a wide range of automobile parts.
• Copper – most copper is used in electrical applications, such as wiring and motors due to its high conductivity of heat and electricity, as well as its ability to be drawn into wires. Copper can also be used in the construction sector (e.g. roofing and plumbing) and the industrial sector for machinery (e.g. heat exchangers).
• Lead – lead is widely used for car batteries, cable sheathing, weights for lifting, lead crystal glass, etc.
• Titanium – due to its low density and heat resistance, titanium alloys are generally used for aircraft, spacecraft and missile applications. They are also used in golf clubs, laptops, bicycles and crutches, and power plant condensers use titanium pipes due to the metal’s corrosion resistance.

Precious Metals

Precious metals can fall under the category of being either ferrous or non-ferrous, as they are generally classified as any metal that retains high economic value and is a rare, naturally-occurring element. 

Other common properties of precious metals include: high conductivity, high melting points, physical & chemical resistance, optical qualities and the ability to accelerate or make chemical reactions possible.

Some of the most common types of precious metals include:

• Gold – gold is generally used to make expensive items that hold an important place in culture and society, including wedding rings, jewellery and money, as well as the aerospace and electronics sectors. But, it is also used in medicine and dentistry.
• Silver – silver is an invaluable metal for soldering and brazing alloys, as well as for making batteries, LED chips, nuclear reactors, touch screens and much more.
• Platinum – platinum is mostly used for car exhausts in catalytic converters and jewellery, but it can also be used in the electronics, dentistry and bullion (coin) industries.
• Tungsten – tungsten is known for once being the most common material used to make old-style light bulb filaments, but now it can be used to make cutting and drilling tools, as well as arc-welding electrodes and heating elements for high-temperature furnaces.
• Cobalt – famous for its bright blue colour, cobalt salts have long been used to make brilliant blue paints, porcelain, glass, pottery and enamels. The radioactive cobalt-60 version of the element is used to treat cancer and in some countries, can be used to irradiate food in order to preserve it.

Base Metals

Base metals are often more common and are generally less expensive than precious metals, such as gold and silver. Base metals are often used in the manufacturing industry, one such example includes coins. Coins often derived their value from their precious metal content, but base metals have also been used to make coins, not only in the past but also today.

Some of the most common base metals include:

• Copper – when combined with zinc to make brass, copper becomes a harder version of itself which is more suited to forming bases to be electroplated with precious metals.
• Aluminium – commonly used in the transport industry for aircrafts, cars and bicycles.
• Lead – mostly used for commercial manufacture of batteries as it is soft, malleable and ductile.
• Nickel – resists corrosion even at very high temperatures, so is perfect for making toasters and electric ovens.
• Tin – widely used for plating steel cans used as food containers, in metals used for bearings and in solder.
• Zinc – mostly used to prevent rusting in other metals, e.g. iron, and to produce die-castings (important for the automobile, electrical and hardware industries).

Noble Metals

Noble metals describe any metals that have several metallic chemical elements within their composition, with an outstanding resistance to oxidation, even at high temperatures.

Some of the most common noble metals include:

• Gold – used as a catalyst in hydrogenation and the water gas shift reaction, gold is the most noble of all metals.
• Platinum – used in the electronics industry to make computer hard disks and thermocouples, as well as important chemotherapy drugs used to treat cancers.
• Palladium – used in many types of manufacturing processes, especially in dentistry, medicine, chemical applications, jewellery and groundwater treatment.

Why Choose Us?

With multiple sites based in and around Atherton, our local scrap metal yard offers straightforward trading for straightforward people, no matter the quality or quantity of scrap metal our customers bring in. Whether you need scrap metal recycling services for your ferrous or non-ferrous scrap metal – weighing-it-in with Kas is the best choice.

Not only can we offer a hassle-free and efficient turnaround, but we can also offer the latest in metal analysis systems and a wide range of flexible and prompt payment options – including a pre-paid card!

Our up-to-date metal analysis systems ensure our scrap metal merchants can quickly and accurately grade your ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, so you can rest assured that you’re getting the best price possible for your scrap metal.

Our wide range of flexible and prompt payment options include:

• Bank Transfer
• Cheque
• Prepaid Card – allows traders to upload their card with funds at the point of weigh-in and use it to withdraw money, or as a debit card.

If you bring your scrap metal to us before 4pm, we can guarantee you a same-day payment! Can’t get it to us before 4pm? No problem, we’ll simply pay you the following day.

Scrap Metal Prices

Our friendly and dedicated team is proud to base all of our scrap metal prices on the world centre for industrial metal trading, hedging and pricing – the London Metal Exchange (LME). 

This allows our scrap metal merchants to offer some of the most competitive, fair and accurate prices in this line of trading – prices that can even respond to daily changes in the scrap metal market.

Recycle Your Scrap Metals With Kas

Now you’re clued up on the five metal categories you should know, this will help you decipher any types of scrap metal you come across, and decide which ones will be the most profitable for you to trade.

If you have any ferrous or non-ferrous scrap metal lying around, visit our scrap metal buyers at any of our safe and reliable scrap metal yard sites today to weigh-it-in with Kas – earn some extra cash, free up some space on the way to your next job and do your bit for the environment. 
Give us a call, email or visit our local scrapyard today! You can find us across Atherton, Preston, Leigh, Wigan, Tyldesley, Bolton, Worsley, Lancashire, Chorley, Westhoughton and Salford. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up to date with the latest company updates and industry news.