The beryllium copper scrap is one of the most sought-after scrap metals by scrap buyers and metal recyclers. When the products that use beryllium copper alloy, such as springs, batteries, electric wires, etc, reach the end of their life-cycle, they are sold to metal scrap recyclers. They are then reprocessed and moulded into manufacturing raw materials such as wires, tubes, pipes, etc

Here is a brief overview of how beryllium copper scraps are recycled:

The recycling process of beryllium copper scrap

First, the scrap is assessed for purity by testing for contaminants like iron, aluminum, lead, etc. It is necessary to use only clean beryllium copper scraps, free of other impurities, for recycling. The presence of other metals in the beryllium copper alloy can reduce its strength and conductivity. 

The scrap is then melted in a furnace and cast into different shapes and forms according to the needs of manufacturers. Since the recycled alloy is highly malleable, it is easily reshaped and drawn into wires. 

Extracting copper from a contaminated beryllium copper scrap

If the beryllium copper scrap is impure with other metallic contaminants, you can try extracting copper from the alloy through the electrolysis process. The beryllium copper is melted and cast into an anode that needs to be refined. When the cast anode and cathode are immersed in an electrolytic cell, pure copper gets deposited on the cathode, and impurities along with beryllium tend to float or dissolve in the solution. This is how copper gets extracted from impure beryllium copper scrap. 

Since beryllium gets lost in the process, extracting copper from a contaminated beryllium copper alloy is not as economical as simple recycling of beryllium copper scrap. Instead of refining the scrap, it might be more profitable to recycle it into various industrial and agricultural materials based on the composition of the copper alloy. 

To know more about the recycling of beryllium copper scrap, contact Alnor Industries today.