Beryllium copper is one of the most recycled metal materials in the world. In general, copper materials are incredibly versatile and easy to work with, and have a wide range of applications across many sectors. This is what makes them so recyclable.

Recycled beryllium copper can be used to make new copper products that are crucial to many household appliances, key infrastructure, and more.

Here are products that beryllium copper is used for:

• Electronic connectors
• Telecommunications products
• Computer components
• Small springs
• Wires
• Tools needed for non-sparking applications
• Musical instruments
• Cryogenic equipment

As you can see, we interact with copper products in a very tangible way almost daily. If beryllium copper is not adequately recycled, we would have much more waste to deal with and the products from which they are made would be much more expensive.

You may be wondering why beryllium copper can be used so many different ways. This is because this metal component has highly advantageous characteristics:

• High electrical and thermal conductivity
• High ductility
• Malleability without loss of integrity
• Relatively high corrosion and oxidation resistance
• Non-sparking
• Non-magnetic
• Consistency

Furthermore, beryllium copper products can be easily recycled and have been for many years. The material to be recycled only needs to be checked for contamination from other kinds of alloys such as iron, aluminium, lead, and more. Clean scraps are needed for the recycling process, and if these contaminants are found, recycling centres will not be able to easily process that beryllium copper. More advanced technologies and processes have allowed us to find workarounds. Beryllium copper can be extracted from the contaminated product. However, the beryllium will be lost in this process and the resulted copper will not have as many applications or uses or beryllium copper does.

Recycling metals can be a complex process, which is why experts such as Alnor Industries make sure to keep our clients well informed. Contact us today to learn more about our recycling capabilities!