5 Ways to Distinguish Your Copper Scraps From Brass Scraps

When you’re working with Scrap Metal Recycling Melbourne, it’s important to be able to tell your different scrap metals apart so that you can accurately sell them at the best price possible. Let’s take a look at 5 ways to distinguish your copper scraps from your brass scraps. We’ll use these tips in the future when we start discussing how to recognize each type of metal and what its primary uses are.

What are copper scraps?

Copper scraps are metallic pieces of copper that have been used in various projects and come from places like wire, pipes, roofs and more. Before you take your scrap metal to a recycling centre, you’ll want to make sure it’s not brass or some other metal. Here are five ways you can tell the difference: 

-The colour: copper is reddish brown while brass is a golden yellow colour.

How do you distinguish copper from brass?

There are a number of ways to distinguish between copper and brass scrap metal. One way is by the colour. Copper is typically brown, and brass is usually more yellow or gold in colour. Another way is by weight, as copper weighs more than brass.

How do you identify copper alloys?

Copper scrap is easier to identify than brass since it has a distinct red colour. To see if it is copper or brass, rub the metal on a magnet. If the magnet sticks, you have brass. If the magnet doesn’t stick, you have copper! When in doubt, though, we recommend taking your scrap metal item into our scrap yard for a free test!

What about bronze scrap?

As copper scrap is one of the more valuable metals, it can be difficult to distinguish between brass scraps and copper scraps. The following are five ways you can identify if your metal scrap is copper or brass: 

– Inspect the colour of the metal. If it’s a dark brown or black colour, it’s likely brass. If it’s a greenish-gold or reddish colour, it may be copper. 

– Determine if there are any markings on the metal.

Why does it matter?

Knowing the difference is important because when it comes to Scrap Metal Recycling Melbourne, copper and brass are worth more money than other metals. If you’re not sure how to tell copper and brass apart, don’t worry: there are a few tricks that can help you. 

-Copper is shinier than brass when it’s polished. 

-A magnet will attract only brass, not copper or other metals.

Conclusion

Copper is valued over brass and has many more uses, so the price difference between copper and brass scrap can be substantial. Because copper and brass look very similar, it’s important to know how to distinguish them. 

One way is by using a magnet: if the magnet sticks to it, then it’s not copper; if the magnet doesn’t stick to it, then it’s most likely copper. Another way is by looking at the colour: brass will appear much darker than copper.