How To Scrap AlNiCo Magnets and AlNiCo Speakers

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Alnico (sometimes stylized as AlNiCo) is an iron alloy of cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), copper and sometimes titanium used almost exclusively to make high strength permanent magnets. Alnico magnets’ claim to fame is that they were once the strongest type of permanent magnet in the world, however they were superseded once the more economical and powerful rare-earth magnet became mainstream in the late 20th century.

Alnico is used in vintage speakers, so today I will show how to scrap an old broken alnico speaker, and discuss the value of the alnico inside. (Alnico speakers have significant notoriety in audiophile communities for their “sweet” tone and “mellow” sound, so naturally a speaker like this is worth 25x-100x more as a working vintage speaker than it is worth for scrap.) But first, I will discuss the composition and value of AlNiCo magnets, where you might find them, and what to do with them.

What Are Scrap AlNiCo Magnets Worth?

Like a priceless piece of art, scrap alnico magnets are only worth what the highest bidder is willing to pay. As a permanent magnet, a single used alnico magnet can sell on eBay for as much as $12/Lb or more (compared to an industry price of $20/Lb+ for a new alnico magnet). But, when it comes to scrap value, sometimes they are more trouble to a scrap yard than they are worth. Most scrap yards will require you to sell them a minimum of a few hundred pounds, and will only pay between $0.60/Lb-$2.50/Lb or possibly more. (Pricing as of December 2019)

The more cobalt your alloy has, the more valuable it will be for scrap. The cobalt content of your alnico alloy is determined by its alnico “type.” A scrap yard will only be interested in your scrap alnico if it has significant cobalt content, and will likely buy alnico types 1-4 for one price, types 5-7 for double that price, and types 8-9 for double that price. If you sell them a load of mixed alloys, they tend to pay you the cheapest price for all of it. A detailed explanation of types of alnico and how to identify them can be found in the next section of this article.

Hypothetically, alnico magnets have significant scrap value because they are commonly manufactured with between 20%-35% cobalt, 15%-25% Nickel, 8% Aluminum, and 3% Copper. (The balance is iron and sometimes there are traces of titanium.) All of these additives are relatively valuable base metals, especially cobalt which is worth over $15/Lb when it’s traded on the metals market.

That means the “melt value” of scrap alnico magnets can be anywhere between $4 / Lb and $7 / Lb (as of December 2019). You will never get paid this much for the scrap, but it should give you an idea of what the value is for the end refiner that buys them. You can use this information to help negotiate better pricing, especially if you are dealing in larger quantities/repeat sales.

Like most types of exotic scrap alloys, the scrap value depends on the quantity you have to sell. Hundreds or thousands of pounds are much more attractive to a scrap yard than a handful of magnets, because they become much more marketable in large quantities. The fact that this material is powerfully magnetized makes processing and refining it more complicated as well. Each sample will need to be XRF analyzed to ensure it is a genuine alnico alloy. All of this effects the scrap value.

Most scrap yards have been in business for generations, and they never get alnico magnets, so they will probably need to research and get back to you with a quote.

How Can You Identify AlNiCo Magnets And Alloy Type?

Once you know what you are looking for, it is quite easy to identify an alnico magnet. firstly, if it is alnico, it will be magnetized, and will stick ferrous things.

More importantly, Alnico magnets will not break if you strike them with a hammer, unlike ceramic or neodymium magnets, which are both notoriously brittle. (The more expensive samarium-cobalt magnet will also break/chip if you strike it with a hammer.) Alnico, on the other hand, is not brittle at all and can take a good beating.

If you spark test an alnico magnet with a grinder, it will produce significant sparks. If you hit a neodymium magnet with a grinder, it will produce significant sparks. If you hit a ceramic magnet with a grinder, it will create a very short (<0.5″) stream of sparks.

Once you narrow down that you have an alnico magnet, it is now possible to determine what “type” of alnico you have.

There are several different types, or grades, of alnico alloys. Each alloy type is designated a number 1-9 by the Magnetic Materials Producer’s Association (MMPA). There is another classification system used by the International Electrotechnical Committee, which is very similar but has more types.

The only way to know for sure the exact type and scrap value of your scrap alnico alloy is to have it analyzed with with an XRF analyzer. Any reputable scrap yard can test a sample free of charge. The result of my speaker’s alnico’s XRF analysis is shown in the picture above. It was alnico type 5. (Depending on the cost/quality/age of the analysis equipment, the aluminum or titanium content may show up as Light Element Content (LEC), as is the case above.)

An extensive list of the chemical composition of various types of alnico can be found below:

Chemical Composition of AlNiCo Magnets By Type

(Mobile readers must view in landscape.)

AlNiCo Type Aluminum (Al) Nickel (Ni) Cobalt (Co) Copper (Cu) Titanium (Ti) Iron (Fe) Alnico Type 1 12 21 5 3 0 Balance Alnico Type 2 10 19 13 3 0 Balance Alnico Type 3* 12 25 0 3 0 Balance Alnico Type 4 12 28 5 3 0 Balance Alnico Type 5

Alnico Type 5-7** 8 14 24 3 0 Balance Alnico Type 6 8 16 24 3 1 Balance Alnico Type 7*** 6 18 35 0 8 Balance Alnico Type 8 7 15 35 4 5 Balance Alnico Type 9 7 15 35 4 5 Balance

*Note: As a convention, Alnico Type 3 is considered alnico despite having zero cobalt content. This is not a mistake, but an industry naming convention. Alnico Type 3 has relatively little scrap value because of this missing cobalt content.

**Note: Alnico “5-7” is a special MMPA type that is chemically identical to alnico type 5. It does not mean alnico type 5 through type 7, but rather type 5 subtype 7.

***Note: The chemical composition of Alnico Type 7 in the above table is how it was described in 1962 in Joseph H. Bilbery’s book “Cobalt: A Material’s Survey.” As far as I can tell, the MMPA and the IEC have no current definition for Alnico Type 7 as of today.

Where Can You Find AlNiCo Magnets?

You want the secret sauce… here it is! Alnico magnets were more popular pre-1990s. Anything that has a strong metallic permanent magnet and was mass produced in the 80s and prior will have alnico magnets. As I mentioned in the section above, you can hit a scrap magnet with a hammer to make sure it is not a ceramic or rare-earth magnet.

Scrap alnico can be found in:

High temperature/corrosive environments: In industry, alnico magnets are used in high temperature and high corrosive environments because of their chemical properties.

In industry, alnico magnets are used in high temperature and high corrosive environments because of their chemical properties. Electric instruments/microphones: Everything from guitar pickups to speakers in old electric organs will have an alnico magnets. Some types of microphones also use alnico, the older they are the more likely that is the case.

Everything from guitar pickups to speakers in old electric organs will have an alnico magnets. Some types of microphones also use alnico, the older they are the more likely that is the case. Electric motors/generators: Electric motors sometimes require permanent magnets, and any permanent magnet electric motor that needs to work under high temps/high corrosion will likely use alnico. Permanent magnet electric motors made pre-1960s will definitely have alnico magnets. Electric generators are a very commonplace way to harvest permanent magnet motors and alnico magnets.

Electric motors sometimes require permanent magnets, and any permanent magnet electric motor that needs to work under high temps/high corrosion will likely use alnico. Permanent magnet electric motors made pre-1960s will definitely have alnico magnets. Electric generators are a very commonplace way to harvest permanent magnet motors and alnico magnets. Speakers/loudspeakers: I mentioned this at the top, but speakers/loudspeakers are a great everyday source of alnico magnets. The older, the more likely they will have alnico, as most modern speakers use rare earth and ceramic magnets.

I mentioned this at the top, but speakers/loudspeakers are a great everyday source of alnico magnets. The older, the more likely they will have alnico, as most modern speakers use rare earth and ceramic magnets. Aerospace applications: The aerospace industry often requires permanent magnets that work without fail with high temps/high corrosion. Alnico can be be found in the aerospace industry in slat actuators, engine-driven generators, throttle levers, fuel pumps, and rudder actuators.

The aerospace industry often requires permanent magnets that work without fail with high temps/high corrosion. Alnico can be be found in the aerospace industry in slat actuators, engine-driven generators, throttle levers, fuel pumps, and rudder actuators. Lasers: Powerful lasers sometimes use alnico magnets. For example, engraving lasers.

Powerful lasers sometimes use alnico magnets. For example, engraving lasers. Magnetrons: Modern magnetrons use ceramic magnets, but certain special magnetrons use alnico. Magnetrons generate microwaves, and a common use is in a microwave oven.

Modern magnetrons use ceramic magnets, but certain special magnetrons use alnico. Magnetrons generate microwaves, and a common use is in a microwave oven. Sensors and meters: For example, mass spectrometers, used to identify chemical composition or structure.

How Do You Sell AlNiCo Magnets?

Exotic alloys like alnico can be difficult to sell in small quantities. If you have a steady & significant source of scrap alnico magnets, I suggest you save them up until you have 1000+ pounds, at which point every reputable scrap yard will be able to offer you a significant premium over shred price.

If you have small quantities, I suggest you try to sell your alnico magnets on eBay as used permanent magnets. There is a small market for these things, but you may need to invest some time properly identifying the alloy type, the dimensions, and other physical properties, as well as create and wait for a listing to sell. As far as price per pound is concerned, this is the best return per pound, but can take a significant amount of time.

The prospects of selling a small amount of alnico magnets to a scrap yard is unlikely. It is worth calling around because some yards buy this material in small quantities, but most do not. The more scrap alnico you have, the more likely you will be to catch the interest of a scrap yard.

How To Scrap An AlNiCo Speaker

Now to the easy part, the scrapping! We are starting with a broken 12″ alnico speaker from an electric organ from the 60s. If this speaker was working, it could easily be sold for $15+ to an audiophile who may, for example, use it to build a custom DIY guitar amp cabinet. Sold to a scrap yard “as-is” it is worth about $0.10.

The exploded view of the speaker, seen above, shows the various details of a speaker in an exploded view. These are the names I will use when describing the actions I take.

Scrapping a speaker like this takes <5 minutes, and all you need is a hammer and a vice.

Step 1. Remove The Cone And Voice Coil

The voice coil is a small copper winding that electrically generates the forces that allow the speaker to create sound. It is located directly under the dust cap. The voice coil is not very heavy or particularly valuable for scrap, but copper is copper!

The voice coil in this speaker was easily ripped out with my hands. It was connected by wire to the electrical connector ends you see towards the bottom of the photo. Most speakers are constructed with a very delicate cone, so pulling the voice coil out is easy. If you would rather use side cutters, that works just as well.

Step 2. Break Open The Magnet Assembly

This step varies from speaker to speaker, but the idea is to do whatever it takes to get your eyes on the magnet, which is probably stashed away in a steel casing. This usually involves hitting it with a hammer.

At first I thought I would need to cut the steel backplate/frontplate (seen in photo above). Turns out all I needed to do to separate the front plate from the basket was hit it with a hammer. And to be clear, I didn’t even need to do that to get access to the magnet, but it helped me get some good photos.

To get eyes on the magnet, all I needed to do was tear away some 55-year-old resin-coated cardboard.

The green colored resin material you see in the photo above is most likely epoxy, and it held the magnet (center) to the back plate.

Step 3. Remove The Scrap AlNiCo Magnet

The alnico magnet fell out of the steel case very easily. (It didn’t literally fall out because it is a magnet and was sticking to the steel) The epoxy that held the magnet in place was easily broken by striking the outside of the backplate. The vibration was enough to break the magnet free. It is important not to strike the magnet if you plan on reselling it as a used permanent magnet, as it will leave cosmetic damage.

Interestingly, this alnico magnet had a magnetic keeper, also known as an armature, which is an important part of preserving the magnet’s strength over time. This keeper is just a piece of regular steel, but it completes the magnetic “circuit” of the alnico, insuring that the magnet does not lose its strength over time. (Alnico magnets are known to slowly lose their magnetism over time, but a magnetic keeper, as its name suggests, helps keep the magnet magnetized over long periods of time.)

I noticed that after removing the keeper, the magnet was stronger on the side that had the keeper all these years, and was weaker on the side that didn’t have the keeper. Not sure if this was related to the keeper, but it probably was, considering this magnet was ~55 years old.

The Results

This whole disassembly process took less than 5 minutes, including me taking pictures. The value of the speaker “as-is” at 3.21 Lb is about $0.10. If you had a lot of these speakers, with the right setup, you could easily tear one down in under one minute. I will be assessing the value of the shred steel basket, the steel plates, the copper, and the alnico.

Scrap Shred Steel Weight

Our scrap shred steel weighs 1.17 Lb, and with an average price of $0.03/Lb, is worth about $0.03.

Scrap Steel Plate Weight

Our scrap steel plate weighs in at 1.07 Lb, and with an average price of $0.03/Lb, is worth about $0.03. This steel plate, in larger quantities, could be sold for more than shred price, as it is all 0.25″ thick.

Scrap #2 Copper Weight

Our scrap #2 copper weighs in at 0.01Lb, and with an average price of $2.00/Lb, is worth about $0.02. This is copper wire with a thin coating of varnish which is always bought as #2 copper.

Scrap Alnico Weight

Our scrap alnico weighs in at 0.63 Lb, and with an average price of $1.50/Lb, is worth $0.95. This is a very generous price for alnico, which is hard to sell in small quantities.

When this magnet was XRF analyzed, it was shown to be alnico type 5, which is not the most valuable alnico, but not the least valuable alnico.

The Total

Disassembly time: <5 minutes, close to 1 minute.

Scrap shred steel: 1.17 Lb * $0.03/Lb = $0.03.

Scrap steel plate: 1.07 Lb * $0.03/Lb = $0.03.

Scrap #2 copper: 0.01 Lb * $2.00/Lb = $0.02.

Scrap alnico: 0.63 Lb * $1.50/Lb = $0.95.



TOTAL: $1.03

Final Thoughts

Alnico has been steadily losing popularity over the past 60 years. There is a limited amount of this material available to recycle, but it is out there.

If we did nothing but disassemble old broken speakers like this, we could make about $50/hr. Profitability all depends on how much alnico you can harvest, and how much your scrap yard is willing to pay you!

Please share your questions, insights, ideas, and tips in the comments. Happy Scrapping.