How To Scrap Metal Powder

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What is Metal Powder?

For the purposes of this article, metal powder is only referring to high quality, high purity metal particles that are often used in industrial and chemical applications. (Contaminated metal waste powder and chips, commonly called swarf, is not covered in this article.) Metal powders for these applications are usually created through a process called atomization – basically think of molten metal being shot out of an aerosol can and left to cool.

Metal powders come with different levels of fineness, purity, chemical composition, and cost. Industrial metal powder is generally finer than fine sand and has the consistency of dust. The size of a single metal powder particle can be measured in tens or hundreds of microns (?m), meaning its diameter is often smaller than the width of a human hair. Metal powder can be expensive to buy, expensive to transport, and difficult to handle safely, but scrap metal powder is a great item to recycle if you know where to find it and how to sell it.

As a note: Some laboratories manufacture and consume nanometer sized metal powders that are measured in the tens to hundreds of nanometers range. This material can cost as much as precious metals, $20 per gram or more when purchased in small quantities. It is very difficult to find and resell this material, but most of the information here is still relevant.

Are Metal Powders Dangerous?

Yes, they can be. Some metal powders are considered hazardous material. Always consult a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before handling or transporting any type of metal powder. (See an example here.)These information sheets are specific to each individual metal powder product. They are a critical item if you plan on scrapping the metal powder. The SDS can be found by contacting the manufacturer of the powder free of charge. SDS’s are often available on a metal powder manufacturer’s website or by doing a simple google search. They explain how to handle the material, what hazmat class they are, what type of safety precautions are needed, as well as the chemical properties of the material among other things.

Metal powders can be highly flammable/explosive. Not all metal powders are considered explosive, but some are. Metal powders are known to trigger catastrophic events known as dust explosions when they are accidentally ignited, often by static electricity or electrical discharge. When working with metal powder, it is incredibly important to avoid contact between the metal powder and any type of electrical discharge, circuitry, extension cords, etc. Before working closely with metal powder always touch something large and metal to ensure you have grounded yourself and discharged any static electricity built up on your body. Do not use tools that could cause a spark near metal powder. Always store metal powders in their original, safety rated containers.

If you plan on storing a bulk quantity of metal powder, you should have a Class D Fire Extinguisher — a dry powder fire extinguisher designed to put out metal fires. Do not use water! Some metal powders, like aluminum powder, will mix with water to create flammable hydrogen gas. Always keep combustable scrap metal powders in a specially designated area, away from any metal oxide powders. This is all to avoid explosions. Remember, you need to always consult the SDS provided by the manufacturer to ensure you are minimizing the risk of any sudden combustion events. Local ordinances may apply to the storage of these hazardous materials.

If you have an opportunity to recycle or scrap hazardous materials, that will generally be a good paying gig. Some companies will pay you to recycle these materials. However, it requires a great deal of training, and the liabilities increase when you are handling explosive materials. But, the hazards are not limited to just explosions.

Metal powders are toxic to human health. Metal dust can get lodged in your lungs or leach into your skin and cause permanent damage to your organs with repeated or excessive exposure. Always wear gloves and a certified respirator when handling or scrapping metal powder.

For these reasons, I suggest most scrappers stay away from hazardous materials. Even if your metal powder is not listed as a hazardous material, I still suggest you follow rigorous safety standards. I highly recommend using a respirator with a NIOSH approved P100 particulate filter, which stops 99.97% of all material larger than 0.3 micron. It is just a good thing to have around. You can purchase a whole respirator assembly with P100 filters here. While this level of respirator is probably overkill for most metal powders, the whole thing only costs about $20. It is well worth the money to keep for other projects and just for some peace of mind.

Where Can You Find Scrap Metal Powder?

After reading about the safety issues, you probably find it hard to believe that anybody wants to use metal powder. However, it is very common in industry, especially with the advent of additive manufacturing and 3D printing. Metal powder is commonly bought by the barrel (55 gallons or smaller) and stored in bulk for use over a period of weeks, months or years.

Traditionally, metal powders have been used in metal sintering and powdered metallurgy operations, a manufacturing process whereby different powders are mixed and pressed in a die with tremendous pressure and then heat treated to create a solid part. This manufacturing process is used for all sorts of industries, from aerospace to electronics to jewelry. Metal powders are also used in chemical operations, in anything from thermite (as an explosive) to synthetic diamond creation (as a catalyst) to thermal spraying (as a metal coating).

More recently developed, metal powders have been used in 3D printing and rapid prototyping in a process like metal sintering whereby the metal powder is selectively deposited and attached to a part with the help of a high powered laser. The parts are then heat treated similar to the traditional metal sintering process. If you can image how wasteful it is to machine a solid block of titanium or inconel, you can see how selectively laser sintering only the powder you need can save big bucks. Which brings me to my next relevant point…

These technologies are considered to be very good at self-managing the amount of scrap they generate; the unused powders can be “swept up” and saved for later use. However, just like most types of chemicals, many sintering operations have a self-governed shelf life for their powders, meaning they will only keep a barrel of powder for a maximum of a few months or years before they dispose of it properly. If you are a scrapper, you may have an opportunity to be the recycling provider for these metal powder consumers. That being said, consumers of metal powder often manage their inventory with precision and high turn over following lean manufacturing principles, so there is very little waste for the most part. All metal powder consumers go to great lengths to safely, cleanly, and stably store and consume their materials to reduce the chances they go bad or cause a hazard.

More commonly, a scrapper can find scrap metal powder being sold when a business is liquidating its assets or going out of business. Scrap metal powder can be overlooked by others when assets are being auctioned, meaning you can buy the metal for a great price. If you want to acquire scrap metal powder, look for these types of businesses, make contact, and be persistent with follow up. Look for these types of businesses that are closing up shop. Make contact with industrial liquidators who can let you know when they have clients with metal powder, or who will sell you metal powder. Watch auction sites for information regarding what businesses are selling their inventories. There is limited amount of this stuff, but the opportunities are there.

How is Scrap Metal Powder Graded?

To keep it simple, scrap metal powder is graded based on how fine the particles are and how pure the material is (purity of alloy and purity of particle size). Some metal powders are coated to prevent degradation, oxidation, and reactivity. Analysis must be done to determine the the characteristics of each metal powder, and thus its value. A certification is needed to prove the metal is of quality.

All of this analysis regarding the size and purity of the metal powder has been done by the manufacturer of the metal powder or supply company before they sold the powder. It can usually be found on their website or with a google search. A certification was provided to the original purchaser of the metal when it was delivered to their facility. If you are getting the metal powder from the original purchaser, it will usually come with the certification. The type of metal and its product codes are generally written on the side of the original shipping container and/or on the certification that came with the original delivery. You should always research the type of metal powder, its quality, its hazmat class, and grade before buying or selling it. The more information and documentation you have for the scrap metal powder, the better pricing you will get when you scrap it. Having the certification is key.

When you research the scrap metal powder’s composition and particle size, you will notice that the fineness of the particles is indicated by what is called the sieve size or mesh size. Both terms are interchangeable. Both terms refer to the size of the screen the particles were passed through to filter the metal dust to a certain size. The larger the mesh size, the smaller the largest particles in the powder will be. So, as an example, if a powder is -325 mesh, then the size of the metal powder particles is under 44 micron. Some metal powder applications require there to be a maximum size and a minimum size, in which case you would see something like -325+400 mesh, meaning the metal powder will be under 44 micron but bigger than 37 micron.

See the following chart as a reference to convert mesh size to particle size. (This will help you when you are trying to sell the powder):

Mesh Size Vs Micron

Mesh Size Micron 100 149 120 125 140 105 170 88 200 74 230 63 270 53 325 44 400 37

Anything finer than 400 mesh is usually described using the dimension of the particles in microns or nanometers.

Who Can I Sell Scrap Metal Powder To?

For all of the safety reasons I mentioned above, many scrap yards will want nothing to do with metal powder. For most, it is a foreign commodity, as the closest thing they likely deal with is swarf. The majority of mom & pop scrap yards that are willing to buy it from you will want to dock your pay for metal powder because they don’t know what to do with it. Trying to sell to anybody besides a specialty buyer is usually the wrong move.

Before selling your scrap metal powder, I recommend contacting Ace Iron and Metal. Ace Iron and Metal is a Michigan based company that has been dealing in the buying and selling of metal powders since the end of World War II. They work internationally, and can buy metal from any corner of the globe. Ace will buy tens of thousands of pounds of scrap metal powder at a time or more, and they will work with sellers who have as little as 100 pounds. They encourage buyers to have a certification for their scrap metal powder, and require a small sample of all metal powder to be sent to their lab for analysis before they can provide a quote. Once they have a sample, they can provide a quote within 24 hours. The contact information for Ace Iron and Metal is as follows:

Ace Iron & Metal

1403 4th Street

Kalamazoo, MI 49001

www.AceIronAndMetal.com/

USA and Canada: 1-800-313-9672

Outside USA and Canada: 1-269-342-0183

Mobile: 1-269-998-2151

There is one other thing to consider before selling to a specialty buyer: you can sell scrap metal powder in small quantities on eBay or craigslist to hobbyists and tinkerers. Yes, you have to factor in the price of your time, shipping, handling, and packaging—plus, it takes a long time to sell a large quantity of metal this way—but, if you’re like me and you are already selling stuff on eBay regularly, you know how to do it efficiently. These hobbyist buyers want quality metal powders for things like wood inlay and knife making, and they will pay good money for small quantities: as much as $25 (free shipping) for as little as 100 grams. The price all depends on the powder. If you do not have a certification for your metal powder, but you believe the quality of the powder to be legitimate, this is a good way to go.

If you have a bulk quantity of metal powder, selling on eBay and Craigslist could become a very steady source of income for many years. For this strategy to work, you should avoid selling hazardous materials.

How Much Is Scrap Metal Powder Worth?

Metal powders are priced based on the type of alloy they are made of, the purity of the alloy, the fineness of its mesh, the hazmat class, and the demand for its use. If you have metal powder, it could be worth many times the melt value of the metals it is composed of. Other times, it could be worth a little less because of over-supply. You will need to contact a metal powder buyer to get a quote on your exact powder’s formulation. Often times you can get metal powders in bulk, meaning hundreds up to thousands of pounds at a time, even tens of thousands of pounds, so it is worth contacting several buyers to ensure you are getting a fair price.

The other qualifying factor when selling scrap metal powder is whether or not it comes with a valid certification. Without a certification, a buyer of the metal powder cannot know in certain terms that the metal powder is legitimate. If you do not have a certification, analysis must be done by a specialty buyer to insure the metal is what you think it is. This will negatively affect the price you can get for the metal.

If you plan on selling on eBay, I suggest you look at similar types of metal that have already sold. This will give you an estimate for how much small quantities of the metal powder are selling for. Remember, if you first search for the metal powder you can then use the eBay filtering system to look for “sold items.” This will allow you to see what items have sold in the past, for what price, and on what date. This will allow you to estimate the item’s sales velocity, meaning how fast it is selling. Use this information to make an educated guess on how to price your materials. It is important to strike a balance between selling quickly and getting a fair price. If a certain powder has low sales velocity and many sellers, then I would recommend selling to a specialty buyer in bulk.

Either way, always remember to ship using the proper transportation and packaging methods required by the material’s SDS. Which brings me to my final point…

How Do You Transport Metal Powder?

All information related to regulations around safely transporting, packaging, or shipping a metal powder is contained in the Safety Data Sheet. If you have a hazardous material, it will be clearly stated in the SDS. If you’re in the USA, always consult with the Hazardous Materials Information Center before making any decisions on how to proceed with transporting a hazardous material. This is a free service offered by the government for anybody researching how to transport hazardous materials. I have had great success calling their information hotline at 1-800-467-4922. If you are unfamiliar with hazardous materials, I highly recommend this free service.

Some types of powders will be highly regulated and require a great deal of training and red tape to properly transport, ie uncoated aluminum powder. Other types of powder will not be regulated in any way, and can be transported in a pick-up truck. Between the Hazardous Materials Information Center and the scrap metal powder’s Safety Data Sheet, you will be capable of figuring out how to properly transport the scrap metal powder.

Now scrappers, I say to you, go forth with the explosive power of metal powder and scrap on!

Share your insights, ideas, or tips in the comments below. Happy Scrapping.