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Melting Scrap

Why does contamination matter so much when melting scrap?

Short answer: Unwanted materials either damage the furnace, change the chemistry of the metal, create hazardous fumes or ruin a whole batch, so non-metals, other metals, oil, water and sealed containers are all unwelcome, and even small amounts of the wrong metal, such as copper in steel or zinc in aluminium, can push a melt out of specification, which is why buyers are so strict about sorting.

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Chemistry

The final metal has to meet a specification, and stray elements from other metals push it off target.

Safety

Water and sealed containers can cause violent steam explosions in molten metal.

Cost

A spoiled melt must be diluted, reworked or scrapped, which is costly and falls on whoever supplied the problem material.

How ScrapTrade Fits In

ScrapTrade buyers reject contaminated loads or downgrade them, so clean sorting protects your price.

What suits the furnace suits your price. ScrapTrade connects you with verified buyers, transparent weighing and escrow-protected payments.

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