MAKING SCRAP IRON RECYCLING EASY!
Known as one of the world’s most recycled scrap metals, iron is a ferrous metal with extremely magnetic properties, often used to create other useful metal alloys such as steel. Iron recycling is a huge part of the scrap metal recycling industry in the 21st century, due to its low manufacturing cost and high strength when produced. There are numerous types of scrap iron which we come across on a daily basis, including: cast iron, heavy-duty iron, low-duty iron, wrought iron and so on.
Here at Kas Metal Trading, we are a friendly and efficient team of scrap metal merchants with over 30 years of experience in scrap iron recycling. We source and sell the best-quality scrap iron from across the UK, ready for processing. Visit our scrap yard to begin weighing-in your scrap iron today.
SCRAP IRON RECYCLING SPECIALISTS
Did you know that iron is one of the most abundant metals on our planet, and the chemical symbol ‘Fe’ comes from Latin, meaning ‘ferrum’? Due to its versatile properties, we see scrap iron in all sorts of shapes and sizes, which has been used in a wide variety of commercial and domestic applications. This includes, but is not limited to: automotive parts, household appliances and white goods, construction materials, industrial equipment, machinery, garden furniture, fencing and much more! Compared with non-ferrous metals, iron is unique in its magnetic properties, making it easier to separate from other recyclable metals which are traded in at our scrap yard.
SCRAP IRON PRICES
Cast iron scrap price and cast iron price per kg can change daily, and is influenced by a number of environmental and economic factors. As with many different scrap metals, whether it be copper, brass, aluminium and so on, the higher the demand for scrap iron, the higher the price. If you’ve got plans to sell your scrap iron, you must source a knowledgeable merchant who knows the scrap metal market inside and out, ensuring you’ll always be receiving the best possible prices.
At KAS Metal, all of our scrap iron pricing is based on the London Metal Exchange (LME), a third-party governing body for the metal market. In doing so, we keep up to date with the variable prices and can reflect this when selling or buying iron scrap ourselves.
WHAT TYPES OF SCRAP IRON CAN BE RECYCLED?
Iron is the second most abundant metal on Earth. In fact, iron composes about 80% of the Earth’s inner and outer cores. A very strong and highly ductile metal, iron can be drawn out into a thin wire or moulded into different shapes without losing any of its original strength. Some of the most common types of iron include:
CAST IRON
Cast iron is an alloy of iron, carbon (greater than 2.0 or 2.5%) and silicon. Other commonly added elements include manganese, phosphorous, nickel, cerium and magnesium. Cast iron is hard, brittle, non-malleable (cannot be bent, stretched or hammered into different shapes) and more fusible (able to be fused or melted easily) than steel. Cast iron is a popular material in the construction of buildings, bridges, pipes and cookware due to its strength and non-malleability.
WROUGHT IRON
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content in comparison to cast iron. It is often characterised by its fibrous appearance, but is also softer and more ductile than cast iron. Wrought iron is highly malleable, meaning it can be heated and re-heated, as well as moulded into different shapes. Interestingly, the more wrought iron is worked and deformed, the stronger the material becomes. The typical uses of wrought iron include fences, gates and railings, as well as balconies, porches and verandas – plus many more.
PIG IRON
Pig iron, sometimes referred to as crude iron, is created by smelting (a process by which a metal is obtained by heating beyond the melting point) iron ore in a blast furnace, or by smelting ilmenite (a titanium-iron oxide mineral) in an electric furnace. The majority of pig iron is produced and used within integrated steel mill complexes. Pig iron is wear-resistant, brittle and mildly fusible. It is often used for steel-making, foundries, alloy-making, automotive castings and other iron-based castings.
SCRAP IRON RECYCLING
Scrap iron recycling reduces the need to mine for new ores and refine metals, which can cause air pollution. Recycling also helps preserve natural resources, helping to protect natural habitats and wildlife, as well as benefitting local economies by creating jobs in the scrap metal recycling industry.
Iron is a highly valuable metal, as without it, we wouldn’t be able to produce steel, which in turn maintains a strong industrial base. Approximately 98% of iron ore is used in steelmaking. Recycling one tonne of steel saves 1.5 tonnes of iron ore which is the source of primary iron for the world’s iron and steel industries.
WHAT ARE THE GRADES OF SCRAP IRON?
The different grades of scrap iron depend on poor-quality steel content and sizes, including specific widths.
HEAVY MELTING SCRAP IRON
Heavy iron, or heavy melting scrap (HMS) is generally categorised as recyclable steel and wrought iron. Heavy iron can be broken down into two different categories – HMS1 and HMS 2. HMS 1 contains no galvanised and blackened steel, whereas HMS 2 does.
#1 SCRAP IRON (UNPREPARED)
Unprepared #1 scrap iron is heavy melt iron that usually has a width of more than a quarter-inch.
#1 SCRAP IRON (PREPARED)
Prepared #1 scrap iron is heavy melt iron that has a width of more than a quarter-inch that is no more than 5 feet by 2 feet in size.
We can guarantee…
✔️ A seamless service
✔️ Competitive and fair prices
✔️ Trusted metal analysis processes
✔️ A team of dedicated professionals
✔️ Quick payments with a range of payment options
SELL SCRAP IRON WITH EASE
Thanks to over 30 years in the industry, we’ve perfected our weigh-in and metal analysis systems to make them as efficient as possible. This means no more long wait times to get paid for your scrap iron, with various payment options on offer. If you have iron to sell, get in touch with our experts below.
Our iron recycling centre is based in Atherton, meaning we are able to help the public and businesses recycle lead across the Lancashire area. We cover the following areas: Wigan, Bolton, Chorley, Manchester, Salford, Preston, Leigh, Tyldesley and Westhoughton.