I can't speak for what's happening in the scrap market these days, but I
recall when tungsten carbide was fetching around $7/lb, although that was
some time ago.
I don't think the US is known for its tungsten production, so it is likely
an import product. Considering its usefulness in industry, I can't imagine
we treat it as if it has so little value. If you price tungsten
electrodes, it doesn't take much to figure out they're selling the tungsten
for one hell of a lot more than 80 cents/lb. I think I'd do a little
exploring before I sold it at that price. If that's all it's worth, I'd
like to know the reason why. If you do explore, how about telling us what
you learn?
Harold
The problem is likely that those electrodes will require a
lot of labor and energy intensive input in order to be
useful again. I spend most of my time working for a moly
and tungsten processor and fabricator. This plant is
unusual in that it is highly integrated. The tungsten and
moly come in as oxide powders, the powder is reduced in
electrically heated hydrogen atmosphere furnaces, pressed
into ingots, then sintered at enormous temperatures by
passing current thru the bars (ever see a 5/8" dia light
bulb filament?). The ingots are then subjected to some
combination of hot swaging, rolling, and/or drawing to get
the material into a useful shape. All of this requires very
high temps and controlled atmospheres, and results in a
relatively small amount of product.
Despite all the processes that go on in this plant, they
don't process their own scrap. I did ask one time how much
they sell the scrap for. I don't recall exactly, but don't
think it was more than 2-3 dollars/pound.
Ned Simmons
On Wed, 9 Jun 2004 16:13:56 -0700, "Harold & Susan Vordos"
vaguely proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:
remove ns from my header address to reply via email
Dunno. But the scrap guys around here pay $100/tonne, and sell at
$1/kilo if you want to buy a piece of stuff, even if it's some rusty
old welded up box that you are tearing apart for sheet etc.
*******************************************************
Sometimes in a workplace you find snot on the wall of
the toilet cubicles. You feel "What sort of twisted
child would do this?"....the internet seems full of
them. It's very sad
On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 22:48:28 GMT, "Jim" vaguely
proposed a theory
......and in reply I say!:
remove ns from my header address to reply via email
errrrrrrr "local" where? *******************************************************
Sometimes in a workplace you find snot on the wall of
the toilet cubicles. You feel "What sort of twisted
child would do this?"....the internet seems full of
them. It's very sad
No, these are electrodes use in a machine that make artificial hips and
knees. They are discarded after they get a certain size. The boss use to
save them, then cash them in at the end of the year to contribute to the
Christmas party. The place he used to scrap them went out of business and he
stopped saving them. Said I could have them if I wanted. Been saving them
for a few years now. Don't know if it was worth it!
Jim
I would still try selling a few on ebay. My guess is that someone
will figure out how they can use them. Maybe for spark gaps for telsa
coils.
You might alse contact General Electric or Sylvania and see what they
will pay for scrap.
Dan
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