Where to Find Carbide

A carbide is a compound often used in many industries due to its unique properties. It is in high demand, making it a great recycling item. Through scrap metal recycling this compound, you get to earn money and help the environment. Unfortunately, not many people know what carbides are, their characteristics, and where they can be found. So, to help you understand everything about this compound, we have prepared this guide for you. If you want to learn more, call the professionals of M&M Recycling today.

What is a Carbide?

A carbide is a compound formed when carbon mixes with other metals like iron and tungsten. Carbides are well known for their very durable, hard, and water-resistant properties. These properties appeal to manufacturing, tooling, automotive, electronics, and construction industries. One of the most common forms is the tungsten carbide, which you can commonly come across in saw blades, artillery shells, drill bits, semiconductors, and tires and brakes.

What are Some Characteristics of Carbide?

There are specific characteristics of carbides that we can use to differentiate them from other metal types. Let’s go over five of the characteristics in this section:

• Weight: Carbides are heavier than other metals. Their higher density is higher than that of steel or aluminum, which can make them appear to be heavy metal pieces to individuals.
• Hardness: As we said in the previous section, carbides are hard, durable, and resistant. You can test them to see if they are easily damaged.
• Magnetism: Carbides are not magnetic. You can easily identify ferrous materials by using a magnet. However, you will find that carbides won’t stick to the magnet.
• Appearance: Unfortunately, carbides don’t have a unique color or appearance that anyone can easily spot. They are typically gray and heavyweight.
• Markings: Look for markings that say “carbide” or “WC.” Recyclers look for these terms to easily identify whether a material has carbide. You can also search for the metal's brand name to see if the material is made from carbide.

Where To Look For Carbides?

Finding carbides is not as easy as finding some other classic metal types. They are mainly seen in saw blades, drill bits, and other tools. This can be a significant clue, as finding these items near workshops gives you a good chance of acquiring them. You can also look at machine shops to find carbides in the form of stampings and metal shavings. Check-in with your local scrap metal company to learn about the current market for carbides. This way, you can ask to collect the carbides from different shops for a rate lower than what the metal buyer offers, which is a great way to earn extra money.

M&M Recycling

Are you looking for a professional metal recycling service? At M&M Recycling, we are one of Atlanta's top-paying scrap metal buyers. Our facility can equip ferrous and non-ferrous materials, and we are here to help the environment. Call us today to learn more about us and our services.