Stainless Steel, Magnetic and non Magnetic

[conlaodh]

Can anyone please tell me how can I identify magnetic stainless steel and what it is worth per pound compared to non magnetic stainless.
I know a magnet will stick to it but how do I tell it is stainless steel as compared to galvanised iron or chrome plated steel.

Thanks
Con

 

[salugrad]

Re: Stainless Steel Magnetic and non Magnetic

I toss my magnetic stainless in with the rest of the steel. They don't pay any more for it here. The non-magnetic is the good kind. I haven't scrapped any of that in awhile so I'm not up on the current prices for non-magnetic.

 

[TURNMASTER]

The problem with magnetic SS is that some is as valuable as non magnetic and some is not. The key is in the Nickel content.

Chrome is a hard layer thet will not scratch very easy and if penetrated you can see it as a definate layer, typicaly with a copper substrate. It will flake or peel If proberly abused. Try a hammer or Use a file and a 10x loupe. You are a treasure hunter you have a loupe right?

With the magnetic SS you have 2 main categories: 400 series and Precipitation Hardened (PH), 400 series is not worth any more than steel, PH if identified as such is worth the same as 300 series or very close to it.

I believe SS cookwear is PH SS. You may find it profitable to invest in a small device for clasifying SS, hand held and similar to a lazer thermomator. Try MSC Industrial or EF Baily they should have them. There is a bunch of PH SS used in industry.

The real trick here is to educate your local scrap yard as to the value of the scrap that you generate. If you know that you have enough to make it worth while then take them to task on this one. If you have quanities of the stuff on a regular basis and they won't change their price then you need to find a yard that will play ball and let your regular yard know you will take your business elsewhere.

Any high Nickel content metal should carry a higher scrap value so do your homework.

Fact not Theory
Jeff

 

[conlaodh]

The problem with magnetic SS is that some is as valuable as non magnetic and some is not. The key is in the Nickel content.

Chrome is a hard layer thet will not scratch very easy and if penetrated you can see it as a definate layer, typicaly with a copper substrate. It will flake or peel If proberly abused. Try a hammer or Use a file and a 10x loupe. You are a treasure hunter you have a loupe right?

With the magnetic SS you have 2 main categories: 400 series and Precipitation Hardened (PH), 400 series is not worth any more than steel, PH if identified as such is worth the same as 300 series or very close to it.

I believe SS cookwear is PH SS. You may find it profitable to invest in a small device for clasifying SS, hand held and similar to a lazer thermomator. Try MSC Industrial or EF Baily they should have them. There is a bunch of PH SS used in industry.

The real trick here is to educate your local scrap yard as to the value of the scrap that you generate. If you know that you have enough to make it worth while then take them to task on this one. If you have quanities of the stuff on a regular basis and they won't change their price then you need to find a yard that will play ball and let your regular yard know you will take your business elsewhere.

Any high Nickel content metal should carry a higher scrap value so do your homework.

Fact not Theory
Jeff

http://www.atlas-inspection.com/xrf-rentals.html?gclid=CNS4vLbPv6QCFRD_iAodSUBQFA

Is this what you had in mind Jeff.
If so I would need to be dealing in large industrial sized quainties of scrap metal (ocean liners or aircraft carriers) or have my own large nation wide scrapyard business to pay for such an instrument.
Or maybe there is a cheaper version.

Con

 

[2Shoes]

Oh man I got in to a argument with the scale guy at the local scrap yard the other day. Guy swore up and down there was no such thing as magnetic stainless. I have some wter pump shafts that are about 3 inches round and maybe 4 to 10 ft long. If you take a magnet to it it stick really hard I guess is the way to describe it. Any idea on the quality of this? Should I just take in it as iron?

 

[pickaway]

On the non magnetic type i put it on a grinder if it sparks it ss.Some of the thin ss easy to confuse for alumminum imo...