Accepted Directory

Materials We Buy & Recycle

Review our detailed directory of accepted tungsten carbide, pure tungsten, and heavy alloy scrap materials. Ensure maximum return by following our sorting guidelines.

Clean Carbide Scrap

Trade names: Sorted Carbide, Solid Carbide Scrap

Clean Carbide Scrap Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Pure tungsten carbide scrap free of any steel attachments, brazing alloy, or metallic contaminants.

Value Metric: High value. Commands top pricing per pound.
Accepted Condition: Broken tools, chunks, sorted inserts, clean shop-floor scrap.

Carbide Inserts

Trade names: Milling Inserts, Turning Inserts, CNMG, WNMG, APMT

Carbide Inserts Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Indexable carbide inserts used on lathe turning centers and CNC milling machines.

Value Metric: Exceptional value due to uniform composition and high tungsten/cobalt concentration.
Accepted Condition: Chipped, worn, broken, or new-overstock inserts removed from steel holders.

Solid Carbide End Mills

Trade names: Spent End Mills, Carbide Cutters, Fluted Mills

Solid Carbide End Mills Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Machinery cutters made entirely of sub-micron grain tungsten carbide, used in milling profiles.

Value Metric: Excellent. High-density, high-purity scrap.
Accepted Condition: Chipped flutes, snapped shanks, retired machinery tooling.

Carbide Drill Bits

Trade names: Twist Drills, Spade Drills, SDS Bits

Carbide Drill Bits Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Solid drills and indexable drill tips engineered for high-heat metal drilling.

Value Metric: High. Price varies between solid drills and steel-shanked SDS construction.
Accepted Condition: Worn, broken flutes, burnt tips, brand new surplus.

Carbide Rods & Blanks

Trade names: Tooling Blanks, Unground Rods, Rounds

Carbide Rods & Blanks Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Pre-formed solid carbide rods and squares used by tool makers to grind custom cutters.

Value Metric: Premium value. Often represent the highest metallurgy grade.
Accepted Condition: Broken rods, off-cuts, unground blanks, surplus inventory.

Carbide Dies & Punches

Trade names: Drawing Dies, Header Dies, Cold Heading Punches

Carbide Dies & Punches Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Heavy-duty inserts used in metal stamping, wire drawing, and cold forming.

Value Metric: Very High. Large solid blocks with high impact resistance.
Accepted Condition: Cracked dies, worn wear sleeves, retired stamps (must be removed from steel casings).

Carbide Sludge & Grinding Swarf

Trade names: Grinding Sludge, Tool Grinding Swarf, Coolant residue

Carbide Sludge & Grinding Swarf Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Fine tungsten and cobalt debris generated during tool sharpening and CNC grinding, suspended in oil/coolant.

Value Metric: Moderate. Evaluated on a dry-basis tungsten analysis.
Accepted Condition: Wet or semi-dry sludge collected in leak-proof drums or buckets.

Tungsten Carbide Powder

Trade names: WC Powder, Thermal Spray Powder, Fines

Tungsten Carbide Powder Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Raw chemical tungsten carbide powder or thermal spray residues.

Value Metric: High. Requires inspection for oxidation and moisture.
Accepted Condition: Fines, spray overs, dry floor sweeps in sealed containers.

Mixed & Unsorted Carbide

Trade names: Shop Floor Scrap, Unsorted Tooling Buckets

Mixed & Unsorted Carbide Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Accumulations of mixed machine shop tools that have not been graded or sorted.

Value Metric: Adjusted. Rates reflect the labor required to manually sort HSS and contaminants.
Accepted Condition: Unsorted bins containing inserts, drills, taps, and random debris.

Broken Carbide

Trade names: Shattered Carbide, Carbide Chunks

Broken Carbide Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Fragments, shards, and shattered pieces of carbide tooling.

Value Metric: High. Priced identically to clean solid carbide by weight.
Accepted Condition: Shattered tooling chunks free of steel.

Brazed & Tipped Tools

Trade names: SDS Masonry Bits, Tipped Cutters, Brazed Inserts

Brazed & Tipped Tools Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Steel tools with a tungsten carbide cutting tip welded or brazed onto the body.

Value Metric: Lower per-pound rate. Value is adjusted to account for the weight of the steel body.
Accepted Condition: Complete assembly with carbide tips intact.

Tungsten Heavy Alloys

Trade names: Ballast Weights, Bucking Bars, Radiation Shielding

Tungsten Heavy Alloys Sample Photo

[Pending Asset Integration]

Alloys containing high concentrations of tungsten (90-97%) combined with nickel, iron, or copper.

Value Metric: Strong. Values reflect pure tungsten content.
Accepted Condition: Ballast blocks, bucking bars, counterweights, retired shielding plates.

General Sorting Principles to Maximize Value

Recycling refiners price scrap according to purity. Contamination by iron (from steel tools), brazing compounds (copper-zinc-silver), moisture, or cutting fluids decreases refining efficiency and alters scale weight. Keeping materials sorted by type (e.g. inserts separated from end mills) and ensuring shims, holders, and locking screws are removed will guarantee you receive the maximum payout on scaling day.

💡 Did you know?

  • Carbide is not steel. It is a dense composite material containing tungsten and carbon.
  • Magnets usually do not stick to solid carbide tools because they contain very little iron.
  • Clean, sorted carbide scrap is worth significantly more than mixed or contaminated carbide.
  • Removing steel shanks, holders, and locking screws increases the purity grade and final payout.