Brass Radiator Scrap, more accurately described in many cases as Copper/Brass Radiator Scrap, consists of older automotive and equipment radiators containing recoverable copper and brass.
Traditional copper/brass radiators commonly use copper fins with brass tubes, headers or tanks. Because several metals and attachments can be present in one assembly, scrap yards may classify radiators as clean, dirty, irony, unsweated or another commercial grade depending on preparation.
What Is Copper/Brass Radiator Scrap?
Copper/Brass Radiator Scrap generally comes from cooling-system heat exchangers in which coolant passes through metal tubes while thin fins transfer heat to the surrounding air.
In traditional copper/brass automotive designs, the fins are typically copper while tubes and header components are commonly brass.
This combination gives old radiators significant nonferrous-metal content and makes them a distinct scrap category from modern aluminum radiators and aluminum/copper air-conditioning radiators.
What Is ReMA Ocean Mixed Unsweated Auto Radiators?
Under current ReMA specifications, Ocean / Mixed Unsweated Auto Radiators consists of mixed automobile radiators that are free of aluminum radiators and iron-finned radiators.
Any actual iron content is subject to deduction, and the tonnage specification normally refers to the gross weight of the radiators unless buyer and seller agree otherwise.
The ReMA specification does not define every scrap-yard term such as “clean brass radiator” or “dirty brass radiator,” so commercial yard classifications may vary.
What Is a Clean Copper/Brass Radiator?
A clean copper/brass radiator generally has most significant iron, steel, plastic and unrelated attachments removed according to the receiving buyer's requirements.
Typical preparation may include:
- Draining coolant
- Removing large steel brackets
- Removing major plastic tanks or shrouds when required
- Removing hoses and rubber attachments
- Keeping the copper/brass core reasonably free of foreign material
Because individual scrap yards use different preparation standards, sellers should confirm the exact definition of “clean” before dismantling a large quantity.
What Is a Dirty or Irony Brass Radiator?
A dirty or irony copper/brass radiator contains significant iron, steel, plastic or other non-copper/brass attachments.
Examples can include:
- Steel side plates
- Mounting brackets
- Plastic tanks
- Fan shrouds
- Rubber hoses
- Steel frames or supports
These attachments reduce the proportion of recoverable copper and brass in the total weight and may cause the radiator to receive a lower commercial grade.
Clean vs. Dirty Brass Radiator Scrap
The difference is primarily preparation and recoverable nonferrous-metal content.
Clean radiators usually contain a greater percentage of copper and brass by total weight, while dirty or irony radiators include more steel, plastic and other attached materials.
However, removing attachments is not automatically profitable in every situation. Before spending substantial labor cleaning radiators, compare the buyer's clean and dirty prices and determine whether the price difference justifies the preparation time.
Copper/Brass Radiator vs. Aluminum Radiator
Older automotive radiators were commonly manufactured from copper and brass. Aluminum later gained substantial market share in automotive cooling systems because of its lower density and manufacturing advantages.
Copper/Brass Radiators contain valuable copper and brass components.
Aluminum Radiators are made primarily from aluminum alloys and belong in a separate scrap stream.
These materials should not be mixed because their metal composition, processing routes and scrap values differ significantly.
Copper/Brass Radiator vs. Aluminum/Copper Radiator
An Aluminum/Copper Radiator, commonly called an Al/Cu radiator or ACR, is also a different scrap grade.
ReMA's Talk / Aluminum Copper Radiators specification covers clean aluminum-and-copper radiators or aluminum fins on copper tubing, free of brass tubing, iron and other foreign contamination.
These are commonly found in air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment rather than traditional copper/brass automotive radiators.
For current market comparisons, see RecyclingMonster's Copper Scrap Prices, which includes both copper/brass radiator and Al/Cu radiator observations.
Are Modern Car Radiators Made of Brass?
Not usually.
Copper/brass radiators were historically common in passenger vehicles and trucks, but aluminum became widely adopted in newer automotive radiator designs.
Older vehicles, heavy-duty applications and aftermarket equipment can still yield copper/brass radiators, so vehicle age and radiator construction should be checked before assuming the scrap grade.
Are Home Heating Radiators Brass?
Not necessarily.
Traditional home heating radiators are often made from cast iron or steel rather than copper/brass.
Copper/brass heat exchangers may be found in boilers, heating units and other equipment, but a household radiator should not automatically be classified as Brass Radiator Scrap based only on its use in a heating system.
Use a magnet and inspect the underlying construction before sorting the material.
Is Brass Radiator Scrap Magnetic?
The copper and brass portions of a radiator are nonferrous and should not respond strongly to a magnet.
Steel brackets, side plates, fasteners and other attachments will respond to a magnet.
A magnet is therefore useful for identifying iron contamination, although it cannot determine the exact copper/brass composition of the radiator core.
Does Coolant Need to Be Removed Before Recycling a Radiator?
Yes. Radiators should be drained before they are delivered as scrap.
Used antifreeze or engine coolant should be collected and managed separately rather than poured on the ground, into storm drains or mixed into general scrap.
The U.S. EPA recommends recycling used antifreeze where possible and notes that used coolant may contain contaminants such as lead, chromium, cadmium, copper or zinc.
Automotive recyclers and commercial generators should follow applicable local requirements for storage, recycling and disposal of used coolant.
What Metals Are Recovered From Copper/Brass Radiators?
The primary recoverable metals are copper and brass.
Depending on the radiator design, processors may also encounter:
- Lead-bearing or other solder in older units
- Steel mounting hardware
- Iron brackets
- Plastic tanks
- Rubber and hose material
The value of the scrap therefore depends on the proportion of desirable copper and brass relative to attached foreign material.
What Affects Brass Radiator Scrap Prices?
Copper/Brass Radiator Scrap prices depend on copper and brass market conditions, radiator construction, cleanliness, iron content, attachments, quantity, location and buyer requirements.
Clean copper/brass radiator cores may receive a different price from irony or contaminated units.
For current grade-specific market information, view RecyclingMonster's Clean Car Radiators (Cu. & Brass) Prices.
You can also compare the broader Copper Scrap Prices and Brass Scrap Prices databases. Those databases include commercial categories such as contaminated or irony copper/brass radiators and Irony Brass Car Radiators.
Always check the material description, location, unit and last-updated date before comparing prices.
Is a Clean Brass Radiator Always Worth More?
A clean radiator generally contains a higher percentage of desirable copper and brass than the same unit with substantial steel or plastic attachments.
That can support a higher per-pound buying grade.
However, whether cleaning the radiator increases the seller's net return depends on the amount of extra value compared with the labor required to remove attachments.
Commercial sellers should compare both grades before deciding how much preparation is worthwhile.
How to Maximize Copper/Brass Radiator Scrap Value
- Drain all coolant before delivery.
- Keep copper/brass radiators separate from aluminum radiators.
- Keep Al/Cu air-conditioning radiators in a separate grade.
- Remove significant steel or iron attachments when economically worthwhile.
- Remove large plastic tanks and shrouds when required by the buyer.
- Keep hoses, rubber and unrelated debris out of the load.
- Ask the yard for both clean and dirty radiator prices before doing extensive preparation.
- Compare quotes using the same radiator grade and price unit.
Where Can You Sell Brass Radiator Scrap?
Copper/brass radiators are purchased by many nonferrous scrap processors, automotive recyclers and metal recycling centers.
RecyclingMonster maintains a dedicated Auto Radiators Recycling Centers directory listing facilities that specifically identify automotive radiators among the materials they accept.
You can also search RecyclingMonster's broader Radiator Recycling Centers directory or the Metal Recycling Center Directory.
Have Large Quantities of Copper/Brass Radiator Scrap?
Auto recyclers, truck dismantlers, radiator repair shops, fleet maintenance operations and equipment recyclers can generate significant quantities of copper/brass radiators.
For bulk loads, separate clean and irony units and keep aluminum and Al/Cu radiators in their own streams before pickup.
Ask buyers about:
- Clean versus dirty radiator specifications
- Iron deductions
- Plastic-tank removal
- Coolant-removal requirements
- Gaylord or container service
- Pickup options
- Minimum quantities
Source separation is generally easier than trying to sort mixed radiator grades after they have been combined into a bulk load.