Calculating Your ROI for Scrap Metal Recycling: The Value of Handheld XRF

By Peter Faulkner - 16 June, 2020

Scrap metal recycling using handheld XRF

In our ever-changing global economy, prices can fluctuate daily for scrap metal. As a result, it’s critical your recycling facility can rapidly identify and sort materials to be profitable.

Accurate scrap sorting can also reduce the risk of shipping and charging out-of-specification materials to a furnace or smelter, which can lead to costly penalties. At a minimum, you’ll face the costs of returning the shipment and re-sorting if the mix-up is discovered before payment.

Investing in a handheld XRF analyzer for fast, accurate scrap sorting can help you avoid these expensive mistakes and get the most value for your business. Just consider the following:

Reprocessors and mills in many alloy applications are often unconcerned if all material is the same alloy type—just as long as the final melt chemistry is within specification. For this reason, obtaining a rapid and accurate element chemistry is more important in the blending process without using expensive virgin metal.

The value of preparing and sorting any metal to the correct grade chemistry can show in the operating profit for your scrap recycling process. For example, look at these alloy sorting examples below that show typical prices for individual loads. You can see just how rapidly the cost of a single XRF analyzer can be recovered.

Nickel Alloys

	Nickel (Ni) %	Chromium (Cr) %	Iron (Fe) %	Copper (Cu) %	Molybdenum (Mo) %	Niobium (Nb) + Tantalum (Ta) %	Aluminum (Al) %	Price/lb*	$/20 Mt
IN 625	72 min.	14–17	6–10	0.5 max.	-	-	-	$3.50	154,000
IN 718	50–55	17–21	Balance	0.3 max.	2.8–3.3	4.75–5.5	0.2–0.8	$3.00	132,000
Price difference									22,000

^*Typical US price as of Feb 2020 per 20 metric tons (Mt)

Stainless Steels

	Nickel (Ni) %	Chromium (Cr) %	Iron (Fe) %	Manganese (Mn) %	Molybdenum (Mo) %	Silicon (Si) %	Price/lb*	$/20 Mt
SS 304	8–10.5	18–20	Balance	2 max.		0.75 max.	$0.47	20,680
SS 316	10–14	16–18	Balance	2 max.	2–3	0.75 max.	$0.72	31,680
SS 330	34–37	17–20	Balance	2 max.	2–3	0.75–1.5	$2.00	88,000

^*Typical US price as of Feb 2020 per 20 Mt

In most cases, nickel alloys, stainless steels, and other high-temperature alloys can be sorted with affordable handheld XRF instruments, such as the Vanta Element™ analyzer. Measuring times are normally only a few seconds, which enables the operator to verify more pieces of high-value scrap rapidly with high throughput, consequently increasing the ROI compared to other model analyzers.

Aluminum Alloys

	Aluminum (Al) %	Magnesium (Mg) %	Silicon (Si) + Iron (Fe) %	Chromium (Cr) %	Copper (Cu) %	Silicon (Si) + Iron (Fe) %	Manganese (Mn) %	Price/lb*	$/20 Mt
Al 1100	Balance	---			0.05–0.20	0.95 max.	0.05 max.	$0.46	20,240
	Al %	Mg %	Si %	Cr	Cu	Fe	Mn	Price/lb*	$/20 Mt
Al 6061	Balance	0.8–1.2	0.4–0.8	0.04–0.35	0.15–0.4	0.7 max.	0.15 max.	$0.63	27,720
Al 6063	Balance	0.45–0.9	0.2–0.6	0.1 max.	0.1 max.	0.35 max.	0.1 max.	$0.80	35,200

^*Typical US price as of Feb 2020 per 20 Mt

Basic sorting of aluminum provides a high separation of many alloys. For instance, mixing aluminum 1100 with 6061 or 6063 can lead to an out-of-specification magnesium (Mg) concentration and may raise residual elements, such as copper and iron, beyond the specification limits. Ensuring a good, rapid Mg reading will provide a good separation.

In this case, using a more powerful Vanta™ C series model while ensuring mixed loads aren’t shipped to smelters can help you eliminate the cost of virgin magnesium at the smelter and avoid penalties.

Calculating the True ROI of Handheld XRF for Scrap Metal Recycling

All Vanta handheld analyzer models are IP rated to withstand rain, dirt, and dust, as well as drop tested to protect against the occasional drop. These rugged features help prevent repairs, maximize uptime, and extend the life of your analyzer. Paired with our innovative Axon Technology™, you get the right answer fast—no matter the working conditions.

But the true ROI comes from the analytical capabilities of the Vanta models. You can find various Vanta and Vanta Element models at different price points, depending on the elements you need to analyze. By only paying for what you need, you can minimize your total cost of ownership.

Keep in mind, pricing depends on where in the scrap collection process metals are sorted. It generally rises the closer the sorter is to the final smelter or revert facility.