Four Common Sources of Platinum Scrap
If you’re on the hunt for platinum scrap, you could sweep the floors at a jewelry factory, pull up old drain pipes and floorboards you find there, or tweezer out bits of old platinum screens and sponge from plating tanks and drains.
That’s hard work. There are much easier places to find platinum . . .
Jewelry, Especially Rings
Let’s start with a place where it is easiest to find platinum - old rings. Heck, platinum wedding rings are often stamped “pt” on the inside, which eliminates any uncertainty about what you have found.
Old Platinum Lab Equipment
Lab crucibles, triangular metal stands, tweezers and forceps are often made of pure platinum. Why? Because it is resistant to heat and inert, meaning that it doesn’t leach other chemicals into substances that are being tested. And remember that old platinum testing equipment is still pure platinum, even if has become discolored.
Thermocouple Wire
We have written on this blog about thermocouples. They are thin wires that are used to monitor or remotely measure temperatures. They are used in many manufacturing processes, as well as in stoves and air conditioning equipment. Some thermocouples have markings on their end fixtures that indicate what they are made from, while others do not. If you are not sure whether a thermocouple is made of platinum, call us at 800-426-2344 and we will be happy to test it for you.
Automobile Catalytic Converters
We have often written about them on this blog over the years. If you can collect a batch of 500 or more, we can test and recycle them for you. No doubt about it - catalytic converters are one of the easiest-to-find sources of platinum that we can recycle for you.
Have Your Platinum Evaluated by a Qualified Lab
What should you do after you collect pieces that are platinum . . . or which could be platinum? Call Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners at 800-426-2344. We are here to answer all your questions about precious metals.
Related Posts
Where to Find Platinum Scrap
Why Stuff that Doesn’t Glitter Could Be Platinum
Complicated Precious Metal Recycling Problems Made Easy
Why Used Thermocouple Wire Is a Top Candidate for Profitable Recycling