How Much Money Can You Make Recycling Platinum-Plated Objects?
. . . everything you need to know
With platinum now trading for over $900 on the London Fix, it stands to reason that you can make a lot of money recycling pure platinum scrap (like bench sweepings from jewelry factories) and pure platinum objects you have found (like platinum engagement rings and lab equipment).
But how much money can you make recycling objects that are only plated with platinum? That is a good question to ask. In most cases, it is difficult to make much money if you send items to us that are only platinum-plated because in nearly all cases, the layers of platinum that are used are extremely thin.
However, that doesn’t mean that you should give up on the idea of collecting platinum-plated objects and sending them to our labs to be tested and processed. Why? Because if you can collect large quantities of platinum-plated items, you can make money. The more platinum-plated items you collect and send to us, the more money you stand to make, especially with the metal trading at such a high price.
But let’s explorer the topic in depth.
Why Are Objects Plated with Platinum?
There are three basic reasons. One is to beautify items that are made of other metals, like silver and even low-karat gold. A second reason is to add corrosion-resistant properties to items that are used in industrial processes. The third reason is that nearly no one is allergic to platinum, so it can be used as a thin later on jewelry that can be worn by people who are prone to allergic reactions when their skin comes into contact with other metals. Platinum is an amazing metal. Even though it is relatively soft and malleable, it is extremely resistant to chemical corrosion or oxidation.
Those are the fundamental reasons why platinum is plated onto other metals. They explain why the items we list below are the most common platinum-plated items you will find in your search for valuable, recyclable precious metal items:
Platinum-plated jewelry. If you keep your eyes open and search online for platinum-plated items and elsewhere, you will occasionally find platinum-plated rings, other items of jewelry, and even watches. Again, the trick is to collect a large number of such items before you have us extract the platinum they contain. Call our labs at 800-426-2344 to learn more.
Automotive and industrial catalytic converters that are used to clean emissions from gasoline and diesel engines. We have written a lot on this blog about cat converters in the past. Just remember that each catalytic converter contains only a small quantity of platinum, so you need to collect at least 500 before we can process them for you.
Platinum-plated electrodes. They are used in chemical processes that include oil refining, manufacturing fertilizers and explosives, and purifying water. Even a thin layer of platinum plating can help electrodes resist corrosion in spite of exposure to acids and other corrosive chemicals.
Platinum-plated electrodes used in plating operations. We should probably have listed these in the preceding category of items. However, they are worth a separate mention because in factories where a lot of electroplating was done, you stand a chance of finding a large quantity of them – both used and unused.
Platinum-plated medical devices. These include catheters, probes that are used in a variety of tests, and implantable pacemakers and defibrillators.
Aerospace scrap. Even a very thin layer of platinum, if applied to the blades of turbine engines, can significantly extend their lifespan. So if you are lucky enough to get access to a number of jet plane engines that are getting scrapped, you could have an opportunity to obtain a quantity of platinum-plated engine components that you can recycle profitably.
Be Sure to Call Our Precious Metal Consultants with Your Questions
Do you want to learn more about making money by recycling platinum-plated objects and scrap? Or do you already own platinum-plated scrap and other objects that you would like us to test for you? In either case, good! Call us at 800-426-2344. We are here to answer your questions.