# old oven heating elements-tungston?



## pazsion (Jun 16, 2011)

I know the rod going through the center should be tungston, but its surrounded by white stuff, ceramic i soppose and then a non ferrous material. nickel? i dont think aluminum would last long...

Should i cut these open and separate them for the best scrap price? or has it not mattered when you took yours in?

there were also copper plated ferrous materials connecting the rods to their power sources.. should i assume these are also tungston?


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## philddreamer (Jun 16, 2011)

For anyone interested, I've been getting lately $13.75 per pound for clean tungsten from this outfit, 
http://www.carbiderecycling.com

I've been doing just as good, % wise, recycling tungsten as I've done with PM's. I've recycled around 500# to-date.

Take care!

Phil


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## skippy (Jun 16, 2011)

If you are talking about the metallic sheathed elements they are packed with magnesia and a nichrome resistance coil. Nichrome is mostly nickel so it probably could be sold to the right scrap yard. The sheath is usually incoloy, a very high nickel stainless steel. No tungsten.


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## pazsion (Jun 17, 2011)

if it contains steel, its magnetic... the sheath is not... nickel alloy, would be a weak magnitisim, ? w/e it is it's very magnetic.

Are there other ways to verify what it is before i take it to scrap?

wouldn't magnesium ignite at a certain temp.?

And i should separate the materials regardless?


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## skippy (Jun 17, 2011)

Mmmm.... steels alloyed with nickel in a certain percentage range are non magnetic. Nickel is magnetic. 
I think if you unwound the element straight, unpacked or cut of a terminal end and vibrated the element you could get the magnesia out and pull out the nichrome resistance wire out. 
Magnesia is the oxide of magnesium. Other metal oxides have similar names. Aluminum metal -> alumina, thorium -> thoria, cerium->ceria etc.


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## qst42know (Jun 19, 2011)

pazsion said:


> And i should separate the materials regardless?



If you have quite a bit of these elements call your scrap yard and ask if they have a premium price for heating elements of the type you have whole. They are quite tough, I certainly wouldn't want peel a bunch of these for very little return.


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## Sodbuster (Jun 20, 2011)

I wonder if the magnesia could be used to somehow make some of the Magnesia melting dishes.
I sure wouldn't know where to begin . Just a thought.

Ray


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## qst42know (Jun 20, 2011)

You might Ray. But I can't think of a more difficult way to get magnesia.

Some pottery supply houses sell 100 pound bags for around $60.


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## Geo (Jun 22, 2011)

ive had a little experience with heating elements.the elements that are in a space heater is an alloy inconel and an alloy with cobalt,both are hightemp.stove eyes usually have an inconel center and stainless steel sheath.the main difference that you can see with the space heater elements are inconel is a dull black after use and cobalt is a shiny black after use.this material can be reclaimed from any type heating element (stoves,heaters,water heaters ect..) and does bring a decent price but only in big quantity.remember to take the pure steel peices off the ends of the heating elements or brackets off the stove eyes or it will be considered unclean material.


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## rasanders22 (Jun 26, 2011)

philddreamer said:


> For anyone interested, I've been getting lately $13.75 per pound for clean tungsten from this outfit,
> http://www.carbiderecycling.com
> 
> I've been doing just as good, % wise, recycling tungsten as I've done with PM's. I've recycled around 500# to-date.
> ...



Was that $13.75 and you pay shipping? How did you ship it? I have around 100#'s or so that I wouldnt mind offloading.


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## philddreamer (Jun 30, 2011)

Sorry didn't answered earlier, but I'm in CA. prospecting. 8) 

Its $13.75/# for clean tungsten, dirty is about a dollar less, or so. I shipped flat rate thru USPS; 100# I would ship in 2 large flat rate, 70# max. in each. Make sure the boxes won't brake.

Contact Sandy @ that website.

Take care!

Phil


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## pazsion (Jun 15, 2012)

I took a few of the rods to the scrap yard with me, the inspector there told me it was a steel rod in the center, the white stuff was ceramic, and he had no idea what the outside was made of. =c He didn't bother using his laser spectrometer. Not the usual guy i have worked with in the past either. 

For him they are considered scrap, and tossed into the unclean iron/steel pile and ground up together. If this is the way one of my favorite scrap yards treats it. I need to break it down and pile it up with it's respective metals. And verify that the white stuff is actually ceramic and not some other alloy or mix. I'm not sure how to do this.


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## DONNZ (Jun 19, 2012)

From what I'm reading it's worth saving.

*Why Warren Buffett is Loading Up on Tungsten*
http://www.resourceinvestor.com/2012/06/12/why-warren-buffett-is-loading-up-on-tungsten?ref=hp


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