Scrapping electric motors is a process that involves breaking down old or unused electric motors for their valuable components, such as copper, steel, and aluminum. These materials can be recycled and sold, making motor scrapping both environmentally friendly and potentially profitable.
Scrap Electric Motors: An Overview
Electric motors have a lot to do with modern technology. Starting from household appliances to industrial machinery, everything is dependent on electric motors. But everything has an expiration date, so do electric motors. A time will come when your electric motor will become scrap. Now the question is, what will you do with your scrap electric motors? This article will guide you on this.
Why Should You Scrap Electric Motors?
Before you know how to scrap an electric motor, know why you should do it. When you recycle an electric motor or any electronic object, you play a role in eliminating greenhouse gas emissions.
Copper is a part of electric motors, and it takes an intense energy process to form. If you take the copper from your scrap electric motor, you eliminate the need to produce copper for another object. This also reduces the carbon-footprint and serves the ecosystem.
Recycling Scrap Electric Motors
Once you buy electric motors, you must be ready for recycling them after a while. So, how to scrap electric motors? Let’s figure it out.
Composition
Electric motors consist of metal components, e.g., copper wire, aluminum, and steel. Among them, the copper winding has a great value, especially in industries.
Let’s say you have sold an electric motor scrap. The person who buys it, will dismantle the electric motor and extract the copper from it. Or you can dismantle the electric motor by yourself, extract the copper from it, and sell it. This copper is again used for other electric applications. In this way, you can extract the aluminum and steel from it and recycle them.
Value
Now, what determines the electric motor scrap price? Generally, the weight of electric motors is categorized based on their copper content. You will see that small electric motors are labeled with a higher price than the larger motors. Why? It’s because small motors have more copper content. Besides, the types of electric motors vary in terms of price and value.
For example, DC motors cover 18% with copper. Then AC motors cover 9% with copper. It’s evident that DC motors will be at a higher price than AC motors.
Recycling Process
In order to recycle electric motors, you will start with collecting. Then, you will think of selling them to scrap yards or in a scrap electric motors recycling company. Or you can go to any centers that are specialized in electronic waste and buy scrap electric motors. They can ensure safe dismantling and extract the needed components from the motor. This can be through shredding motors, using advanced machines, and so on.
Final Thoughts
Recycling scrap electric motors is both an opportunity and a challenge. You have to understand their composition, value, environmental impact, and so on. However, we will always suggest you recycle them. It would be better if you dismantled your electric motor by a professional rather than doing it by yourself. A proper dismantlement can give you every earth element safe and sound.
