R.M. Recyclage
699 Boulevard Brassard, Saint-Paul, Quebec, Canada

When we buy grade 1 copper or aluminum extrusion, we are very aware of anything that could compromise the quality of these items. The characteristics of No. 1 copper in the smelter are very strict, as are the specifications for aluminum extrusions. Copper # 1 cannot contain any solder such as lead, tin, silver, brass, excessive dirt or oil. The aluminum extrusions must be of caliber 6061 or 6063 with no zinc or steel attachments. Not just 99% pure, but 100% pure.

This is what happens to No. 1 copper when it is sent to smelters. Obviously, the foundry receiving the material cannot look at each book with a load of 40,000 lbs of copper, especially if the material has been bundled or in bricks. It will take a look at the material, and if it finds questionable material, it will reject the FULL load, not just questionable material. His thought process is "If there is a piece of nonconforming material, there may be more", and force us to resume the FULL load. As we ship worldwide, this can become a huge expense for us. If there is questionable material, we want to spot it immediately because if the material is inside a bundle,

If No. 1 copper passes the first inspection,  it is labeled with our name and melted into liquid form. While it is still in its liquid form, the foundry will take a few samples of molten metal called "buttons". When these "buttons" are cooled, they will do a chemical test of the material. If there is copper contamination before it is melted, it is now fused with the copper. The full load 40,000 pounds is contaminated. It is no longer possible to decontaminate it. The foundry will now charge us a royalty for the smelting and return it to us at our expense. The copper ingots will be sold as grade 2 copper. There is no longer any way to return it to grade 1 again.

We have to take back the contaminated copper and try to sell it to someone who wants that specific combination.

If you think it represents a huge amount of money and trouble, you only see half of it. If we deliver contaminated material on a regular basis, we will no longer be allowed to ship to this foundry. This means that we will have to be less aggressive when we market our No. 1 copper because we have fewer places that accept our material. Our reputation with the foundry will be damaged and we will have to work very hard to be authorized to send back to this foundry. If we cannot sell our equipment at a reasonable price then we will not be able to pay you, dear customers, at the best possible price.

So we apologize if we are so picky when it comes to these two elements, but we hope this will help you understand that the consequences are very costly for us.