Brass Scrap Price Today

Understanding Brass Scrap

Brass is a copper-zinc alloy and one of the most actively traded scrap metals in India because almost every household, plumbing system, automobile, and decorative item contains it. The scrap value comes mostly from its copper content — yellow brass averages 60-70% copper, while red brass climbs to 85% copper, which is why grade-sorting before selling matters more for brass than for almost any other metal.

Daily brass scrap rates in India typically move within ₹420-520 per kg depending on copper price trends, the share of zinc and lead in the alloy, and how clean the lot is. Old plumbing valves, taps, locks, lamp parts, and shell casings all sell as different sub-grades — mixing them together usually gets you the rate of the lowest grade in the bag.

For sellers, the biggest mistake is assuming all yellow-coloured metal is "brass." A magnet test (real brass is non-magnetic) plus a quick visual check for solder, paint, or plated coatings determines whether you get the full per-kg rate or a 20-30% deduction for "mixed/contaminated" brass.

Brass Scrap Grades & Pricing Tier

Sort your scrap by these grades before selling — premium-tier grades pay 20-40% more per kg than mixed/dirty lots.

Where Brass Scrap Comes From

• Plumbing & sanitaryware — taps, valves, gate valves, ball valves, brass union pipes, water meters. The single biggest household source. Scrap from a building demolition or renovation typically yields 5-15 kg of mixed brass.
• Locks, hinges & decorative hardware — door locks, padlocks, decorative hinges, lamp parts, brass figurines, religious idols. Yellow brass dominates here.
• Automotive — old radiator cores (copper-brass type, pre-2000 vehicles), bushings, valve seats, alternator brushes, fuel-system fittings.
• Industrial & commercial — heat exchanger tubes, marine fittings, brass mesh, hydraulic fittings, ATM and telecom hardware.
• Ammunition shells — spent brass cartridges (commercial shooting ranges, defence surplus). Often the highest-purity source for sub-30kg lots.

How to Get the Best Brass Scrap Rate

1. Use a magnet — real brass is non-magnetic. If pieces stick to a magnet, they're plated steel and worth a fraction of brass scrap.
2. Sort red brass from yellow brass before selling — red brass commands 10-20% premium because of its higher copper content.
3. Remove any solder, paint, or plated coatings if possible. "Clean" brass fetches the listed rate; dirty brass gets deducted 15-30%.
4. Don't mix small parts with large pieces in the same lot — dealers weigh fines and chips at "mixed scrap" rates.
5. Store brass dry. Surface tarnish is fine, but green corrosion (verdigris) suggests the lot is wet and the dealer will deduct moisture weight.
6. For 20+ kg lots, get quotes from at least 2 dealers — brass rate volatility (driven by copper futures on LME) means same-week quotes can vary 5-8%.
7. Brass shells from ammunition casings often pay a premium because they're consistent 70/30 alloy — keep these in a separate bag.