Copper wire grades describe metal condition or recoverable copper content, not the electrical rating of the original cable. For California sellers, the useful distinction is between clean bare copper, coated or contaminated material, and insulated scrap. We also check whether an intact reel deserves evaluation as inventory before treating it as scrap.
Copper wire grades are descriptions, not universal promises
Trade names help buyers describe material, but they do not establish one price or acceptance rule for every load. The Recycled Materials Association, or ReMA, publishes specifications on the ISRI specifications site. Those descriptions include conditions that casual grade charts often omit.
We use the actual conductor, coating and contamination to discuss classification. A photo can support an initial description; it cannot establish an assay or prove that hidden material matches the visible top layer.
The broader copper wire buying page covers both reusable cable and scrap. This guide focuses on sorting the scrap portion. Keep unopened bare-conductor stock and other reusable candidates separate while you work through the categories.
Bare bright and clean copper: related but distinct
Bare bright: the Barley specification
The official Barley copper-wire specification describes bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire, commonly called bare bright. Insulation, tin and solder are not part of that description. Bright appearance alone is insufficient if the material is coated or mixed with another metal.
A commonly repeated description gives a 16 AWG minimum, but that is not a universal current ReMA requirement. The published Barley text leaves wire gauge to agreement between buyer and seller. It also makes green copper and hydraulically compacted material subject to agreement.
Clean copper wire: the Berry specification
The Berry specification covers clean, untinned, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire and cable. It excludes brittle burnt wire and copper tubing, with gauge subject to agreement. Do not use a wire specification as a catchall for every clean copper object.
Light surface oxidation can lead to a different commercial description from bright wire. It does not, by itself, tell us how a whole lot should be classified. Show the surface clearly and disclose coatings instead of attempting to assign a premium grade from color alone.
Number-two copper is not an unrestricted mixed bin
The Birch copper-wire specification describes miscellaneous unalloyed copper wire with nominal 96% copper content and a 94% minimum, determined by electrolytic assay. Those are specification figures, not a photo-based purity claim for your wire.
Birch also has exclusions. It calls for material free of excessive lead, tin, solder, oil, iron and nonmetallics, among other conditions. It excludes insulation, hair wire and copper wire from burning, and calls for reasonable freedom from ash.
Painted, soldered or tinned wire may receive a lower-grade or separately negotiated description. That does not mean any amount of coating automatically meets Birch. Heavy contamination may require different treatment altogether.
| Material description | Main distinction | Keep apart from |
|---|---|---|
| Bare bright candidate | Uncoated, unalloyed bare copper | Tinned or soldered wire |
| Clean copper wire | Clean, untinned and uncoated | Tubing and mixed fittings |
| Coated or contaminated wire | Coating and contamination need review | Clean bare-wire lots |
| Insulated copper scrap | Copper share depends on construction | Aluminum and steel scrap |
These categories organize the discussion. Final acceptance needs agreement on the material actually delivered, including what cannot be seen in an overview photograph.
Insulated scrap is grouped by copper recovery
Recovery means the proportion of cable weight expected to become recovered copper. It is different from the purity of an already separated copper lot. A cable with a thick jacket can contain clean copper yet have a lower copper share by gross cable weight.
Large single-conductor copper building wire often has a greater copper share than small communication cable with substantial insulation and fillers. Conductor size, count, shields and jacket construction determine the comparison. No one recovery percentage describes every THHN reel or every communication-wire bin.
NM-B contains multiple conductors plus a ground under an outer sheath. Romex-brand NM-B is a familiar example. MC adds aluminum or steel armor, and some MC designs include non-copper bonding components. Do not count that extra weight as copper.
Review scrap recovery versus reel value for the valuation logic. Classification should come before a rate comparison, not after multiplying the entire load by a clean-copper figure.
Sort by material without damaging reusable stock
Separate copper from aluminum before combining containers. Silver-colored strands may be tinned copper, so color alone cannot settle the question. Read the original print and show an existing exposed end where available.
Copper-clad aluminum and copper-clad steel are not solid copper. Mixed armor, connectors, steel ties and debris can also change a load's composition. Describe these items instead of hiding them below a cleaner layer.
Keep dry, identified bare copper reels intact for product review. Several short pieces may be reasonable scrap candidates, while a continuous unused conductor can have another destination. Do not cut a tagged reel just to make its contents resemble a scrap category.
Never burn insulation. Burning creates an air-pollution hazard and can leave brittle copper and ash that conflict with grade specifications. It is not an acceptable sorting or upgrading method; ask about the existing insulated material instead.
What to send us for an offer by scrap category
A grade-focused description should reveal differences within the load. For each group, send:
- A photo of the entire container, including mixed material around its edges.
- Close views of bare-wire surfaces showing brightness, oxidation or deposits.
- Separate images of tinned, painted or soldered portions.
- An existing end view showing conductor metal and any steel reinforcement.
- Insulated-wire print identifying size, count and cable family where readable.
- Photos that distinguish aluminum armor from copper conductors inside MC.
- Estimated weights by group, with container weight identified separately.
- Your California city and an explanation of the job or inventory source.
Keep grade estimates provisional if several constructions remain mixed. Our scrap copper purchasing page explains the material lane, while the selling-guide hub helps with the surrounding identification questions.
Keep source records with sorted containers
Sorting improves description; it does not replace ownership verification. Maintain a connection between each container and the project or inventory it came from. Leave identifying markings intact, especially on material associated with utility or public infrastructure work.
As a plain-English legal summary, California has applicable seller-record and nonferrous transaction requirements; this is not legal advice. The California copper-selling rules guide explains those obligations and the agency-certification issue in detail. A cleaner grade cannot cure uncertain authority to sell.
Common questions
Does stripping insulated wire guarantee a bare-bright grade?
No. Removing insulation does not remove tin, solder, corrosion or other contamination from the conductor. Fine strands also need to meet the buyer's agreed size requirements. Before processing, show us the existing material and compare the labor with the possible benefit. Stripping an unused, identifiable length can also destroy its separate value as electrical inventory.
Is a green surface the same thing as green insulation?
No. Green insulation is a covering around the conductor, while a green surface on bare copper can indicate oxidation or corrosion. Photograph the difference rather than listing both as bare bright. The current Barley specification makes green copper subject to buyer–seller agreement. Unknown deposits should be disclosed instead of assuming that a familiar color proves a grade.
Can fine-stranded welding cable be grouped with large bare wire?
Keep it identifiable until the grade is agreed. The cable's nominal AWG represents the combined area of many strands, not the gauge of each strand. Fine wire, coatings and remaining jacket can affect acceptance. Tinned DLO is also different from bare-copper welding cable. A large overall conductor size does not make every individual strand a bare-bright candidate.