Tungsten Carbide Scrap Pricing Guide.

1. Tungsten content and grade formulation

Cemented carbide is tungsten carbide grains held together by a metallic binder, usually cobalt. The share of tungsten carbide in the mix — and the specific grade formulation — is the single biggest driver of recovery value. High-tungsten solid carbide tooling generally sits at the top of the value range; material with lower tungsten content or heavy non-carbide attachments sits lower. Grade markings and manufacturer part numbers help identify exactly what you have, which is why clear photos of markings matter so much.

2. The physical form of the material

Solid carbide end mills, drills, and blanks are straightforward to identify and process, which supports their value. Indexable inserts are valuable too, but they are smaller, often coated, and frequently mixed across grades in one lot. Brazed tooling — such as saw tips soldered onto steel bodies — contains real carbide, but the steel backing has to be accounted for in the evaluation. Grinding sludge and swarf can be recovered, but fine particles mixed with coolant or oil are the most processing-intensive form and generally sit in the lowest value tier.

3. Quantity and consistency

Larger, uniform lots are more efficient to handle, verify, and process than a coffee can of mixed odds and ends, and that efficiency is reflected in stronger pricing. Recurring volume from an active shop is the steadiest basis for a good ongoing price. That said, small lots are absolutely still worth sending in — a few pounds of clean inserts has real value, and one-time cleanouts from estates or retired machinists are welcome.

4. Sorting and cleanliness

Contamination is the quiet killer of carbide value. Steel parts, high-speed steel tools, packaging, cutting fluid, and general shop debris mixed into a carbide lot all have to be separated before processing, and that labor comes out of the lot's value. A sorted, dry, clearly described lot will consistently earn a better offer than a mixed drum of the same weight. The sorting section below shows exactly how to prep your material.

5. Tungsten market conditions

Tungsten is a globally traded commodity. Mine supply, manufacturing demand, trade policy, and currency moves push prices around over weeks and months — which is exactly why Ironcrest does not publish a fixed per-pound price list. Any number printed on a website goes stale. The reliable way to know what your material is worth is to send photos and get today's price, quoted against current markets.

6. How verifiable the material is

Clearly marked tooling with manufacturer names and part numbers can be identified quickly and confidently. Unmarked mixed material takes more work to verify, and uncertainty gets priced into the offer. Good photos and an honest description remove the guesswork — in your favor.

Top tier: clean solid carbide

Solid carbide end mills, drills, reamers, burrs, blanks, and rods carry high, consistent tungsten content and are easy to verify. This is the material every buyer wants, and it anchors the top of the value range. Keep solid tooling grouped together and separate from inserts and mixed scrap.

Strong tier: inserts and indexable tooling

New, used, or broken inserts all carry real value. Surface coatings — the gold TiN or dark TiAlN and AlTiN finishes — are only microns thin. They do not add scrap value beyond the carbide underneath, but they do not hurt either. Mixed grades in one lot are normal in a working shop; the lot is evaluated as a blend. Manufacturer part numbers on the insert or the original packaging speed up identification.

Mid tier: brazed carbide tooling

Saw tips, brazed cutters, and tipped tooling contain good carbide attached to a steel body. Value follows the carbide share of the total weight — a box of loose tips prices very differently from whole blades with heavy steel plates. If you can separate tips from steel bodies, do it; if not, photograph both and describe the mix honestly.

Wear parts, dies, and punches

Cemented carbide dies, punches, and wear parts are typically high-grade material with excellent tungsten content. Keep them with your solid carbide rather than in mixed scrap, and photograph any markings.

Lower tier: sludge, swarf, and grinding powder

Grinding sludge and swarf contain recoverable tungsten, but they are the most expensive form to process — fine particles, coolant and oil contamination, and oxidation all work against recovery. Keep sludge separate from solid scrap, keep it as dry as practical, and expect it to be evaluated differently than solid tooling, sometimes by laboratory assay for larger or ongoing volumes.

Watch out: lookalikes

Not everything gray and heavy is carbide. High-speed steel (HSS) tools, cermet inserts, and coated steel can fool the eye, and HSS mixed into a carbide lot drags the whole lot down. By feel, solid carbide is remarkably dense — the same-size carbide tool feels noticeably heavier than a high-speed steel one. Coatings and color alone are not reliable identifiers. When in doubt, send close photos of the markings and the full tool and let the review sort it out.

View Ironcrest's complete carbide purchasing page →

• Pull out anything that is not carbide. High-speed steel tools, plain steel parts, inserts still sealed in plastic packaging, paper labels, rags, and coolant-soaked debris all come out of the carbide container.
• Group by form. Inserts together, solid end mills and drills together, brazed tooling together, and sludge completely separate. Four labeled buckets beat one mystery drum.
• Drain and dry. Shake off cutting fluid, let sludge settle and pour off free liquid, and do not ship containers of liquid. Moisture and oil are dead weight you do not get paid for.
• Keep markings readable. Do not grind, crush, or wire-wheel your tooling. Manufacturer names and part numbers are valuable identification — destroying them destroys information.
• Weigh what you can. A bathroom-scale photo works for small lots; a drum on a pallet scale works for large ones. An honest estimate is fine when a scale is not available.
• Describe honestly. "Mostly inserts, some HSS mixed in, about 40 lbs" beats an optimistic guess every time. Surprises at verification slow everything down; accurate descriptions speed up your offer.

What to photograph

• A wide shot of the full lot, so the overall quantity and mix are clear.
• Close-ups of manufacturer markings, part numbers, and grade codes on inserts and tooling.
• Examples of coatings, wear, or damage — broken is fine, we just need to see it.
• Something for scale: a tape measure, a coin, or your hand next to the material.
• The container itself, so we can judge volume.

Good photos vs. bad photos

A blurry photo of a dark bucket tells us nothing. A clear, well-lit photo of inserts with visible markings next to a tape measure tells us almost everything — material family, likely grade tier, form mix, and approximate quantity. Take photos in daylight or under bright shop lights, wipe coolant off the pieces you photograph up close, and send several angles rather than one distant shot.

What to include with your photos

Along with the pictures, send your estimated weight, your city and state, whether this is a one-time cleanout or recurring shop volume, and your timing. The more complete the picture, the faster the review — most quotes go out the same day the details arrive.

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