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Non-Ferrous Nickel
Nickel Silver Scrap
Grade: MalicHigh Tier
Old nickel silver from various sources
Market Price EstimateUpdated Daily
$4,850/ MT
+285 (6.2%)vs yesterday
Verified specifications & market data
Chemical Composition
Elemental breakdown by percentage weight.
Standard composition limits
Values represent maximum allowed percentage unless otherwise noted.
Physical Properties
Material form, density, and contamination specifications.
Post-consumer nickel silver scrap; tarnished silverware, decorative items, jewelry; established silverware recycling stream; copper-nickel-zinc alloy composite; aesthetic value in original use; recycled directly into new silverware production; established precious metal recovery infrastructure
Acceptable Inclusions
- Copper 40-65% (nickel silver specification)
- Nickel 10-25% (defining element)
- Zinc 15-40% (alloy component)
- Silver <2% (precious metal trace; adds value)
- Iron <2% (minimal contamination)
- Lead <0.5% (legacy contamination trace)
- Cadmium <0.1% (hazmat trace)
- Surface tarnish/oxidation expected
Prohibited Materials
- Copper <40% (insufficient primary component)
- Nickel <10% (below specification)
- Lead >0.5% (exceeds hazmat limit)
- Cadmium >0.1% (exceeds hazmat limit)
- Ferrous contamination (>2%)
- Stainless steel mixing
- Unknown alloy composition
- Composite materials or plating
Quality Assurance
Testing protocols, sampling methods, and acceptance criteria.
Sampling Protocol
frequencyRandom stratified sampling from various silverware types/pieces
maximumQuantity200+ samples per shipment
minimumQuantity1-3 tonnes or 50-150 silverware pieces
percentage10-15% of lot
Acceptance Limits
all Criteria Must PassMaterial must be nickel silver; composition within tolerance; hazmat within acceptable limits
cadmium LimitCd <0.1%
copper ContentCu 40-65%
lead LimitPb <0.5%
material IdentityConfirmed as nickel silver consumer silverware
nickel ContentNi 10-25%
silver TraceAg <2%
tarnish ConditionTarnish/oxidation acceptable; post-cleaning expected
zinc ContentZn 15-40%
Weight Tolerance
measurementBulk weighing acceptable; precision standard commodity
variance±3% from purchase order weight
Required Test Methods
100% Visual Verification
Purpose
- Confirm nickel silver silverware (not stainless, not ferrous)
- verify consumer silverware form
- assess tarnish/condition
Acceptance Criteria
- Nickel silver silverware apparent
- consumer form confirmed
- malic grade evident
- tarnish acceptable post-cleaning
Procedure
- 100% visual inspection
- verify silver-appearing flatware/hollowware
- confirm non-ferrous character
- assess tarnish level
Magnetic Test
Purpose
- Exclude ferrous contamination
- verify non-magnetic nickel silver character
Acceptance Criteria
- Non-magnetic or minimal magnetic attraction
- nickel silver confirmed
Procedure
- Magnet test on sample
- confirm non-ferrous character
- ferrous attraction indicates contamination
Tarnish & Oxidation Assessment
Purpose
- Verify characteristic nickel silver tarnish (silver sulfide)
- assess oxidation level
Acceptance Criteria
- Characteristic black/gray silver sulfide tarnish
- oxidation acceptable post-cleaning
Procedure
- Visual tarnish character assessment
- silver sulfide oxidation typical
Lead/Cadmium Screening
Purpose
- Detect lead and cadmium
- assess occupational/environmental hazmat risk
Acceptance Criteria
- Lead <0.5%, Cadmium <0.1%
- hazmat acceptable occupational limits
Procedure
- XRF spectrometry or
- sensitive detection for hazmat thresholds
Precious Metal Assessment
Purpose
- Identify silver content
- assess precious metal value premium
Acceptance Criteria
- Silver trace <2% detected
- precious metal value documented
Procedure
- XRF spectrometry
- identify silver/platinum-group trace
Comprehensive XRF Elemental Analysis
Purpose
- Verify Cu 40-65%, Ni 10-25%, Zn 15-40%
- quantify lead, cadmium, silver
- confirm Malic specification
Acceptance Criteria
- Cu 40-65%, Ni 10-25%, Zn 15-40%, Pb <0.5%, Cd <0.1%, Ag <2%