What do you currently get for a kilo of carbide?

Due to the large number of different hard metals, the price per kilo is between 50 cents and 20 euros.
In our table you will find the current carbide prices in euros per kilo.

Table of current prices for hard metal scrap

Art	Average price per kilo in euros
Carbide drills and cutters	16.70 euros/kg*
Carbide indexable inserts	16.70 euros/kg*
HSS, mixed, high-speed steel	0.85 euros/kg*
Carbide, mixed	13.99 euros/kg*

* Prices depend on quantity and location. There is a possibility that larger quantities can potentially achieve higher prices.

What are hard metals?

As the name suggests, hard metals are very hard and particularly resistant.

Carbides are primarily used for processing other metals in large industrial plants. They are ideal as saw blades, drills, milling cutters or as indexable inserts on the lathe.

With the glass cutting test you can easily tell whether it is a hard metal. Try making a scratch in a glass bottle with the component. If you can do this without any effort, the component is undoubtedly made of hard metal.

How much money do I get for carbide scrap?

Carbide scrap prices depend on the type of scrap. To determine the current value of hard metal scrap, I recommend that you contact regional scrap dealers or recycling centers.

These companies can provide you with information about the current price per kilogram of carbide scrap.

Overview of the different types of carbide

Below we have explained the most common scrap classes for carbide. Due to the large number of different hard metals, prices also fluctuate within a scrap category. You can get an accurate estimate of what your scrap is worth from a good scrap dealer.

Carbide drills and cutters

This category includes drills and cutters made of carbide. Solid carbide (solid carbide) tools, which consist of approx. 95% tungsten carbide and approx. 10% cobalt, also belong to this scrap class.

Carbide indexable inserts

Indexable inserts are often used in large industrial plants for machining iron and Steel used.
Most indexable inserts are made from “Widia Carbide,” an extremely heat-resistant material made from tungsten carbide and cobalt. The name “Widia” is the short form of an old advertising slogan from the Krupp company “Cuts like a diamond”.

High speed steel

Strictly speaking, high-speed steel is not a hard metal. However, hardened high-performance high-speed steel (HSS) can be sold together with hard metals as mixed scrap (see below).

High-speed steel is primarily used for cutting other metals. Due to its high heat resistance of up to 600°C, the milling tools and turning tools have a high throughput.

Mixed carbide

This group is an unsorted mixture of hard metals and high-speed steel (HSS). However, tools made from carbide bring significantly higher profits than hardened high-speed steel. During the current scrap price For hard metals it can be over 10 euros per kilo, but for hardened steel you only get a kilo price of 1 euro.

If your mixed carbide scrap has a large proportion of carbide, you should consider sorting the scrap before selling. Otherwise you will waste money.