Refinery Brass Scrap Prices in Pennsylvania
National averages for Refinery Brass are currently sitting around $1.46 per pound. Check out the list below to see what local yards in Pennsylvania are paying, and learn how to keep your high-grade scrap out of the low-grade bin.
Average Refinery Brass Price
- Low (up to $0.50): Floor price, typically for small loads.
- Mid ($0.75): A fair deal for standard quantities.
- High ($1.00+): Top-dollar rate. Offered for large commercial loads or by the most competitive buyers.
Pricing verified from 2 live board rates today.
Top Scrap Yards Buying Refinery Brass in Pennsylvania
Don't just dump your heavy, contaminated scrap at the first scale you roll across. Compare the yards below to see who offers the best rates for Refinery Brass in Pennsylvania. Always call ahead to confirm pricing and acceptance criteria, as refinery-grade material often fluctuates heavily based on local demand and the national averages.
Rag & Bone Recycling - Scrap Metal & Salvage
Krill Recycling LLC
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🚀 List your scrap yard ⟶Refinery Brass vs. Other Brass Grades
The #1 rule at scrap yards: if you mix grades, they’ll weigh everything at the lowest rate. See the price gap below — if you have higher-value metal, always sort and weigh each grade separately to avoid leaving money on the table.
Refinery Brass Price Trends & History
This chart shows where the market is headed. If the line is climbing, prices are rising — you might get a better deal in a few days. If it’s dropping, don’t wait: sell today before yards lower their buy prices further.
Refinery Brass: Scrap Yard Price vs. World Market (COMEX)
Avg scrap yard price
World market price (COMEX)
Refinery Brass: Spread vs. Exchange — Monthly History
| Period | World price (per lb) | Scrap yard price (per lb) | Spread vs. exchange |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 (current) | $5.764324 | $2.59 | -$3.17 (55%) |
| February 2026 | $5.880136 | $2.82 | -$3.06 (52.1%) |
| January 2026 | $5.894887 | $3.54 | -$2.36 (40%) |
| December 2025 | $5.497742 | $2.59 | -$2.91 (52.9%) |
| November 2025 | $5.064033 | $3.04 | -$2.03 (40%) |
| October 2025 | $5.050242 | $3.03 | -$2.02 (40%) |
| September 2025 | $4.662367 | $2.66 | -$2.00 (42.9%) |
| August 2025 | $4.477984 | $2.30 | -$2.17 (48.6%) |
| July 2025 | $5.482645 | $3.29 | -$2.19 (40%) |
| June 2025 | $4.883233 | $2.93 | -$1.95 (40%) |
| May 2025 | $4.686194 | $2.81 | -$1.87 (40%) |
| April 2025 | $4.654267 | $2.79 | -$1.86 (40%) |
| March 2025 | $4.919484 | $2.95 | -$1.97 (40%) |
| February 2025 | $4.558107 | $2.74 | -$1.82 (40%) |
| January 2025 | $4.269774 | $2.56 | -$1.71 (40%) |
| December 2024 | $4.157855 | $2.50 | -$1.66 (40%) |
| November 2024 | $4.199383 | $2.52 | -$1.68 (40%) |
| October 2024 | $4.431839 | $2.66 | -$1.77 (40%) |
| September 2024 | $4.292683 | $2.58 | -$1.72 (40%) |
| August 2024 | $4.121839 | $2.47 | -$1.65 (40%) |
| July 2024 | $4.375242 | $2.63 | -$1.75 (40%) |
| June 2024 | $4.491083 | $2.70 | -$1.80 (40%) |
| May 2024 | $4.75471 | $2.85 | -$1.90 (40%) |
| April 2024 | $4.363717 | $2.62 | -$1.74 (40%) |
| March 2024 | $3.983645 | $2.39 | -$1.59 (40%) |
| February 2024 | $3.801776 | $2.28 | -$1.52 (40%) |
| January 2024 | $3.811306 | $2.29 | -$1.52 (40%) |
| December 2023 | $3.871226 | $2.32 | -$1.55 (40%) |
| November 2023 | $3.720817 | $2.23 | -$1.49 (40%) |
| October 2023 | $3.609306 | $2.17 | -$1.44 (40%) |
| September 2023 | $3.759833 | $2.26 | -$1.50 (40%) |
| August 2023 | $3.776097 | $2.27 | -$1.51 (40%) |
| July 2023 | $3.8455 | $2.31 | -$1.54 (40%) |
| June 2023 | $3.804983 | $2.28 | -$1.52 (40%) |
| May 2023 | $3.751484 | $2.25 | -$1.50 (40%) |
| April 2023 | $4.007367 | $2.34 | -$1.67 (41.6%) |
| March 2023 | $4.02821 | $1.98 | -$2.05 (50.9%) |
| February 2023 | $4.06475 | $2.44 | -$1.63 (40%) |
| January 2023 | $4.115113 | $2.47 | -$1.65 (40%) |
| December 2022 | $3.820726 | $2.29 | -$1.53 (40%) |
| November 2022 | $3.674017 | $2.20 | -$1.47 (40%) |
| October 2022 | $3.430419 | $2.06 | -$1.37 (40%) |
| September 2022 | $3.455283 | $2.07 | -$1.38 (40%) |
| August 2022 | $3.616468 | $2.17 | -$1.45 (40%) |
| July 2022 | $3.4195 | $2.05 | -$1.37 (40%) |
| June 2022 | $4.118667 | $2.47 | -$1.65 (40%) |
| May 2022 | $4.257274 | $2.55 | -$1.70 (40%) |
| April 2022 | $4.649533 | $2.79 | -$1.86 (40%) |
| March 2022 | $4.707694 | $2.83 | -$1.88 (40%) |
| February 2022 | $4.502304 | $2.70 | -$1.80 (40%) |
| January 2022 | $4.4345 | $2.66 | -$1.77 (40%) |
| December 2021 | $4.332226 | $2.60 | -$1.73 (40%) |
| November 2021 | $4.367567 | $2.62 | -$1.75 (40%) |
| October 2021 | $4.432371 | $2.66 | -$1.77 (40%) |
| September 2021 | $4.2864 | $2.57 | -$1.71 (40%) |
| August 2021 | $4.302984 | $2.58 | -$1.72 (40%) |
| July 2021 | $4.347452 | $2.61 | -$1.74 (40%) |
| June 2021 | $4.388783 | $2.63 | -$1.76 (40%) |
| May 2021 | $4.618871 | $2.77 | -$1.85 (40%) |
| April 2021 | $4.192633 | $2.51 | -$1.68 (40%) |
| March 2021 | $4.084726 | $2.45 | -$1.63 (40%) |
| February 2021 | $3.861 | $2.32 | -$1.54 (40%) |
| January 2021 | $3.607435 | $2.16 | -$1.44 (40%) |
| December 2020 | $3.546903 | $2.13 | -$1.42 (40%) |
| November 2020 | $3.21755 | $1.93 | -$1.29 (40%) |
| October 2020 | $3.060177 | $1.84 | -$1.22 (40%) |
| September 2020 | $3.0352 | $1.82 | -$1.21 (40%) |
| August 2020 | $2.909726 | $1.75 | -$1.16 (40%) |
| July 2020 | $2.867581 | $1.72 | -$1.15 (40%) |
| June 2020 | $2.5983 | $1.56 | -$1.04 (40%) |
| May 2020 | $2.377403 | $1.43 | -$0.95 (40%) |
| April 2020 | $2.28595 | $1.37 | -$0.91 (40%) |
| March 2020 | $2.356968 | $1.41 | -$0.94 (40%) |
| February 2020 | $2.574707 | $1.54 | -$1.03 (40.1%) |
| January 2020 | $2.759935 | $1.66 | -$1.10 (40%) |
| December 2019 | $2.774145 | $1.67 | -$1.11 (39.9%) |
| November 2019 | $2.660717 | $1.60 | -$1.06 (40%) |
| October 2019 | $2.621613 | $1.57 | -$1.05 (40%) |
| September 2019 | $2.615533 | $1.57 | -$1.05 (40%) |
| August 2019 | $2.576597 | $1.55 | -$1.03 (40%) |
| July 2019 | $2.693468 | $1.62 | -$1.08 (40%) |
| June 2019 | $2.671833 | $1.60 | -$1.07 (40%) |
| May 2019 | $2.7395 | $1.64 | -$1.10 (40%) |
| April 2019 | $2.914283 | $1.75 | -$1.17 (40%) |
| March 2019 | $2.902032 | $1.74 | -$1.16 (40%) |
| February 2019 | $2.845929 | $1.71 | -$1.14 (40%) |
| January 2019 | $2.675468 | $1.61 | -$1.07 (40%) |
| December 2018 | $2.724823 | $1.64 | -$1.09 (40%) |
| November 2018 | $2.7578 | $1.65 | -$1.10 (40%) |
| October 2018 | $2.768435 | $1.66 | -$1.11 (40%) |
| September 2018 | $2.712817 | $1.63 | -$1.09 (40%) |
| August 2018 | $2.706081 | $1.62 | -$1.08 (40%) |
| July 2018 | $2.807597 | $1.69 | -$1.12 (40%) |
| June 2018 | $3.1238 | $1.87 | -$1.25 (40%) |
| May 2018 | $3.080177 | $1.85 | -$1.23 (40%) |
| April 2018 | $3.08635 | $1.85 | -$1.23 (40%) |
| March 2018 | $3.080758 | $1.85 | -$1.23 (40%) |
| February 2018 | $3.17875 | $1.91 | -$1.27 (40%) |
| January 2018 | $3.215161 | $1.93 | -$1.29 (40%) |
| December 2017 | $3.134855 | $1.88 | -$1.25 (40%) |
| November 2017 | $3.105817 | $1.86 | -$1.24 (40%) |
| October 2017 | $3.103887 | $1.86 | -$1.24 (40%) |
| September 2017 | $3.00865 | $1.80 | -$1.20 (40%) |
| August 2017 | $2.957097 | $1.77 | -$1.18 (40%) |
| July 2017 | $2.732484 | $1.64 | -$1.09 (40%) |
| June 2017 | $2.605467 | $1.56 | -$1.04 (40%) |
| May 2017 | $2.556677 | $1.53 | -$1.02 (40%) |
| April 2017 | $2.595367 | $1.56 | -$1.04 (40%) |
| March 2017 | $2.653452 | $1.59 | -$1.06 (40.1%) |
| February 2017 | $2.69925 | $1.62 | -$1.08 (40%) |
| January 2017 | $2.622903 | $1.57 | -$1.05 (40%) |
| December 2016 | $2.567774 | $1.54 | -$1.03 (40%) |
| November 2016 | $2.478267 | $1.49 | -$0.99 (40%) |
| October 2016 | $2.183833 | $1.30 | -$0.89 (40.6%) |
Refinery Brass Scrap Price History — Daily Data
A day-by-day market snapshot in exact numbers. Every day we aggregate buy prices from local scrap yards, recording the average, low, and high. Use this table to track real price movement over recent days.
| Date | Avg price (per lb) | Change | Range (Low/High) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/17/2026 | $1.00 / lb | +$0.50 | $1.00 - $1.00 |
| 12/12/2025 | $0.50 / lb | -$0.25 | $0.50 - $0.50 |
| 9/2/2025 | $0.75 / lb | +$0.25 | $0.75 - $0.75 |
| 4/1/2023 | $0.50 / lb | -$0.70 | $0.50 - $0.50 |
The Reality of Refinery Brass Pricing
Refinery brass is the catch-all heavyweight of the brass world. It usually consists of items with high percentages of impurities, irony brass, dross, sweeps, or heavily contaminated scrap that simply can't be sent to a standard brass mill. Currently, data shows that scrap yards in Pennsylvania and across the US are paying anywhere from $1.10 to $1.81 per pound. Because this material requires heavy industrial melting and refining to separate the valuable copper and zinc from the junk, it sits near the bottom of the brass pricing ladder. Knowing what belongs in this pile—and what doesn't—is the key to not getting ripped off.
Stop Bleeding Money at the Scale
The biggest mistake scrappers make is throwing higher-grade items into their refinery pile out of laziness. If you toss Water Meters or clean plumbing fittings into a bin destined for refinery pricing, you are throwing cash directly into the shredder. Mixing high-value brass with refinery scrap will cost you about $2.31 per pound in lost value. Take the time to separate your Brass Breakage, Brass Shells, and Brass EDM Wire. To give you an idea of the market, Brass Breakage typically pays $1.25 to $1.35/lb, so mixing it into your dirty refinery load just guarantees the buyer gets a bargain at your expense.
Identifying and Prepping Refinery Material
If you are dealing with industrial tear-downs, cleaning out an old machine shop, or sweeping up after a major machining job, you will likely encounter refinery brass. This grade is meant for the dirty stuff: brass attached to large chunks of iron, heavy plastics, or complex assemblies that are practically impossible to tear apart by hand.
Yard Pro Tip: For Refinery Brass, the magnet is your best friend, but you have to verify the base metal. If you have an assembly that is more than 50% steel or iron by weight but contains a decent chunk of brass, don't waste hours grinding it off. Sell it as Refinery Brass or Irony Brass. BUT, always hit the 'brass' portion with a file first. If it scratches white or silver under a thin yellow plating, it is die-cast zinc or pot metal, NOT brass. Throwing zinc die-cast into your refinery brass bin can cause the yard to reject or severely downgrade the entire barrel!
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Refinery Brass pay so much less than clean brass?
Refinery brass requires intense metallurgical processing to recover the raw copper and zinc. The yards cannot sell it to standard mills; they have to ship it to specialized refineries. As a result, it trades about 85.8% below the COMEX spot price to cover the immense energy, transportation, and labor costs of extracting the usable metal.
Can I upgrade my Refinery Brass to a better price?
Sometimes it is possible. If your material is just clean yellow brass with a few steel screws or brackets, taking an angle grinder or wrench to remove the steel will bump it up to a clean brass grade. However, if it is slag, skimmings, or an integrated motor housing, the labor isn't worth the upgrade. At a national average around $1.46, it is often best to just take the refinery price and move on to your next load.
Will all yards accept refinery-grade brass?
No. Some smaller local yards Pennsylvania simply do not process enough volume to justify keeping a dedicated refinery or dross bin. Always call your local buyer before hauling in heavy, contaminated brass loads to ensure they actively purchase refinery-grade material and ask how they specifically grade it.
Refinery Brass scrap prices in Pennsylvania on the map
The map shows cities in Pennsylvania with Refinery Brass scrap prices. Click a marker or pick a city in the list below to see Refinery Brass prices in that location.