What's the main source of Candy scrap?

Industrial demolition. Heavy copper bus bars, pipes, and plate from building teardowns and factory decommissioning. Large, clean pieces with minor soldering.

Why is Barley lower than Birch?

Tin coating on wire (common in older electrical work) is the key contaminant. Tinned copper is still high-Cu but refiners discount because of refining complexity.

Does this include brass? (Cu-Zn alloy)

No. Brass is a separate scrap category entirely (Honey, Ebony grades) with much lower Cu content (~65%) and mixed Cu-Zn hedging. Not covered in this catalog v1.

How does soldered copper affect melt yield?

Solder is Sn-Pb (or newer Sn-Ag-Cu). At 96% typical Cu content, solder accounts for most of the deduction. Refiner yield reports typically come in at 95–96% for Candy/Barley loads.

Worked exampleCopperCandy / BarleyScrap

Copper Candy/Barley

Name: Copper Candy/Barley
Brand: Novaex
SKU: copper-candy-barley

ISRI Candy (#1 copper heavy) / Barley (mixed bare and tinned)

Candy/Barley sits just below Birch on the value ladder. Heavy industrial copper with minor contamination (solder, paint, tin coating). Metal-content hedging at 96% sizes the exposure honestly so processor margins are protected on the hedge side.

This page shows how the NovaEx wizard models one common configuration. Your contract may look different. Override any field per shipment, or clone the example to build your own.

Last updated: April 2026By NovaEx Product

Conversion recipe

Gross × MC%

Hedge methodMetal content %

FormulaHedgeable MT = Qty × UOM factor × Metal content %

Commercial UOMMT

Metal content94–97% (typical 96%)

Rounding ruledown

Sources

ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular · Copper Development Association

Industry-standard ranges shown. Actual contract terms vary per shipment; override at position entry.

Worked example

Typical shipment

Commercial qty

30 MT

As invoiced

Contained metal

28.80 MT

Copper inside the goods

Hedgeable metal

28.80 MT

Flows to hedge desk → LME Copper

30 MT × 96% metal content = 28.80 MT contained Metal content defines exposure → 28.80 MT Copper hedgeable

30 MT of Candy/Barley × 96% Cu = 28.8 MT Cu hedgeable → hedge on LME Copper.

Typical specifications

What you're actually trading

Reference specifications for contracts, counterparty conversations, and supply-chain planning. Not a substitute for the shipment's lab certificate or commercial contract.

ISRI spec: Candy / Barley
Description: Candy = #1 heavy copper solids (pipe, bar, plate). Barley = mixed bare and tinned copper.
Cu content: 94–97% (typical 96%)
Discount to Birch: 2–4¢/lb typical