Vehicle recycling has been in practice since long before recycling became a public obsession. In the early days, cars were primary recycled for the metal they contained. Today, non-metal components of salvage vehicles are recycled, too, but metal continues to comprise most of a salvage car’s recyclable material by mass. Even if your salvage car is badly wrecked, vehicle recyclers would likely be interested in taking it off your hands to recycle the following metals.
Steel
When recycling a vehicle for its metal, steel generally comprises the majority of metal that is recycled. Car frames and engine components are commonly made from carbon steel that is coated with primer and paint or left in its original state. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “65 percent of the materials used to build the average car are a steel product.”
Aluminum
Although it lacks the dimensional stability of steel, aluminum is commonly used in modern vehicles because it is lighter than steel. Wheel rims and engine components comprise the majority of aluminum that is found in the average vehicle. Compared to steel, the microstructure of aluminium has a low transformation point, which limits its use for high-heat applications.
Iron
Iron is more commonly found in early model vehicles than in late model vehicles that only recently rolled away from the assembly line. However, some auto manufacturers whose vehicles have a reputation for being remarkably safe in the event of auto accidents still use the durable metal to create structural support bars that are hidden within the doors and the roof.
Titanium
Among metals that are commonly found in vehicles, titanium tends to be the least common, as it is difficult to manufacture and thus commands a premium price on the fair market. Because titanium is highly resistant to chemical corrosion, it is commonly applied to intake valves and exhaust valves, which can be exposed to a variety of chemicals in liquid form and gas form.
Interested in Recycling a Vehicle?
If so, Wrench-A-Part is eager to learn the make and model of the automobile, as we may need the vehicle in our inventory, and pay you a competitive price to acquire it. We sell a high volume of pre-owned auto parts year round, so we constantly need new vehicles in stock to serve the needs of our expansive customer base. In addition to buying your car, we can also assist you with recycling the vehicle by forwarding its scrap metal to a recycler after we sell the parts.
For more information about recycling a vehicle by selling it to a junkyard, call one of our Texas locations in Austin, Belton, or Lubbock today, or refer to the contact page on our website.
