Recycle Carbide & Turning Inserts — Get Best Price for Tungsten Carbide

Many mechanical workshops sit on a gold mine without knowing about it. In the mixed scrap container, materials worth hundreds of crowns per kilogram often end up. We are talking about carbide (tungsten carbide). Confusing this with ordinary high-speed steel (HSS) is an expensive mistake.

Skrotify helps you identify, sort and recycle carbide at the best price on the market — no matter where you are in Sweden.

What is Carbide (Tungsten Carbide) and why is the price so high?

Carbide, often referred to as Hard Metal or Tungsten Carbide Internationally, is one of the most sought-after materials in the recycling industry. It consists mainly of tungsten and carbon, bonded together with cobalt.

Unlike ordinary iron or steel scrap, where the price is calculated in crowns, the price of recycling carbide Often in the hundreds. Depending on the global market situation for tungsten, the price of pure carbide scrap can be between 160-300 SEK/kg.

This makes carbide a “High Value” segment where it pays tremendously to source carefully.

HSS vs Carbide — How to Tell the Difference (Guide)

The most common cause of loss of income in the workshop is the inability to distinguish HSS (High Speed Steel) and Carbide. Many drills and cutters look the same to the naked eye, but the difference in value is huge.

Here are three simple ways to identify tungsten carbide scrap:

1. Weight — The Heavy Test

Carbide has a very high density. It is almost twice as heavy as regular steel or HSS.

Tests: Hold the tool in your hand. Does it feel unnaturally heavy for its size? Then it is most likely carbide.

2. Magnetism — Cobalt content determines

While steel is strongly magnetic, carbide behaves differently.

Tests: Carbide is often only weakly magnetic. This is due to the binder cobalt. If the magnet attaches rock hard, it is most likely HSS or tool steel. If it attaches weakly, you've found tungsten carbide.

3. Application Area and Appearance

Look at what the tool is used for.

Turning Inserts: The interchangeable inserts in CNC machines are almost exclusively carbide.
Solid End Mills & Drills: Modern high-performance tools are often solid carbide, while older or simpler drills are HSS.

Turning insert recycling: Small pieces, big values

A specific category within tungsten carbide scrap that deserve extra attention are turnbuckles. In an active CNC workshop, these are replaced daily. Since they are small, it is easy for them to slink down ordinary buckles or the trash can.

Collecting turning inserts separately is one of the most profitable actions a workshop can do. Even a small box of discarded turning inserts can be worth thousands of dollars thanks to the high concentration of tungsten.

Logistics: How to sell carbide smoothly with Skrotify

Traditionally, selling smaller batches of expensive metals has been a hassle. Many scrap yards focus on tons of steel and do not provide fair compensation for a few pounds of turning cuts.

Skrotify has digitized the process to secure flows of this high-margin material. We offer a smooth “post-solution” for companies throughout Sweden.

Here's how it works:

Sort: Separate your carbide scrap (turning inserts, end mills, wear parts) from HSS.
Book: Log in to the Skrotify Portal or contact us directly for a current daily rate.
Submit: For smaller batches (up to 20 kg), we can offer convenient shipping solutions where you send the material directly to our facility for analysis and weighing.

By using Skrotify, you get rid of middlemen and get paid based on the actual metal value.

Summary

That recycle carbide is about more than environment -- it's pure economics. By learning the difference HSS vs Carbide And using Skrotify's digital platform, you turn waste into a significant revenue stream.