Can You Recycle Nickel Silver?

Nickel silver can be found in silverware, wires, and hospital and restaurant equipement.

Nickel silver, also called German silver, is comprised of copper, nickel and zinc. It can be recycled with other scrap metals.

Uses

Nickel silver is often found in silverware, ornamental metalwork and electrical-resistant wire. It is also used to make hospital and restaurant equipment.

No Silver

While nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance, it does not contain actual silver. It is not worth anything to precious metal refiners since there is no elemental silver to extract.

Composition

Nickel silver generally contains 55 to 60 percent copper, 20 percent zinc, 20 percent nickel and trace amounts of cobalt, lead and iron.

References

• Southern Cross Metal Recyclers: Nickel-Silver
• Arch Enterprises Precious Metals Recovery: What is Nickel Silver?