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What Is 98 Copper?

Merchant shorthand, explained: what the 98 grade means, what makes it, and what knocks your load down a grade.

20 September 2026 · By OJ Metal Recycling

The Short Answer

98 Means Clean Copper, Roughly 98% Pure

When merchants say 98 copper, they mean clean, unalloyed copper running around 98% purity — typically copper tube, tanks and heavy clean offcuts with no paint, no tinning, no brass fittings and no rubbish attached. It sits one rung below bright wire (clean bare stripped wire) and comfortably above mixed or contaminated copper.

It is a working grade rather than a laboratory assay: the merchant looks at the load, judges how clean and unalloyed it is, and grades accordingly. Two loads of pipe can land in different grades based purely on what is still stuck to them.

Grades Compared

98 Copper vs Other Copper Grades

Copper grades form a ladder, and knowing which rung your load sits on is the difference between a good price and an average one:

Bright wire

Clean, bare, stripped wire with nothing on it. The top of the ladder — one grade above 98 copper. See whether stripping pays.

98 / No.1 copper

Clean tube, tanks and heavy offcuts at around 98% purity. Broadly the same bracket merchants call No.1 copper — high value, high demand.

No.2 copper

Painted, tinned, solder-heavy or mixed copper. Still very much worth collecting, but graded a clear step below clean 98 material.

Insulated cable

A separate category altogether, graded on copper content versus insulation. Never mixed in with bare grades — see our cable guide.

Keep The Grade

What Drops Copper Below 98

Coatings & solder

Paint, lacquer, tinning and heavy solder joints all count against purity. Wipe down and cut out the worst of it where practical.

Attached fittings

Brass and steel fittings, valves and olives left on pipe drag the whole load down. Twist off what comes free.

Mixed loads

Copper tipped into a pile with steel, brass and plastic gets graded as mixed. Ten minutes of sorting protects the grade — see our copper guide.

Value

How Much Is 98 Copper Worth Per Kg?

Like all copper, 98 grade moves daily with the metal markets — any fixed figure quoted online is out of date within days. What you actually receive per kilo comes down to three things: weight (larger loads justify better handling), cleanliness (the coatings, solder and fittings covered above) and separation (clean 98 kept apart from mixed copper and cable).

For today's figure, check our guide scrap prices or call 07793 020266 with photos and an approximate weight. Suitable loads are assessed under weigh and pay — weighed item by item on calibrated scales with an itemised breakdown, paid by bank transfer.

Local Collection

Where to Sell 98 Copper in West Yorkshire

We collect 98-grade copper from homes, trades and businesses across the region — no yard visit needed. Plumbing and heating engineers with tube and cylinder offcuts, landlords with tank upgrades, and households with renovation copper are our most common 98-grade collections.

LeedsCopper collection across LS postcodes.
WakefieldCopper collection across WF postcodes.
BradfordCopper collection across BD postcodes.
HuddersfieldCopper collection across HD postcodes.

FAQs

98 Copper FAQs

Is 98 copper the same as bright wire?

No. Bright wire is clean bare stripped wire and usually grades above 98 copper. 98 covers heavier clean copper such as tube and tanks.

How much is 98 copper worth per kg?

Prices move daily with the market. Check our guide prices or call 07793 020266 with photos for today's figure.

Is 98 copper the same as No.1 copper?

Broadly yes — merchants use both terms for clean, high-purity copper. Bright wire sits above both; painted or mixed copper sits below.

How is copper graded at collection?

By eye and by test: colour and condition, a magnet check against steel, and how cleanly it is separated. Suitable loads are then weighed item by item under weigh and pay.

Can I mix 98 copper with other metals?

You can, but the whole load gets graded as mixed — which pays less than the 98 portion would alone. Keep clean copper bagged or piled separately.

Do you collect 98 copper across West Yorkshire?

Yes — from homes, trades and businesses in Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford, Huddersfield and surrounding areas. Send photos and your postcode to arrange it.

Keep Reading

Is Stripping Worth It?When stripping cable pays — and when it does not.
Scrap Copper GuideCopper types, grades and recycling value.
All Blog ArticlesTips, prices and collection advice.

Got Copper To Shift?

Send photos and your postcode and we will grade it and arrange a collection — free collection or weigh and pay where it qualifies.

Request a Collection Call 07793 020266
Call now 07793 020266