Tantalum capacitors

[Landrover]

I'm curious to see if anyone ever scrapped these and if so what company you used. Thanks for any input...

[scrapman1077]

http://www.goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3 ... 84&t=21530

[hobo finds]

http://www.scrapmetalforum.com/scrap-bu ... ap-12.html

I have not sold any myself.

[scrapman1077]

Hobo, same company I linked to

[hobo finds]

Hobo, same company I linked to

Have you sold any? They look to be a good company to sell to....

[Landrover]

Thanks guys. That is the company I keep running into. They do look pretty good. I have several pounds now but many more boards to go through. I can let you know how I make out.

[scrapman1077]

Hobo, same company I linked to

Have you sold any? They look to be a good company to sell to....

Not as yet, I did talk with them and will be selling once I have a supply worth shipping.

[Dr. Cadmium]

You're getting in on the tantalum game about 10-20 years too late. Modern high grade boards have much smaller capacitors with a lower weight or don't have them at all. But better late than never; it may still be worth your time if you get a lot of high grade boards. Note that some board buyers will pay a lower price for boards with certain components removed (and sometimes pay higher, as not everyone gets credit for tantalum).

I usually wait until I have at least 10 lbs to sell mine. I get a couple of tons of high grade boards every month, and lately it takes me 10 to 18 months to get this amount of capacitors. If you're dealing with older test equipment from the 70s-early 90s, then the weight adds up a lot faster. Also, sometimes I run into unused stock leftover from years ago. Most capacitors have minimal scrap value, so you can sometimes get better ones for free or cheap when buying in bulk.

The hermetic/solid and silver-cased ones are definitely worth pulling. I also save the larger poly-coated ones. The SMD ones on modern boards are so light that I only save them if they're loose at the bottom of containers used for transporting boards.

I haven't used that company. The prices are great for small quantities, but you'll probably have to pay shipping. Also, check what the payment schedule and methods are - some recycling companies pay high prices but are on Net 90 and pay with a check - not very convenient for the average Joe.

[Dr. Cadmium]

Update: I sold a small lot of $200 worth to this company. They sent a check on the day they received the shipment. They did not pay for shipping. Highly recommended if you have a bunch of Ta caps lying around! The price has come down somewhat; they paid out over $18/lb for most types.

I also highly recommend this company: http://recycletantalumcapacitors.blogspot.com/
Their prices are usually very close, and they'll cover shipping if you have over 10 lbs.

As always, check with the company directly and don't quote me on anything. Prices and conditions are subject to change.