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THE I SR I SCRAP YEARBOOK
2016
INSTITUTE OF SCRAP RECYCLING INDUSTRIES, INC.
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According to the U.S. Geological Survey, nickel is a transition
element that exhibits a mixture of nonferrous and ferrous
metal properties. In metal circles, it’s much less common for
nickel to be examined
on its own than as an
element of corrosion-
resistant alloys such as
austenitic stainless steel.
And no wonder, 18-8
varieties of stainless steel
(named for their 18 percent chromium and 8 percent nickel
content) account for large quantities of nickel consumption
and also serve as an important scrap source for nickel. USGS
figures show that 45 percent of the primary nickel consumed
in the U.S. in 2015 went into stainless and alloy steel
production, followed by nonferrous alloys and superalloys
(43 percent), electroplating (7 percent), and other uses
(5 percent).
Nickel, hi-temp, and stainless steel scrap comes in a variety of
forms including wrought solids, clips, and turnings that are
covered under ISRI specs from Aroma to Zurik. The process
of recycling stainless scrap can include numerous steps,
including sorting, baling, shearing, media separation, and
melting. According to USGS, about 102,000 tons of nickel was
recovered from purchased scrap in 2015, while 1.34 million
metric tons of home and purchased stainless steel scrap were
consumed in the U.S. last year.
The U.S. Nickel Industry
YEAR
2011
88,800
213,000
646,000
2012
92,400
218,000
623,000
2013
88,800
200,000
643,000
2014
102,000
239,000
548,000
2015
101,900
226,000
520,000
NICKEL RECOVERED
FROM SCRAP (MT)
TOTAL NICKEL
USAGE (MT)
STAINLESS SCRAP
EXPORTS (MT)
Nickel and Stainless Steel