Why Plant Scrap Is Worth Sorting
India's bulk-drug, fine-chemical, chlor-alkali and fertiliser plants run on corrosion-resistant alloys. When a reactor is replaced, an exchanger retubed or a scrubber relined, that equipment becomes some of the most valuable scrap a plant will ever sell, but only if it leaves the site described by grade. A mixed heap of "SS and nickel" is priced as the lowest-value thing in it.
Much of this work is concentrated in South India: the pharmaceutical belts around Hyderabad and Parawada near Visakhapatnam, and the refinery and petrochemical plants at Manali in Chennai. The same rules apply to plants around Mumbai and elsewhere.
Which Alloy Is in Which Equipment
| Equipment | Alloys listed on our pages |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceutical and fine-chemical reactors | Hastelloy C-22, C-2000 |
| Flue-gas desulfurisation scrubbers | Hastelloy C-276 |
| Hydrochloric acid equipment | Hastelloy B-2, B-3 |
| Sulphuric acid pickling and processing | Incoloy 825 |
| Phosphoric acid evaporator tubes | Hastelloy G-30 |
| Condenser and exchanger tube | Titanium Grade 2 |
| Chlor-alkali and brine plant | Titanium Grade 7 |
| Caustic and chemical plant shutdowns | Inconel 600 |
| Oil and gas process piping and pressure vessels | Duplex 2205 |
| Hydrofluoric acid units | Monel 400 |
| Seawater cooling and firewater | 254 SMO, Cu-Ni 90/10 |
Telling the Hastelloys Apart
| Grade | Reading that points to it |
|---|---|
| C-276 | Mo about 16%, Cr about 15.5%, W about 4% |
| C-22 | Cr about 22%, Mo 13%, W 3% |
| C-2000 | Cr about 23%, Mo 16%, Cu 1.6%, no tungsten |
| B-2 | Mo about 28%, Cr under 1% |
| G-30 | Cr about 30%, Fe 15%, Mo 5.5% |
Our guide on how to identify Hastelloy scrap goes further. The short version: tungsten separates C-276 and C-22 from C-2000, and molybdenum near 28% means a B-type alloy.
Send the equipment list, nameplate photos and drawings on WhatsApp before the material leaves site. We review incoming enquiries and respond with relevant next steps.
Solid, Clad, Lined or Overlaid: Declare It
Much plant equipment is not solid alloy. A reactor may be carbon steel clad with Hastelloy; a pipe may be steel with an Inconel 625 weld overlay, which our 625 page lists among its sources. A reading on the alloy face alone will make the whole piece look like solid alloy. Read both faces and say what the piece is.
Cleaning, Decontamination and Paperwork
- Drain and clean process residues before the equipment leaves site; buyers and destinations ask for a decontamination declaration on chemical plant scrap.
- Remove PTFE, rubber and glass linings, gaskets and insulation, or declare them.
- Keep nameplates, drawings and purchase or mill certificates: they name the grade outright.
- Record weight by grade, with photographs of each lot.
Our procurement checklist lists what a buyer will ask for before agreeing terms.
How to Sell Plant Shutdown Scrap
- List the equipment and the grade of each item, from nameplates or drawings.
- Separate titanium, Monel and copper-nickel from nickel alloys, and nickel alloys from stainless and duplex.
- Mark clad, lined and overlaid items.
- Weigh, photograph and keep certificates with each lot.
- Send the list by WhatsApp or the enquiry form.
Mipra Steel buys Hastelloy scrap, Inconel scrap, titanium scrap and other plant alloys from sellers across India, much of it from South India. See also chemical processing and how we sort and prepare scrap lots.
Send the grade, form, quantity and delivery location.
Source a GradePlant shutdown scrap FAQ
Which alloys come out of a chemical plant shutdown?
Typically Hastelloy C-276, C-22 and B-2, Inconel 600, Incoloy 825, titanium Grades 2 and 7, Monel 400, 254 SMO, duplex and copper-nickel, depending on the plant.
How do I tell Hastelloy C-276 from C-22 scrap?
C-276 has about 16% molybdenum and 15.5% chromium; C-22 has about 22% chromium and 13% molybdenum. Both carry tungsten.
Is clad plate sold as Hastelloy scrap?
No. Clad plate is a thin alloy layer on carbon steel and must be declared as clad; it is valued on its alloy content, not as solid alloy.
Does chemical plant scrap need to be decontaminated?
Buyers and destinations ask for a decontamination declaration on chemical plant scrap, so residues should be drained and cleaned before sale.
Does Mipra Steel buy scrap from plant shutdowns in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam?
Yes. Mipra Steel buys plant shutdown scrap by grade from sellers across India, including Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Chennai.
Sources and Review
Figures are quoted as published in these sources; any value we could not confirm has been left out.
- Applications and compositions as listed on this site's grade pages, each of which names its producer data sheet or standard: Hastelloy C-276, Hastelloy C-22, Hastelloy C-2000, Hastelloy B-2, Hastelloy B-3, Hastelloy G-30, Inconel 600, Inconel 625, Incoloy 825, Titanium Grade 2, Titanium Grade 7, Monel 400, 254 SMO, Duplex 2205, Cu-Ni 90/10.
- Decontamination declaration: as listed in the Mipra Steel procurement checklist.
Published by Mipra Steel, Khetwadi, Mumbai · Last updated