Insulated copper wire of Berry-quality core, sold on a recovery basis. Granulated or stripped to recover high-purity copper nodules.

ISRI Grade Name: Druid

ISRI Description and Specification

Druid covers insulated copper wire scrap — bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire of Berry-equivalent quality that retains its electrical insulation coating. The base copper wire component meets No. 1 grade (Barley) quality standards, but the insulation has not been stripped prior to sale. Because the insulation must be removed before copper can be recovered, Druid is sold on a “sample basis” or “recovery basis” — the buyer and seller agree on the recovered copper content (expressed as a percentage of gross weight) based on test burning, chemical stripping, or mechanical granulation of a representative sample from the shipment. The recovered copper percentage is the critical commercial variable and is typically in the range of 60–85% for standard wire gauges, but can be as low as 30–40% for very fine wire (automotive wiring harness, electronics wire) or as high as 90%+ for large-gauge, thick-insulation power cable. The “34%” figure cited in trade discussions for specific Druid lots typically refers to a negotiated recovery rate for a specific wire type — very likely fine-gauge automotive wiring harness, control cable, or electronics wire where insulation represents a significant mass fraction.

Processing Methods for Druid

The two primary processing routes for Druid are: (1) Wire chopping/granulation — mechanical stripping using a cable granulator and air or water separation table, which separates copper nodules from plastic insulation granules without burning; this is the preferred method for most fine to medium gauge wire due to high recovery rates and clean output. (2) Burning — open or controlled burning of insulation (though open burning is banned or heavily regulated in most countries and in India under CPCB/MOEF waste management rules). Licensed pyrolysis and thermal processing facilities in India can process Druid through controlled thermal decomposition to remove insulation, recovering clean copper and often recovering calorific value from the insulation material as fuel. In India, the importation of Druid and similar insulated wire scrap is governed by both DGFT import policy and MOEF/CPCB waste management rules — importers must verify current notification status and obtain required environmental clearances.

Who Uses Druid Scrap

Cable granulation plants, wire chopping facilities, and copper recycling processors are the primary buyers of Druid. These processors strip the insulation, recover the copper nodules (Clove grade), and sell them to copper rod producers, refineries, or brass manufacturers. In India, growing automotive wiring harness manufacturing (for domestic OEMs and for export to global automakers) generates significant volumes of Druid-type wire scrap from cable offcuts, defective harnesses, and prototype material. Electronic scrap processors (e-waste recyclers handling printed circuit board assembly wire and internal wiring from electronics) also handle Druid-type fine wire, processing it through granulation to recover high-purity copper.