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Cobalt alloy and Stellite scrap, from engine parts to sawmill blades
We buy cobalt alloy and Stellite scrap and quote each lot from its photos, form and weight, because cobalt scrap metal prices depend on the alloy and the market. Start a quote; we pay the shipping from anywhere in the US and pick up in every city in California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada.
In 2025, half of US cobalt went into metal that runs hot
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 estimates that 51% of the cobalt consumed in the US in 2025 went into superalloys, mainly for aircraft gas turbine engines, and 9% into cemented carbides for cutting and wear-resistant uses, the carbide that is our main line.
The same edition says the cobalt in purchased scrap was 25% of estimated US consumption in 2025, the share MCS 2025 also gave for 2024, and that most US supply was imports and secondary scrap.
Sources: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Cobalt; USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Cobalt.
What moved the cobalt market in 2025, in USGS's words
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 puts Congo (Kinshasa) at an estimated 73% of world mined cobalt in 2025, with Indonesia next at 14%.
In February 2025 Congo temporarily banned cobalt exports to deal with oversupply and low prices. In October it swapped the ban for quotas: 18,125 tons of contained cobalt for the rest of 2025, then up to 96,600 tons a year in 2026 and 2027, including 9,600 tons for national strategic reserves.
The USGS table gives an estimated 2025 average US spot price for cobalt cathode of $21 a pound, up from $16.77 in 2024, and net import reliance of 79%, up from 74%. Cathode is the refined metal, so those figures show which way the market moved; they are not a scrap quote. Cobalt is also on the Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals.
Sources: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Cobalt; Federal Register, Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals.
Cobalt-base alloys, Stellite and welded-on hard faces
Cobalt is one of the three bases for superalloys, next to nickel and iron (USGS Circular 1196-Z, revised 2009). ITIA's March 2017 newsletter adds that cobalt-base superalloys are less widespread than nickel-base ones, go into static, non-rotating parts such as the combustor, and names Stellite 31 as one.
USGS Circular 1196-R (2011) lists Stellites alongside superalloys as specialty alloy scrap. Cobalt also sits inside nickel alloys: USGS lists Waspaloy, a nickel-base alloy, at about 14 percent cobalt, and those belong with our nickel alloys.
A 1943 Government Printing Office welding text defines hard facing as welding a hard, wear-resistant alloy onto a metal wearing surface. If your part carries a hard overlay you believe is cobalt alloy, leave it on and send a photo.
Sources: USGS Circular 1196-Z (rev. 2009); ITIA Tungsten Newsletter, March 2017; USGS Circular 1196-R (2011); Government Printing Office welding text (1943).
A magnet and a scale: telling cobalt alloy from carbide
A magnet is a first check, not an answer. USGS lists magnet response among the checks scrap sorters use and says cobalt metal is ferromagnetic, and carbide with a cobalt binder carries magnetism too: a national laboratory paper (ORNL, 2019) measured a magnetic saturation of 0.5 T in a carbide part with about 19% cobalt by weight.
Weight is the better clue. NTP's profile table lists cobalt metal at 8.92 and tungsten carbide at 15.6 g/cm3, so tungsten carbide weighs about 1.75 times as much as cobalt metal of the same size (15.6 divided by 8.92). A piece that feels far too heavy for its size belongs in the carbide pail.
USGS also counts high-speed steels for cutting tools among the cobalt-bearing steels; those sell as high-speed steel. Bag cobalt alloy, carbide and HSS separately and label every bag.
Sources: USGS Circular 1196-A-M (2004); ORNL journal manuscript (2019); NTP Report on Carcinogens profile: cobalt-tungsten carbide.
Cobalt dust limits, agency by agency
The warnings on file are about dust and fume, not whole pieces. OSHA's sawmill guide notes that sharpening Stellite-tipped saw blades throws off a fine dust that contains cobalt, that cobalt dust can form explosive mixtures in air, and that breathing cobalt dust or fume may scar the lungs and sensitize the airways and skin.
OSHA's chemical data page lists these air limits for cobalt metal, dust and fume:
| Agency and limit | mg per cubic meter |
|---|---|
| OSHA PEL (federal legal limit, 8-hour average) | 0.1 |
| NIOSH REL (recommendation) | 0.05 |
| ACGIH TLV (inhalable) | 0.02 |
| Cal/OSHA PEL (California) | 0.020 |
In 2022 IARC classed cobalt metal (without tungsten carbide or other metal alloys) as probably carcinogenic to humans, Group 2A, on animal and mechanistic evidence.
So do not grind, cut or sand cobalt alloy to fit a box. Send pieces as they are, keep sweepings and fines in a sealed, lidded container, and tell us what is in it. This summarizes what the agencies say; it is not medical advice.
Sources: OSHA Sawmills eTool: cobalt dust; OSHA Occupational Chemical Database: cobalt metal, dust and fume; IARC Monographs Volume 131 Q&A (2022).
Cobalt and Stellite forms we take, and how to send them
- Cobalt alloy solids: castings, bar ends, offcuts and rejected parts
- Engine and furnace parts at the end of their service
- Stellite-tipped saw blades and loose tips
- Worn wear parts with a cobalt alloy face
- Turnings, bagged by alloy and drained of coolant
- Grinding fines and sweepings, sealed in a lidded pail
Use the quote form, choose exotic metals, give a rough weight and add photos, or email help@carbidebuyersusa.com. Each cobalt lot gets its own quote; there is no cobalt price list on this site. Ship to us from anywhere in the US and we cover the shipping, or have us come to any city in California, Arizona, Utah or Nevada. We pay cash where state law allows; the scrap metal laws guide lays out the rules state by state.
Carbide is still our center: worn inserts, saw tips or sludge can ride along, and selling scrap carbide walks through it.
Common questions
Why don't you list cobalt scrap metal prices on the site?
Because one posted number would be wrong for most lots. Alloys differ, the market moves, and a clean bag of one alloy is not a mixed bucket. Send photos and a weight and we quote what you have.
Do you take Stellite-tipped saw blades from a sawmill?
Yes. Send a photo and a count or rough weight. Leave the tips on and do not grind them off; the blade ships as it is.
Can cobalt alloy and carbide travel in one box?
Yes, each in its own labeled bag, with the box packed for the weight. Our shipping page covers heavy boxes.
Should I cut a big cobalt part down so it fits a box?
No. Cutting makes dust, which is what the safety agencies warn about. Tell us the size and weight; we will work out the shipment with you, or pick it up in California, Arizona, Utah or Nevada.
More for sellers
Nickel alloys
Inconel, Hastelloy, Monel and other nickel alloys
Learn more
High-speed steel (HSS)
HSS drills, taps, end mills and tool bits
Learn more
Tungsten and heavy alloy
Pure tungsten and tungsten heavy alloy
Learn more
Saw tips and brazed tools
Carbide-tipped saw blades, saw tips and brazed tools
Learn more
Sludge, swarf and powder
Carbide grinding sludge, swarf and powder
Learn moreReady to sell your carbide?
Send a few photos and a rough weight. From any state, you ship it and we cover the shipping; in California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, we drive out to you.