Capacitors
7 components in this category. The highest-value item here is MLCC — palladium-bearing (PME, pre-2000) at $100–170 per pound.
MLCC — palladium-bearing (PME, pre-2000)
Pd 2.3–9 g/lbAg 4.5–23 g/lbBase Ni
S
Tantalum capacitors
Ta 30–40 wt% of the capAg 1–3% in some
B
Ceramic disc capacitors
Ag 4–10 g/lbPd 0.05–0.3 g/lb
C
MLCC — modern nickel (BME, post-2005)
Pd 0.2–0.7 g/lbAg 1.4–2.7 g/lbBase Ni 5–20%
C
Silver mica capacitors
Ag 10–20 g/lbCu ~60 g/lb
C
Aluminium electrolytic capacitors
Base aluminium can
D
Film capacitors (polyester / polypropylene)
Cu ~20 g/lb
D
How this category is graded
Tier S is top material worth sorting out and keeping separate. Tier A is high value and worth the labour to harvest. Tier B is solid in volume. Tier C only pays at scale or as part of the board it sits on. Tier D is near zero — knowing what not to spend time on is half the skill.