MICROSCRAPPINGE-waste field guide
107
Case D SMD7.3 × 4.3 mm
Case B SMD3.5 × 2.8 mm
Case A SMD3.2 × 1.6 mm
22µF
Dipped radial6 × 7 mm
Wet slug hermetic8 × 18 mm

Drawn to true relative scale — the variants above are directly size-comparable.

Capacitors · Tier B

Tantalum capacitors

Yellow or orange body + a stripe on the POSITIVE end + printed µF/V. That positive-stripe convention is the opposite of electrolytics and is the fastest way to tell them apart. Wet-slug metal cans are worth far more per piece than moulded SMD.

Ta 30–40 wt% of the capAg 1–3% in some
eBay typical$18–85per lb
Refiner pays$9per lb
Metal in it$11.4per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot
Confidencemedof the yield figures

How to spot it

Three forms. (1) SMD moulded chip — rectangular epoxy block, bright yellow/orange/dark brown, EIA case A/B/C/D, printed like '107 10' for 100 µF 10 V, sitting next to regulators. (2) Dipped radial — bright yellow or orange teardrop with two legs. (3) Wet-slug hermetic — silver metal cylinder with a glass-sealed end and mil-spec markings; these are the good ones.

Metal content

MetalQuantityNotes
Tantalum30–40 wt% of the capnot a precious metal — priced in $/lb
Silver1–3% in someAg-epoxy cathode contact

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $11.4 per pound of contained metal — Silver 6 g = $11.4. A refiner paying $9 returns about 79% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Working temperature: Hot air 340–370 °C

Hot air 340–370 °C, or preheat plate 250–280 °C and scrape. Keep them in their own bucket — tantalum refiners want them unmixed.

Hazards

🔥 Tantalum capacitor ignition

NEVER torch or burn tantalum capacitors.

💨 Fumes, ventilation and open flame

NEVER burn boards, wire insulation or plastic. Ever.

Before you scrap it

Vintage bullet and axial types have a hi-fi and repair market that beats scrap.

The common trap

Tantalum is a $/lb metal, not a $/g metal. And assuming the whole capacitor weight is tantalum overstates by 2.5–3×. Global recycling rate is under 1% because the economics are thin. Note on the numbers below: the contained-value figure only counts the silver, because tantalum has no daily spot price the way gold does — the actual selling price already reflects the tantalum.

Questions

How much gold is in tantalum capacitors?

Tantalum: 30–40 wt% of the cap. Silver: 1–3% in some. At current spot that is about $11.4 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify tantalum capacitors?

Yellow or orange body + a stripe on the POSITIVE end + printed µF/V. That positive-stripe convention is the opposite of electrolytics and is the fastest way to tell them apart. Wet-slug metal cans are worth far more per piece than moulded SMD.

How do you remove tantalum capacitors safely?

Hot air 340–370 °C, or preheat plate 250–280 °C and scrape. Keep them in their own bucket — tantalum refiners want them unmixed.

Is tantalum capacitors worth more working than as scrap?

Vintage bullet and axial types have a hi-fi and repair market that beats scrap.

Related in Capacitors

MLCC — palladium-bearing (PME, pre-2000) Capacitors · $100–170/lb Pd 2.3–9 g/lbAg 4.5–23 g/lbBase Ni S Ceramic disc capacitors Capacitors · $20–70/lb Ag 4–10 g/lbPd 0.05–0.3 g/lb C MLCC — modern nickel (BME, post-2005) Capacitors · $20–55/lb Pd 0.2–0.7 g/lbAg 1.4–2.7 g/lbBase Ni 5–20% C Silver mica capacitors Capacitors · $80–500/lb Ag 10–20 g/lbCu ~60 g/lb C 470µ Aluminium electrolytic capacitors Capacitors · $0.3–1/lb Base aluminium can D Film capacitors (polyester / polypropylene) Capacitors · $10–40/lb Cu ~20 g/lb D

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