Yes, you can scrap ductile iron pipe just like all scrap metals. One of the main differences between standard iron pipe and ductile iron pipe is ductile pipe is made to be flexible.
It may not seem like it from simply touching it or any attempt to bend it by hand. Ductile iron pipe is used to bring clean drinking water into your home or business and separate runs of ductile pipe are used to transport waste away from your home or business.
Magnesium is added to the makeup of this type of pipe to allow it to be flexible. This allows the pipe to bend and expand without breaking or rupturing.
This is helpful when there are backups and it is helpful in states where it snows because water often freezes in ductile iron pipe. Many of the companies that produce this type of pipe are also scrap yards.
Ductile iron pipe is made of 90% recycled scrap steel and iron. This type of scrap pipe is worth money but confuses many scrappers because they do not know that the pipe has a layer of cement on the inside of it.
Cement is sprayed on the inside of the pipe during production because it helps water and waste flow through the pipe better. It additionally slows down the decay of the pipe.
A common sign of bad ductile iron pipes is rusty water. In this case, the cement layer within the pipe has either been damaged or has worn away over years of use and has exposed the iron allowing it to rust out.
When you see water erupting from the ground or sinkholes appear out of the blue, rusted out ductile iron pipe is nearly always to blame.
If you are able to get your hands on this type of pipe, bring it in to your local scrap yard. One thing that you should be concerned with is handling ductile iron pipe that is used for sewage.
It would be wise to wear rubber coated, waterproof gloves in this case because raw sewage is hazardous to your health. You should also consider wearing protective eyewear as well as a nose and mouth mask.