NAICS 331492 Quarterly Industry Report
Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except
Comprehensive industry research for valuation professionals, business owners, buyers, and lenders
NAICS Code: 331492Sector: 33Updated: Q1 2026
About This Report
This industry profile for Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (NAICS 331492) draws on data from the U.S. Census Bureau[5], Bureau of Labor Statistics[9], and SBA size standards database[6]. Published by Fair Market Value and updated quarterly, it provides valuation professionals, metals recycling analysts, and nonferrous sector investors with current market data. All quantitative claims are sourced to publicly verifiable databases.
Industry Snapshot
Key metrics for the secondary smelting, refining, and alloying of nonferrous metal (except industry.
Industry Definition & Overview
Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) (NAICS 331492) encompasses establishments primarily engaged in alloying purchased nonferrous metals and recovering nonferrous metals from scrap through smelting or refining into primary forms per the U.S. Census Bureau[4]. Activities include lead scrap remelting and refining, zinc scrap recovery and alloying, precious metals refining from electronic scrap, nickel alloy recovery, tin scrap processing, and nonferrous metal ingot casting from recycled feedstock.
Secondary nonferrous smelting recovers valuable metals from industrial scrap, post-consumer waste, electronic circuit board recycling, spent catalysts, and battery recycling streams. Lead recovery from spent automotive and industrial batteries represents a major feedstock category, with lead-acid battery recycling providing over 95% of domestic secondary lead supply. Precious metals refining recovers gold, silver, platinum, and palladium from electronic scrap, dental materials, jewelry manufacturing residuals, and industrial catalyst recycling. Per Census Bureau[5] data, over 100 establishments employ roughly 9,000 workers generating nearly $7.8 billion in annual revenue with payroll exceeding $570 million. London Metal Exchange and COMEX commodity pricing determines recovered metal values, with processing margins established by the spread between scrap purchase costs and refined metal selling prices.
Per the SBA Table of Size Standards[6], the size standard is 750 employees. The EPA[7] regulates air emissions from smelting furnaces, hazardous waste management for lead and cadmium-bearing materials, and wastewater treatment at secondary processing facilities. OSHA[8] enforces permissible exposure limits for lead, cadmium, and other toxic metals in secondary smelting and refining workplaces.
What's Included in This Industry
- Lead scrap remelting and refining
- Zinc scrap recovery and alloying
- Precious metals refining from electronic scrap
- Nickel alloy recovery from industrial residuals
- Tin scrap processing and recovery
- Nonferrous metal ingot casting from scrap
- Spent catalyst precious metals recovery
- Battery lead recycling operations
- Dross and slag metal recovery processing
- Nonferrous alloy blending and casting
NAICS Classification Hierarchy
| Level | Description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Subsector | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 331 |
| Industry Group | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 3314 |
| NAICS Industry | Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying | 33149 |
| National Industry | Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) | 331492 |
Related NAICS Codes
| Code | Description | Relationship |
|---|---|---|
| 331410 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining | Nonferrous Metal Smelting and Refining processes primary ore concentrates into refined metals that secondary smelters supplement with recycled supply, providing both virgin and recovered metal to downstream fabrication markets |
| 331491 | Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) Rolling, Drawing, and Extruding | Nonferrous Metal Rolling, Drawing, and Extruding purchases refined metal from secondary smelters for fabrication into zinc, nickel, lead, and specialty alloy mill products for industrial end users |
| 331314 | Secondary Smelting and Alloying of Aluminum | Secondary Smelting and Alloying of Aluminum operates parallel scrap recovery and remelting operations for aluminum that mirror the nonferrous secondary smelting processes applied to zinc, lead, and precious metals in this classification |
| 423930 | Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers | Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers collects and sorts nonferrous scrap from industrial and post-consumer sources for sale to secondary smelters, with scrap dealer grading and preparation affecting recovery yield and refined metal quality |
| 335910 | Battery Manufacturing | Battery Manufacturing generates spent lead-acid batteries that represent the largest single feedstock category for secondary lead smelting operations, with battery collection networks providing reliable scrap supply |
| 331420 | Copper Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying | Copper Rolling, Drawing, Extruding, and Alloying includes secondary copper recovery within integrated fabrication operations that parallel the nonferrous scrap processing activities covered in this classification |
Geographic Concentration
Top states by share of national establishments.
| # | State | % Est. | Total Est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | 13.0% | 21 |
| 2 | Texas | 8.6% | 14 |
| 3 | Illinois | 7.4% | 12 |
| 4 | Tennessee | 6.8% | 11 |
| 5 | New York | 6.8% | 11 |
| 6 | Arizona | 5.6% | 9 |
| 7 | Ohio | 5.6% | 9 |
| 8 | California | 5.6% | 9 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 4.9% | 8 |
| 10 | New Jersey | 4.3% | 7 |
% Of Establishments
0%
13%
Source: County Business Patterns, U.S. Census Bureau[3]
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this industry.
What is the NAICS code for nonferrous scrap smelting?
NAICS 331492 covers secondary smelting, refining, and alloying of nonferrous metals other than copper and aluminum, including lead, zinc, precious metals, and nickel recovery from scrap per the U.S. Census Bureau[4].
What is the SBA size standard?
Per the SBA size standard[6], the threshold is 750 employees for federal small business contracting eligibility and SBA lending products for secondary nonferrous smelting operations.
How large is this industry?
Per Census Bureau[5] data, over 100 establishments employ roughly 9,000 workers generating nearly $7.8 billion in annual revenue with payroll exceeding $570 million across lead, zinc, precious metals, and other nonferrous recovery operations.
What is the largest scrap source?
Spent lead-acid batteries represent the largest single feedstock category per Bureau of Labor Statistics[9] industry data, with battery recycling providing over 95% of domestic secondary lead supply through established collection networks.
How are precious metals recovered from electronics?
Electronic scrap containing gold, silver, platinum, and palladium undergoes mechanical processing and chemical or thermal refining to extract precious metals from circuit boards, connectors, and component pins per Census Bureau[5] process classification.
What environmental regulations apply?
The EPA[7] regulates air emissions from secondary smelting furnaces, hazardous waste management for lead and cadmium-bearing materials, and wastewater treatment under RCRA and Clean Air Act standards at secondary processing facilities.
How do commodity prices affect this industry?
London Metal Exchange and COMEX pricing determines recovered metal values, with processing margins established by the spread between scrap purchase costs and refined metal selling prices per Census Bureau[5] economic survey data.
What safety standards apply?
OSHA[8] enforces permissible exposure limits for lead, cadmium, arsenic, and other toxic metals at secondary smelting facilities, along with standards for furnace operations, ventilation requirements, and blood lead monitoring programs for workers.
Sources & References
Government datasets and editorial sources used in this report.
- [1]U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages bls.gov
- [2]U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Census census.gov
- [3]U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns census.gov
- [4]U.S. Census Bureau census.gov
- [5]Census Bureau data.census.gov
- [6]SBA Table of Size Standards sba.gov
- [7]EPA epa.gov
- [8]OSHA osha.gov
- [9]Bureau of Labor Statistics bls.gov
- [10]SBA lending programs sba.gov
- [11]SBA 7(a) loans sba.gov
- [12]504 loans sba.gov
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