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U.S. Critical Minerals Recovery

The Answer
Was on the
Job Site
All Along.

Copper and silver — both formally designated as U.S. Critical Minerals essential to national security — are present in every HVAC unit ever manufactured. The industry has been landfilling them for decades. T&K built the recovery network to stop that.

See the Marketplace Schedule a Recovery
Both Copper and Silver Are on the U.S. Critical Minerals List — By Executive Order
COPPER
Critical Mineral
SILVER
Critical Mineral
Copper

The Backbone
of Every System.

Copper is the foundation of HVAC thermal and electrical performance. It has no viable replacement in most of its applications — its conductivity, malleability, and corrosion resistance make it irreplaceable in coils, tubing, wiring, and heat exchangers.

The U.S. imports a significant portion of its copper because domestic mining cannot meet demand. Every pound recovered from the HVAC waste stream and returned to the supply chain reduces that import dependency — and the geopolitical risk that comes with it.

Evaporator coils — pure copper tubing running the length of every air handler
Condenser coils — copper-to-aluminum or all-copper configurations
Refrigerant lines — high-grade copper pipe connecting every component
Motor windings — copper wire in every fan motor and compressor
Heat exchangers — copper fin-and-tube assemblies in commercial systems
Silver

No Substitute.
No Replacement.
Just Recovery.

Silver is the highest-conductivity metal on Earth and has no viable industrial substitute for many of its applications. Modern HVAC systems use silver extensively in brazing alloys, electrical contacts, and precision sensor components.

As clean energy, electronics, and defense manufacturing demand grows, silver becomes increasingly strategic. The HVAC waste stream is one of the most practical and accessible domestic sources of recoverable silver — and almost none of it is currently being captured.

Silver brazing alloys — used in every copper-to-copper joint in the system
Electrical contacts — in thermostats, relays, and control boards
Sensor components — precision measurement devices throughout modern systems
Anti-microbial coatings — in modern air handler and duct components
Circuit board contacts — in variable-speed drives and smart controls
Why It Matters Now

America Declared
These Minerals Critical.
We're the Recovery Network.

The Critical Minerals designation means these materials are considered essential to economic security, clean energy transition, and national defense. The government has identified domestic supply gaps as a national risk. T&K's recovery network addresses that gap directly — one HVAC unit at a time, at national scale.

01

National Security

Critical minerals are strategic assets. Supply chain disruptions for copper and silver directly affect defense manufacturing, communications infrastructure, and power grid reliability.

02

Clean Energy Transition

Solar panels, EV batteries, wind turbines, and heat pumps all require copper and silver. The clean energy transition demands more of these materials, not less. Recovery fills the gap.

03

Economic Value

Copper trades at market prices that make HVAC equipment genuinely valuable as a resource. T&K pays you for every pound recovered — purity-assessed, market-priced, fully documented.

Return to Marketplace Schedule a Recovery Pickup