ICs & chips · Tier D

Optocouplers / optoisolators

An optocoupler is just a low-grade plastic IC. Nobody pays a premium for it and the yield sits in the same band as any DIP-8.

Au 0.1–0.35 g/lbAg 2–5 g/lbCu ~120 g/lb

eBay typical$40–200per lb

Refiner pays$12per lb

Metal in it$33.1per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot

Confidencelowof the yield figures

How to spot it

Small black plastic DIP-4, DIP-6 or DIP-8 packages, often with a white or grey stripe, marked 4N25, 4N35, PC817, MOC3021, 6N137 or TLP-something. On mains-side boards they straddle the isolation slot routed through the PCB — an IC sitting on a gap in the copper is almost always an opto.

Metal content

Metal	Quantity	Notes
Gold	0.1–0.35 g/lb	calculated from 4–6 gold bond wires per package; consistent with measured plastic-IC yields
Silver	2–5 g/lb	Ag spot-plating on the die paddle, not universal
Copper	~120 g/lb	lead frame

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $33.1 per pound of contained metal — Gold 0.2 g = $26.1, Silver 3 g = $5.70, Copper 120 g = $1.28. A refiner paying $12 returns about 36% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Working temperature: Hot air 320–350 °C

Hot air at 320–350 °C, or a chisel tip walked along both pin rows. In bulk they go into the same stream as plastic ICs. There's no shortcut that separates optos favourably.

Hazards

☠ Lead — dust more than fume

NEVER dry sweep or use compressed air on a scrapping bench. HEPA-vac or wet-wipe only.

💨 Fumes, ventilation and open flame

NEVER burn boards, wire insulation or plastic. Ever.

Before you scrap it

Usually the better exit. Tested 4N35, PC817, MOC3021 and 6N137 pulls sell 20–80 cents each in bulk; a sorted pound clears $60–200, several times refiner payout.

The common trap

Optos get sorted into their own tub because they look special. They aren't — a pound is about 900 parts and roughly 0.2 g of gold, about $26. Refiners class them as plain plastic IC.

Questions

How much gold is in optocouplers / optoisolators?

Gold: 0.1–0.35 g/lb. Silver: 2–5 g/lb. Copper: ~120 g/lb. At current spot that is about $33.1 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify optocouplers / optoisolators?

An optocoupler is just a low-grade plastic IC. Nobody pays a premium for it and the yield sits in the same band as any DIP-8.

How do you remove optocouplers / optoisolators safely?

Hot air at 320–350 °C, or a chisel tip walked along both pin rows. In bulk they go into the same stream as plastic ICs. There's no shortcut that separates optos favourably.

Is optocouplers / optoisolators worth more working than as scrap?

Usually the better exit. Tested 4N35, PC817, MOC3021 and 6N137 pulls sell 20–80 cents each in bulk; a sorted pound clears $60–200, several times refiner payout.

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