Contacts & relays · Tier D

Tactile switches and metal dome contacts

Domes are 300-series stainless steel first and plated second, and the standard plating is nothing or a nickel flash. Gold is a special order.

Au 0.05–0.4 g/lbAg 1–3 g/lbCu ~60 g/lb

eBay typical$20–70per lb

Refiner pays$6per lb

Metal in it$23.1per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot

Confidencelowof the yield figures

How to spot it

SMD tact switches are 6×6, 4.5×4.5 or 3×2 mm plastic cubes with a metal cap and plunger, mounted at panel edges and under buttons. Bare domes are 4–12 mm stamped stainless discs on adhesive tape over pads on flex circuits and remote controls.

Metal content

Metal	Quantity	Notes
Gold	0.05–0.4 g/lb	gold on domes is a 5 µin flash on the contact side only and is a custom order, not stock — most domes are bare or nickel
Silver	1–3 g/lb	silver-plated domes exist at 30 µin but are uncommon
Copper	~60 g/lb	brass or bronze switch terminals

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $23.1 per pound of contained metal — Gold 0.15 g = $19.6, Silver 1.5 g = $2.85, Copper 60 g = $0.64. A refiner paying $6 returns about 26% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Working temperature: Hot air 300–330 °C

Hot air at 300–330 °C lifts SMD tact switches whole; domes peel off their carrier tape by hand. If you want gold from this family, the target is the PCB pads under the domes, not the domes themselves — those are often hard-gold plated.

Hazards

☠ Lead — dust more than fume

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

☣ Beryllium copper

NEVER put BeCu in a grinder, a sandblaster, or a melt.

Before you scrap it

Specific tact switches for game controllers, mice (Omron, Kailh, Huano) and keyboards sell $0.30–2 each. Generic ones are worthless.

The common trap

A near-worthless category dressed up by the phrase "gold contacts". The dome is stainless, the gold when present is a 5 µin flash on one face, and stainless won't dissolve cooperatively. A pound is worth a few dollars.

Questions

How much gold is in tactile switches and metal dome contacts?

Gold: 0.05–0.4 g/lb. Silver: 1–3 g/lb. Copper: ~60 g/lb. At current spot that is about $23.1 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify tactile switches and metal dome contacts?

Domes are 300-series stainless steel first and plated second , and the standard plating is nothing or a nickel flash. Gold is a special order.

How do you remove tactile switches and metal dome contacts safely?

Hot air at 300–330 °C lifts SMD tact switches whole; domes peel off their carrier tape by hand. If you want gold from this family, the target is the PCB pads under the domes, not the domes themselves — those are often hard-gold plated.

Is tactile switches and metal dome contacts worth more working than as scrap?

Specific tact switches for game controllers, mice (Omron, Kailh, Huano) and keyboards sell $0.30–2 each. Generic ones are worthless.

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