Aluminium scrap is traded by grade, and the grade sets most of the value. A buyer who asks for "mixed aluminium scrap" may receive anything from clean extrusion cuttings to painted castings with iron attached. Using clear grade names, including the ISRI code words that international and many Indian traders use, makes quotes comparable and reduces arguments on delivery. The full reference is under ISRI specifications.
Why grades matter
Scrap value depends on three things: the alloy family, how clean it is, and how much metal you recover on melting. Clean, single-alloy scrap can go back into wrought products such as billets. Mixed or coated scrap usually goes into secondary casting alloys. Heavy iron, plastic, oil or moisture lowers recovery and adds processing cost.
Common grades and code words
| Grade | ISRI code words | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Used beverage cans (UBC) | Taldon, Talcred, Taldack | post-consumer cans, loose or baled (Taldon), shredded (Talcred) or densified (Taldack) |
| New can stock | Take | clean new can and end stock scrap from can making |
| Old sheet | Taint/Tabor | clean mixed old alloy sheet, free of foil, castings and iron |
| Low copper clippings | Taboo | mixed new low-copper aluminium clippings and solids |
| Litho sheet | Tablet / Tabloid | lithographic printing plates, clean |
| Mixed castings | Tense | mixed aluminium castings, such as engine and pump parts, limited iron |
| Turnings and borings | Teens / Telic | machining chips, segregated by alloy (Teens) or mixed (Telic) |
| Wheels | Troma | clean aluminium alloy auto wheels |
| Pistons | Tarry | aluminium pistons, graded by whether struts or iron are attached |
| Radiators | Talk | aluminium-copper radiators |
| Wire and cable | Talon, Taste, Tann, Tassel | new or old aluminium wire, pure EC or mixed alloy |
| Foil | Terse, Tesla | new foil (Terse) and post-consumer foil (Tesla) |
| Shredded non-ferrous | Zorba, Twitch | shredder output, mostly aluminium (Zorba), or floated aluminium fraction (Twitch) |
| Sweated aluminium | Tepid | aluminium that has been sweated to remove iron |
| Painted siding | Tale, Talent | painted or coated aluminium siding and sheet |
Indian trade names
New scrap versus old scrap
New scrap (also called process or production scrap) comes from factories: extrusion cuttings, sheet trimmings, can stock, foil off-cuts and machining chips. Its alloy is usually known and it is cleaner, so it fetches better rates and can often go back into the same family of products. Old scrap comes from end-of-life products such as cans, windows, utensils, wheels, engines and cables. It is more mixed, may carry paint, plastic or iron, and is mostly remelted into casting alloys. When you buy or sell, say clearly which kind the lot is, because the same code word can cover both new and old material in some grades.
Indian trade names
Indian yards often use local names alongside ISRI codes. 6063 extrusion scrap (also called section or profile scrap) is one of the most sought-after grades because it can be remelted into billets; see extrusion scrap. Utensil scrap covers old aluminium vessels and is typically a 1xxx or 3xxx type metal. Wire scrap from EC conductors is valued for its high purity. Buyers also talk about "mixed castings", "chips" and "UBC bales". When you list or buy, pair the local name with a short description so both sides mean the same thing.
What lowers value within a grade
- Iron attachments: bolts, inserts and liners in castings and pistons.
- Coatings and paint: they burn off on melting and add dross.
- Plastic, rubber and dirt: common in UBC and cable scrap.
- Oil and moisture: typical of turnings; they reduce weight on melting and are a furnace safety risk.
- Mixed alloys: high-zinc or high-copper pieces can push a melt out of specification.
The contamination entry covers how these are usually measured and deducted.
How to describe a scrap lot
- Grade name or code word, plus a one-line description.
- Source: new production scrap or old post-consumer scrap.
- Form: loose, baled, briquetted or shredded.
- Approximate quantity and how much is ready now.
- Known contamination: iron, plastic, oil, moisture, coatings.
- Clear photos of the actual lot, including the inside of bales if possible.
For buyers and sellers
If you are buying, read our guide on checking scrap recovery before agreeing a rate. If you are selling, the sell aluminium scrap page explains how to list a lot and get quotes from verified recyclers. Browse current categories under aluminium scrap.