Why Aluminum Grading Matters
Aluminum is the second most traded non-ferrous scrap metal in India after copper, with prices ranging from ₹100–170/kg depending on grade. The problem is that "aluminum" isn't a single material — it's dozens of alloys with different compositions, and the grade dramatically affects the price a dealer will pay. Understanding aluminum grading can increase your scrap value by 30–50% through proper sorting.
Indian scrap markets use a grading system derived from ISRI (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries) standards, though local terminology varies. Here's what you need to know.
The Major Aluminum Scrap Grades
Tense (Clean Aluminum Sheet/Extrusion) — ₹150–170/kg
Tense is the premium grade. It consists of clean, uncoated, unpainted 6063-series aluminum extrusions — the kind used in window frames, door frames, curtain walls, and structural profiles. The key requirement is that the material must be free of screws, bolts, rubber gaskets, and other attachments. Tense-grade aluminum has a minimum 98% aluminum content and is directly remelted by foundries without significant processing.
How to identify: Look for straight, extruded profiles (not cast shapes). The surface should be bare aluminum — no anodizing, no paint, no powder coating. If you scratch the surface and see bright, silvery metal underneath, it's a good sign. Most window frame scrap qualifies if you remove the rubber seals and screws.
Taint/Tabor (Painted or Coated Aluminum) — ₹120–140/kg
Taint/Tabor is the same base material as Tense but with coatings: paint, powder coating, anodizing, or lacquer. Since the recycler must remove these coatings before remelting (through thermal decoating or chemical stripping), the price is 15–20% lower than Tense. Common sources include painted window frames, colored aluminum panels, and anodized profiles.
How to identify: If the aluminum extrusion has any color or coating that isn't bare metal, it's Taint/Tabor. Powder-coated aluminum is the most common variety in Indian construction scrap.
Cast Aluminum — ₹100–130/kg
Cast aluminum comes from engine blocks, cylinder heads, transmission housings, pump housings, cookware, and decorative items. Cast alloys (typically A356 or A380 series) contain 7–12% silicon and other elements (copper, magnesium) that make them unsuitable for mixing with wrought alloys. They're recycled separately and used to produce new castings.
How to identify: Cast aluminum has a rougher, more porous surface than extruded aluminum. It's often thicker, heavier, and has complex shapes (engine parts, cookware handles). A broken edge shows a granular, crystalline structure rather than the smooth, layered structure of sheet/extrusion.
Aluminum UBC (Used Beverage Cans) — ₹80–110/kg
Beverage cans are 3104-series aluminum (body) and 5182-series (lid), both very recyclable but contaminated with paint, lacquer, and food residue. UBCs are one of the most recycled consumer products globally — a recycled can is back on the shelf as a new can within 60 days. In India, UBC collection is primarily done by informal waste pickers, making it harder to accumulate commercial quantities.
Litho Sheet (Printing Plates) — ₹140–160/kg
Used aluminum lithographic printing plates are a niche but high-value scrap stream. They're thin (0.2–0.4mm), clean 1050-series aluminum with minimal contamination. Printing presses discard plates after each print run, generating consistent supply from newspapers and commercial printers.
Aluminum Wire/Cable — ₹110–140/kg
Bare aluminum wire from power transmission lines and building wiring. Insulated aluminum cable is priced lower (₹60–90/kg) based on aluminum recovery percentage, similar to copper wire pricing logic.
Sorting Tips for Maximum Value
Never mix cast and wrought. This is the most expensive mistake. Cast aluminum (cookware, engine parts) mixed with extrusions (window frames) will get graded at cast rates — potentially losing you ₹30–40/kg on the extrusion material.
Remove all attachments. Screws, rubber seals, plastic end caps, and steel fasteners downgrade the lot. A 10 kg window frame with rubber seals is Taint/Tabor at ₹130/kg; remove the seals and clean it, and it's Tense at ₹160/kg. That's ₹300 more for 5 minutes of work.
Use the magnet test. Some "aluminum" items are actually steel with an aluminum coating, or aluminum with steel inserts. Run a magnet over everything — if it sticks anywhere, there's ferrous contamination that needs to be separated.
Separate by condition. Keep clean, bare aluminum separate from painted, coated, or oxidized pieces. Keep thin gauge (cans, foil) separate from heavy gauge (extrusions, plate). Each gets a different price.
Check current aluminum scrap rates for your city on ScrapRates.in and bring sorted, clean material to get the best prices.