What Are the Different Grades of Aluminum Scrap?

Not all scrap aluminum is created equal. Whether you’ve got a pile of soda cans from a backyard barbecue, old window frames from a renovation, or a bucket of machine chips from your shop, each type of aluminum falls into a specific grade, and that grade determines exactly what you’ll get paid.

Understanding the different grades of aluminum scrap isn’t complicated, but it does take a little know-how. The good news? Once you understand the basics, you can sort your material properly, describe it correctly, and walk into any scrap yard confident you’re getting competitive pricing for what you’re selling. This blog breaks down the main types of aluminum scrap grades, explains the ISRI codes that recyclers use worldwide, and gives you practical tips to maximize your payout. Let’s get into it.

Key Takeaways

• Aluminum scrap grades include wire, extrusions, sheet, used beverage cans (UBC), and turnings/borings, each with its own ISRI code and price range based on form, cleanliness, and alloy composition.
• Clean, well-sorted aluminum scrap consistently earns higher prices than mixed or contaminated material.
• Grades are determined by physical form (wire, sheet, chips), cleanliness (painted vs. bare), and alloy type; these factors directly impact how much scrap yards pay.
• Aluminum is 100% recyclable without losing quality, so correctly grading and separating your scrap maximizes profit. However, due to the lightweight nature of aluminum and the cost of handling per transaction, small quantities are normally priced in a generic “aluminum” category and are lower valued than large quantities of uniform grade material.  Also, most scrapyards will not use ISRI labels to describe the aluminum grades, but rather more self-explanatory names like EC wire, cans, extrusion, MLC, shavings/turnings, etc.

Why Understanding Aluminum Scrap Grades Matters

Aluminum has been recycled commercially, and understanding non-ferrous metal recycling explains why this corrosion-resistant metal stays valuable across major industries. The recycling industry processes millions of tons of scrap aluminum annually, turning old cans, door frames, and machinery parts back into valuable resources.

Here’s the thing: the word “grade” determines everything. It tells recyclers how to process the material, what recovery they can expect from the melt, and ultimately what price they can pay per pound or per ton. A bag of clean beer cans is processed differently than a painted window frame or a bucket of oily machining chips; each requires different handling, different equipment, and different energy inputs.

For small sellers, homeowners cleaning out a garage, contractors with renovation debris, or hobby scrappers collecting on the side, knowing grades helps you avoid underpayment. When you can correctly describe and sort your scrap before visiting a yard, you’re speaking the same language as the buyer. That builds trust and gets you maximum value.

Consider these three common scenarios:

What You Have	How It’s Graded	Approximate Value
A bag of rinsed soda cans	UBC (TALC grade)	Moderate, consistent alloy, easy remelt
An old aluminum window frame with steel screws	Painted extrusion (may be TOTO)	Lower requires coating removal and decontamination
A bucket of dry aluminum chips from a machine shop	Turnings (TEENS or TELIC)	Variable, depends on oil content and alloy separation

Aluminum scrap grading is standardized through ISRI codes (from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries). These guidelines help scrap yards across the U.S. classify aluminum the same way, so sellers get consistent grading and fair pricing. Whether you’re bringing in fifty pounds from a home cleanout or a full trailer load from a jobsite, understanding these codes helps you communicate clearly and get the most value for your material.

Overview of the Main Aluminum Scrap Grades and ISRI Codes

There are five widely traded, “classic” aluminum scrap grades that you’ll encounter at most recycling centers and scrap yards, and recognizing what metals can be recycled helps sellers separate aluminum properly from other materials.

• Wire – Electrical conductors from power lines, buildings, and appliances, often very pure aluminum
• Extrusions – Long aluminum profiles like window frames, door frames, railings, and structural components
• Sheet – Flat, thin aluminum used for roofing, siding panels, gutters, and vehicle body panels
• Used Beverage Cans (UBC) – Soda cans, beer cans, and other aluminum beverage containers
• Turnings/Borings – Chips, shavings, and swarf generated when aluminum is machined or drilled

The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries assigns specific code names to each grade. These codes define the chemistry, cleanliness, and allowable contamination levels. Here are some of the most common types you’ll see:

Although many local buyers use plain language descriptions like “clean wire” or “dirty sheet,” understanding the ISRI language helps when you’re checking online price lists, comparing offers, or dealing with international buyers. It’s worth learning the basics.

Aluminum Wire Scrap Grades

Aluminum wire is one of the highest-value forms of scrap metal because it’s usually very pure, often 99% aluminum or higher, and melts cleanly with minimal loss. That purity translates directly to higher prices at the scale.

Clean, bare, unalloyed aluminum wire falls under ISRI codes like “TALON” and “TANN.” This material should be bright and shiny, completely free of insulation, and non-magnetic. When you scrape the surface, you’ll see silvery metal underneath.

Read More: What Are the Most Valuable Scrap Metals?

How to Identify Aluminum Wire

Here’s a quick field test you can do at home:

1. Magnet test – Aluminum wire won’t stick to a magnet. If it sticks, it’s steel.
2. Weight comparison – Aluminum is significantly lighter than copper or steel wire of the same gauge.
3. Scratch test – Use a file or knife to scratch the surface. Pure aluminum shows a bright, silvery color without any rust.

Insulated wire with aluminum inside can reach the highest TALON/TANN category, but only if you strip the insulation first. This can be done mechanically with a wire stripper or by hand with a utility knife. What you want to avoid is burning the insulation off, which creates lower-grade “burnt” scrap that requires extra refining.

Burnt, dirty, or ash-contaminated aluminum wire typically falls under ISRI codes like “TASSEL” or “TASTE.” These grades pay less because the refiner has to work harder to clean the material before it can be remelted.

Typical sources include:

• Overhead power transmission lines
• Service drops to homes
• Large commercial building electrical feeders
• Some aircraft wiring applications

Common Sources of Aluminum Wire Scrap

Knowing where to find aluminum wire helps you spot valuable scrap you may already have access to.

Household and consumer electronics:

• Internal wiring from older televisions and computer power supplies
• Kitchen appliances like refrigerators, freezers, and microwaves
• Extension cords that use aluminum conductors (less common, but they exist)

Building and infrastructure:

• Rewiring projects in homes and apartment buildings
• Electrical panel upgrades in commercial buildings
• Utility line replacements that generate offcuts

Old electric motors and transformers are another source. Motor windings from HVAC units, pumps, fans, and generators often contain aluminum coils. When these burn out or overheat, the resulting material typically becomes a burnt-wire grade.

Electronic Appliances and Burnt Wire Grades

Electronic appliances are a rich but often overlooked source of aluminum wire scrap, especially when devices are beyond repair.

Appliances worth checking:

• Refrigerators and freezers
• Dishwashers and clothes dryers
• Washing machines
• Electric ovens and space heaters
• Small kitchen tools like mixers, grinders, and blenders

When these appliances overheat or catch fire, the aluminum wiring often appears charred and sooty. This material typically falls into lower ISRI grades like TASSEL or TASTE. It’s still recyclable, scrap yards will absolutely take it, but the extra processing needed to remove char, insulation residue, and foreign metals means they’ll pay less.

Aluminum Extrusion Scrap Grades

Aluminum extrusions are those long, uniform profiles made by pushing heated aluminum through a die, think of it like squeezing toothpaste through a shaped opening. You’ll find them everywhere: window frames, door frames, shower enclosures, railings, signage frames, and structural components.

Clean, unpainted, unalloyed extrusions are among the most sought-after aluminum scrap grades. They’re typically labeled under ISRI codes like “TATA” for 6063 alloy and “TUTU” for 6061/7075 series. These generally contain 97–99% aluminum, and their consistency makes them attractive to mills and remelters.

Painted, coated, or anodized extrusions are still valuable but commonly assigned to grades like “TOTO.” These are discounted because the coatings must be thermally removed in the furnace, a process called decoating, which adds cost and complexity.

Aluminum 6063 Extrusion Scrap (ISRI Code “TATA”)

The 6063 aluminum alloy, often called “architectural alloy”, is considered premium extrusion scrap because it’s heavily used in building products and has a predictable, consistent composition that remelters love.

Typical examples:

• Window and door frames
• Storefront systems
• Picture frames
• Residential and commercial renovation debris

Demolition and remodeling projects in older buildings can generate hundreds to thousands of pounds of TATA-grade material at once. If you’re a contractor working these jobs, proper separation can significantly boost your scrap value.

To maintain your load in the clean TATA category, keep fasteners, steel brackets, plastic hardware, and rubber seals to a minimum before selling. A few minutes of prep work pays off.

Aluminum 6061/7075 Extrusion Scrap (ISRI Code “TUTU”)

The 6061 and 7075 alloys are higher-strength structural aluminum often found in transportation and heavy equipment rather than architectural applications.

Concrete sources:

• Bicycle frames and motorcycle components
• Aircraft parts and drone frames
• Automotive chassis pieces
• Boat masts and marine hardware
• Truck body rails and some railway car profiles

These extrusions are graded under “TUTU” when relatively clean and free of heavy paint or attached steel. They typically bring a strong price close to, or sometimes exceeding, 6063 extrusions because of their desirable alloy content.

If these parts are heavily painted, anodized in bright colors, or include bonded composites, they may be downgraded to a coated-extrusion category similar to TOTO.

Aluminum Sheet Scrap Grades

Sheet aluminum refers to flat, thin pieces used for roofing, cladding, gutters, vehicle skins, and general sheet metal work. It’s one of the most common types of aluminum scrap that homeowners and contractors encounter.

The primary ISRI grades are TAINT/TABOR (clean, mixed old sheet) and TALE (painted or coated sheet).

Clean sheet examples:

• Unpainted offcuts from fabrication shops
• Bare aluminum sheets from siding panels
• Unfinished vehicle body panels
• De-branded signage without vinyl graphics

Painted or contaminated sheet examples:

• Colored roofing panels
• Coated gutters with factory finishes
• Advertising boards with inked surfaces
• Material with mastic, roofing tar, or adhesives attached

Scrap yards will often downgrade heavily painted, oily, or adhesive-covered sheets to lower categories. The extra energy and flux needed to remove coatings in the furnace means lower returns for the recycler and lower prices for you.

Typical Sources of Aluminum Sheet Scrap

Residential sources:

1. Gutter and downspout replacements
2. Soffit and fascia panels
3. Storm door skins
4. Shed or carport roofing panels made from thin sheet aluminum

Commercial and industrial sources:

• Siding and cladding from warehouse renovations
• Sign companies discarding old billboards or traffic signs
• Automotive shops replacing hood and body panels

HVAC and ducting components are another source, especially if they’re clearly non-galvanized and confirmed to be aluminum rather than steel. A quick magnet test settles the question.

To maintain the sheet in a higher TAINT/TABOR category, keep fasteners, plastic trim, roofing nails, and sealants to a minimum. Material with excessive attachments often gets reclassified as dirty mixed scrap, which pays significantly less.

Aluminum UBC (Used Beverage Can) Scrap

Used beverage cans are one of the most recognized and widely recycled aluminum grades. Walk into any recycling center, and you’ll see bins dedicated to aluminum cans; they’re that common and that valuable.

UBC scrap is classified under the ISRI code “TALC” and is prized because beverage cans are manufactured to a consistent alloy and thickness, which supports what recycled metals are used for across packaging, transportation, and manufacturing. This uniformity makes them easy to remelt directly into new cans, creating a true circular economy.

What counts as UBC:

• Soda cans
• Beer cans
• Energy drink cans
• Sparkling water cans
• Some ready-to-drink coffee or tea containers made from aluminum

UBC loads should be as clean and dry as possible. Rinsed cans without liquids, food residue, or cigarette butts meet the TALC standard and avoid downgrades. Leave liquid in the cans, and you’re paying to transport water weight while risking rejection.

High-volume sources include:

• Bars and restaurants
• Stadiums and concert venues
• Festivals and outdoor events
• Curbside recycling programs and buy-back centers

Individual households contribute a meaningful volume, too. Statistics show that over 60 billion aluminum cans are recycled annually in the US alone.

How to Prepare and Sort Aluminum Cans for Scrap

Simple preparation makes a noticeable difference in price and acceptance at any scrap yard, and understanding how to recycle scrap metal helps reduce contamination and maximize value.

Preparation checklist:

1. Separate aluminum from steel – Use a magnet test. Any can that sticks to a magnet is not aluminum and should be removed. Steel cans often look similar but are magnetic.
2. Rinse lightly – A quick rinse removes sticky residue and prevents odor issues. Let cans dry before bagging or binning.
3. Crush cans to save space – Crushing reduces transport volume and makes handling easier. However, some buy-back centers prefer uncrushed cans for optical sorting, so check local rules first.
4. Remove non-metal attachments – Take off plastic lids, straws, shrink sleeves, and heavy paper labels. The cleaner your load, the closer it stays to TALC standards.
5. Store in separate bins – Keep aluminum cans away from other metals like aluminum foil (different grade) or steel cans to avoid contamination penalties.

Aluminum Turnings and Borings

Aluminum turnings and aluminum borings are the small chips, spirals, and shavings generated when aluminum is machined, drilled, milled, or turned in industrial and workshop settings. If you run a machine shop or work with CNC equipment, you’re producing this material constantly.

Clean, relatively dry turnings are classified under the ISRI code “TEENS.” Turnings contaminated with oils, coolants, steel, or other metals fall into the “TELIC” category and are valued lower, sometimes 40-70% less than clean material.

What they look like:

• Curly or broken chips
• Often sharp-edged
• Range from fine swarf to coarser spirals depending on tool settings
• May appear silvery (clean) or dark/oily (contaminated)

These chips are typically 97–99% aluminum by chemistry, but they’re more difficult to handle and melt because of their high surface area and tendency to trap moisture and cutting fluids. Recovery rates for turnings typically run 80-90%, compared to 95%+ for solid scrap.

Typical generation points:

• CNC shops and job shops
• Automotive parts machining
• Aerospace component finishing
• General metal fabrication facilities
• Mold-making shops using aluminum blocks

Get Paid More by Sorting Smarter

Understanding aluminum scrap grades is one of the easiest ways to increase your payout. When you separate clean sheet, cast, extrusions, and aluminum wire properly, you avoid “mixed load” pricing and reduce deductions. A little sorting effort up front can turn the same pile of metal into a much higher return.

At Taylor’s Scrapyard and Metal Recycling, we provide scrap metal recycling in Kennesaw with competitive pricing, accurate grading, and fast service to help homeowners, contractors, and businesses get the most value from every load. We also offer metal recycling, demolition services, and roll-off dumpsters to help you move scrap efficiently and keep projects running smoothly. Bring your aluminum scrap to us today and let our team help you grade it correctly and get the most value from every load.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I quickly tell if a piece of metal is aluminum or steel before I try to grade it?

Use three fast tests. First, try a magnet; if it sticks, it’s steel; aluminum is non-magnetic. Second, compare weight, aluminum feels much lighter than steel. Third, file or scratch the surface, and aluminum shows bright silver with no rust underneath.

Do I need to know the exact ISRI code when I bring aluminum scrap to a local yard?

No, most small sellers don’t need exact ISRI codes. You can describe what you have, cans, sheets, extrusions, wire, or chips, and the yard will grade it. ISRI codes mainly help with large commercial loads, export deals, or detailed pricing verification.

Is it always worth stripping insulation off aluminum wire myself?

Not always. Stripping is worthwhile only if the price difference between insulated and bare wire justifies your time. If you have proper tools and high volume, it can increase profit. For small amounts, selling insulated wire is often faster and more practical.

Can mixed loads of different aluminum grades still be recycled, or will a yard refuse them?

Mixed aluminum loads are usually accepted, but they’re often paid at the lowest grade price in the mix. Clean material loses value when mixed with dirty or painted scrap. Sorting grades separately, wire, sheet, extrusions, cast, and cans, helps maximize your total payout.