Aluminium turns up everywhere: old window frames, gutters, boat fittings, car wheels, offcuts from a fabrication job and bags of drink cans. It is all aluminium, but it is not all the same grade. Knowing how scrap aluminium is sorted helps you get your pile ready and makes a pickup quicker and simpler for everyone.
Why aluminium scrap is sorted into grades
Different aluminium products are made from different alloys. Window frames, engine parts, cans and wheels each have their own mix of aluminium and other elements. When scrap is melted down, recyclers want to know what alloy they are working with so the new metal comes out right. Attachments such as steel screws, plastic and rubber also have to be removed before melting. The cleaner and more consistent a load is, the less work it needs, which is why it is graded higher. For more on how this affects value, see how scrap metal pricing works.
The main scrap aluminium grades
- Clean extrusion: profiles such as window and door frames, shopfront sections and framing offcuts, with no paint, plastic, screws or rubber attached. Usually bare or anodised (a silver or bronze finish).
- Painted or dirty extrusion: the same profiles but with powder coat or paint, or with some attachments still in place.
- Old sheet: used sheet aluminium such as roofing, gutters, signs, boat panels and cladding. It may be painted or have light contamination.
- Cast aluminium: shaped parts made by pouring metal into a mould, such as gearbox housings, outboard motor parts, pump bodies and some outdoor furniture.
- UBC (used beverage cans): empty aluminium drink cans. Keep them dry and empty, and check them with a magnet, as some food cans are steel.
- Alloy wheels and rims: most alloy wheels are cast aluminium and are usually kept as their own grade. Tyres, valve stems and wheel weights should come off. See our page on scrap alloy wheels and rims.
- Aluminium wire and cable: power cable with aluminium conductors. Bare wire and insulated cable are sorted separately.
- Swarf and turnings: shavings from machining work. These often carry cutting oil and moisture, so keep them dry and away from other metals.
Clean vs painted vs irony: how attachments change the grade
The same piece of aluminium can fall into a different grade depending on what is still attached to it.
- Steel screws, bolts and brackets: aluminium with steel attached is often called irony aluminium. It is usually graded lower than clean metal because the steel has to be separated.
- Plastic thermal breaks: many modern window frames have a strip of plastic inside the profile. These are generally treated separately from clean extrusion.
- Rubber seals and gaskets: pull out window seals and door gaskets where you can.
- Glass: remove all glass from window and door frames before pickup.
- Paint and powder coat: coated aluminium is normally graded separately from bare or anodised metal.
How to identify your aluminium
A magnet is the simplest tool you can use. Aluminium is non-magnetic, so a magnet will not stick to it. If a magnet grabs hold, the item is steel or has steel parts attached.
Be careful, though: some stainless steel is also non-magnetic. Stainless is much heavier than aluminium for its size and usually has a brighter, harder look. Aluminium feels light in the hand and is usually soft enough to scratch with a key.
To tell cast from extruded aluminium, look at the shape and any broken edges. Extrusions are uniform profiles with the same cross-section along their whole length, like a frame or channel. Cast aluminium comes in irregular, moulded shapes, and where it breaks it looks grainy and tends to snap rather than bend.
Sorting tips before your mobile pickup
- Use separate bins, bags or piles for each grade: clean extrusion, painted extrusion, sheet, cast, cans, wheels, wire and swarf.
- Remove steel screws, glass, rubber and plastic where it is quick and safe to do so.
- Keep cans and swarf dry and covered.
- Keep aluminium away from copper, brass and stainless so grades do not get mixed.
- Take a clear photo of each pile and note a rough quantity and your suburb when you get in touch.
- Leave the metal somewhere easy to reach so it can be loaded without trouble.
You can read more about our aluminium recycling service.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to remove the plastic from window frames?
Not always, but frames with thermal breaks, rubber or glass are graded lower than clean extrusion. Removing glass is the most important step, and taking off seals and screws helps too.
Are drink cans worth keeping separate?
Yes. Cans are their own grade, so keep them apart from other aluminium. Make sure they are empty and dry, and check with a magnet to pull out any steel cans.
Can I mix alloy wheels with other aluminium?
It is best not to. Alloy wheels are usually sorted as their own grade, so keep them together with tyres and weights removed.
Got aluminium to move? Oz Scrap Recycling is a mobile scrap metal buyer, so we come to you. Call 0413 609 674 to book a pickup.
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