Old, unalloyed aluminium wire and cable with insulation stripped (≤10% 6xxx). Feedstock for wire-rod, conductor and secondary smelters.

ISRI Grade Name: Tassel

ISRI Description and Specification

Tassel is the post-consumer counterpart to Talon — covering old, unalloyed aluminium wire and cable that has been stripped of its insulation. The specification allows up to 10% 6000-series alloy content (from building wire and similar applications), with under 1% oxide, dirt, or non-metallic contamination. The material must be free of hair wire or screen wire (very fine aluminium wire below the minimum gauge threshold), insulation residues, and non-aluminium components. Tassel arises from electrical infrastructure replacement, building demolition and rewiring, and industrial electrical maintenance — wherever old aluminium wiring and cabling is stripped and collected.

Who Uses Tassel Scrap

Aluminium wire rod producers, conductor manufacturers, and secondary smelters producing 1xxx or 6xxx secondary alloy are the primary buyers of Tassel. In India, the ongoing replacement of old domestic electrical wiring (aluminium household wiring was common through the 1980s–2000s in India before copper became dominant), combined with power infrastructure replacement under RDSS and similar programs, generates consistent Tassel volumes from electricians, demolition contractors, and scrap dealers. Aluminium conductor and cable manufacturers consuming secondary rod produced from Tassel are the ultimate downstream users.