Clean wrought iron/steel ≥1/4″ thick, sized to charge boxes, free of coatings and cast iron. The benchmark heavy melting grade for EAF steelmakers.

ISRI Grade Name: No. 1 Heavy Melting Steel (also referenced as Grade 201 in ISRI ferrous specifications)

ISRI Description and Specification

HMS 1 is the benchmark heavy ferrous scrap grade, defined as wrought iron and/or steel scrap of minimum 1/4 inch (approximately 6.35 mm) material thickness, individually sized to fit the standard charging box dimensions of the purchasing mill (typically up to 60 inches x 18 inches in the largest dimension, though buyer specifications vary). The material must be prepared for compact charging — i.e., cut, torched, or otherwise processed so that individual pieces conform to the size specification rather than being oversized. HMS 1 must be free of: excessive coating (heavy galvanising, chromium, tin, or lead plating that would introduce residual contamination to the melt), cast iron (which belongs to a separate specification), non-ferrous metal attachments (copper windings, aluminium housings, etc.), metallic or non-metallic clinging solids (concrete, dirt, rubber), and hollow sealed objects (which can explode in the furnace). The combination of minimum thickness (1/4 inch) and clean material classification makes HMS 1 the highest-quality standard heavy melting grade — it melts reliably with minimal dross, has predictable bulk density for charging calculations, and contains negligible residual tramp element levels from coatings.

Sources of HMS 1 Material

HMS 1 arises from demolished industrial structures (beams, columns, channels from manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and bridges), retired heavy machinery and equipment (frames, housings, shafts), retired agricultural equipment (tractor frames, harvester chassis), shipbreaking (hull plate and structural sections above 6mm), and obsolete industrial plant and equipment. The minimum thickness threshold ensures that HMS 1 is dominated by structural sections and heavy fabricated components rather than lighter-gauge pressed or formed steel items.

Who Uses HMS 1 Scrap

HMS 1 is consumed primarily by Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmakers, who use it as the primary or co-primary charge material in producing steel billets, blooms, sections, and flat products. In India, EAF-based secondary steel producers — including large integrated re-rollers and steel melt shops in clusters in Mandi Gobindgarh (Punjab), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Hospet-Bellary (Karnataka), Muzaffarnagar (UP), and Bhavnagar (Gujarat) — are the primary consumers. Induction furnace (IF) melt shops, which produce mild steel billets primarily for long products (rebar, angles, channels), also consume HMS 1 as a quality scrap charge to control phosphorus and sulphur levels and maintain melt bath chemistry. Foundries producing steel castings for engineering, mining, and construction equipment use HMS 1 as a base scrap charge in their electric melting furnaces. The 1/4-inch minimum thickness is particularly valued by EAF operators because it minimises yield loss from burning and improves transformer-to-melt efficiency compared to lighter HMS 2 or LMS charges.

Trade and Market Notes

HMS 1 is predominantly traded in bulk vessel loads (Panamax, Handymax, or Handysize vessels) for large-volume import, though containerised HMS 1 is also traded in smaller volumes. Origin markets with large industrial demolition and equipment obsolescence volumes — USA, UK, Europe, Japan, Australia, and the GCC (Saudi Arabia) — are the major supply sources. Indian import pricing for HMS 1 is typically referenced as CFR (Cost, Freight) to Indian west-coast ports (Mundra, Kandla, JNPT) or east-coast ports (Chennai, Visakhapatnam), with LME-linked pricing movements and regional demand from Indian, Pakistan, and Bangladesh steel mills driving cyclical premium/discount dynamics.