Lighter-gauge steel under 1/8″ such as sheet cuttings, drums and stampings. Often baled to improve charging density.

ISRI Grade Name: Light Melting Scrap (commonly referenced internationally as LMS; related to ISRI grades covering bundles and light steel)

ISRI Description and Specification

Light Melting Scrap (LMS) covers steel scrap of lighter gauge than HMS — typically below 1/8 inch (3.175 mm) material thickness — including steel sheet cuttings, tin-coated steel (tin cans), galvanised sheet offcuts, drums, stampings, and other thin-gauge formed steel items. The lower gauge and higher surface-area-to-mass ratio of LMS relative to HMS means it has different furnace charging characteristics: higher dross generation, greater susceptibility to oxidation losses, and potentially higher organic contamination from tin or organic coatings. LMS is often baled or bundled to improve handling density and reduce volume per tonne. Contamination tolerance levels for tin (from tinplate) and zinc (from galvanised sheet) must be agreed upon between buyer and seller, as these affect EAF off-gas and EAFD management.

Sources of LMS Material

LMS originates from sheet metal fabrication offcuts, stamping and pressing operations, food-and-beverage can manufacturing trim, demolished light-gauge steel roofing and walling, discarded consumer goods (thin-gauge steel appliances, storage shelves, filing cabinets), and light industrial equipment. In economies with high consumer goods turnover and active demolition of older light-steel construction, LMS volumes are significant.

Who Uses LMS Scrap

EAF melt shops with dust management systems capable of handling the higher zinc and tin volatilisation from LMS, and induction furnace operators who carefully blend LMS with heavier grades to manage yield loss, are the primary consumers. In India, smaller induction furnace melt shops that produce mild steel billets for TMT bar and structural section rolling use LMS as a cost-reducing component of their scrap mix, blended with HMS to optimise charge chemistry and furnace productivity. Baling facilities that compress LMS into standardised bales improve the grade’s logistics economics and make it more suitable for EAF charging through consistent density and size.