Complete all-aluminium automotive radiators and condensers (3xxx-series brazed cores). Iron, plastic and foam each limited to 1% of lot weight.

ISRI Grade Name: Tally

ISRI Description and Specification

Tally is the ISRI designation for complete all-aluminium radiators and/or condensers removed from end-of-life automobiles and light commercial vehicles. Unlike Talk (which covers the older aluminium-fin-on-copper-tube design), Tally radiators are constructed entirely of aluminium — core, fins, tubes, header tanks, and side supports. This all-aluminium construction became the automotive industry standard from the mid-1990s onward, driven by weight reduction targets and improved thermal efficiency of aluminium brazed structures. The ISRI specification requires that Tally lots consist exclusively of all-aluminium radiators and/or condensers. Other radiator types — particularly Talk (aluminium-copper) or copper-brass radiators — must not be mixed into Tally lots, as they would compromise the alloy chemistry. Contamination limits: iron (from steel brackets, hose clamps, or mounts), plastic (from end-tanks, overflow reservoirs, or mounting pads), and foam (from packing or vibration dampeners) are each limited to 1% of total lot weight. Lots exceeding these limits are subject to penalty or rejection.

Processing and Recovery Characteristics

Tally material is predominantly composed of 3003, 3103, or similar 3xxx-series aluminium alloys (fin stock and tube material), with 1xxx-series or 3xxx-series header plate material and occasional 6xxx-series brace/side support material. The brazing flux used in modern all-aluminium radiator manufacture (CAB — Controlled Atmosphere Brazing, using Nocolok flux containing fluorine compounds) deposits a residue on the aluminium surface that must be accounted for in the melting process. Secondary smelters processing Tally in significant volumes typically operate dedicated de-fluxing pre-treatment or manage furnace flux management protocols accordingly.

Who Uses Tally Scrap

Tally scrap is consumed by secondary aluminium smelters producing 3xxx-series or general casting alloy ingots. In India, the primary buyers are multi-metal processors and secondary smelters in industrial zones (Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra), who melt Tally as a component of the scrap mix in their reverberatory or rotary tilting furnaces alongside other sheet and casting grades. HVAC equipment manufacturers who use secondary aluminium in component production may also source processed Tally-derived ingots. Auto parts recyclers and vehicle dismantlers are the primary supply-side participants — they strip Tally radiators and condensers during vehicle depollution and sell them either directly to processors or through metal traders and aggregators. The growing volume of end-of-life vehicles in established markets (USA, Europe, Japan, South Korea) means Tally supply is expected to remain robust and growing for the next two decades as the all-aluminium-radiator generation of vehicles reaches full end-of-life volumes.

Market Notes

Tally is traded on a per-tonne basis, priced at a discount to clean cast or sheet grades due to its plastic and iron contamination allowances and the flux considerations during melting. It is commonly shipped in 20-foot or 40-foot containers, loose-loaded, and frequently sourced from the USA, Canada, and Europe. Container densities are typically lower than baled sheet grades, so load weight optimisation is a consideration for importers managing freight economics.