Clean mixed aluminium castings — automotive, engineering and aerospace parts (excludes ingots). Remelted into secondary casting alloys such as ADC12/A380, LM2 and LM24.

ISRI Grade Name: Tense

ISRI Description and Specification

Tense is defined as clean mixed aluminium castings, which may include automotive components, aircraft parts, and general engineering castings, but explicitly excludes ingots (which belong to a separate specification). The grade encompasses old and new cast aluminium parts derived from multiple alloy families — principally 3xx.x-series casting alloys (silicon-copper-magnesium, silicon-magnesium) and 1xx.x/2xx.x alloys used in aerospace castings. Because casting alloys contain higher silicon, copper, and magnesium levels than wrought alloys, Tense is processed differently from sheet or extrusion scrap grades — it is suited for re-melting into secondary casting alloys rather than wrought products. Contamination requirements: the lot must be free of iron attachments (such as steel inserts, bushings, or bolts), brass fittings, excessive dirt, and non-metallic materials. Oil and grease are permitted up to 2% by weight of the total lot — a somewhat more generous allowance than the 1% permitted for sheet grades, reflecting the practical reality that used automotive castings often retain traces of lubricant from service.

Composition and Downstream Use

Tense scrap, when melted in a rotary tilting furnace or reverberatory furnace, typically yields secondary aluminium casting alloys with elevated silicon (5–12%), variable copper (0.5–4%), and moderate magnesium content. These are well-suited to die-casting and permanent-mould casting applications in the automotive, appliance, and general engineering sectors. The mixed nature of the grade means that careful metallurgical management — spectrometric checking of individual pieces, sorting of obviously high-silicon vs. wrought-alloy castings, and controlled blending — is often applied by sophisticated processors to narrow the output chemistry.

Who Uses Tense Scrap

Tense is one of the most important aluminium scrap grades for Indian secondary smelters, who convert it into secondary die-casting alloy ingots (ADC12/A380 equivalent, LM2, LM24) for sale to OEM suppliers in the automotive sector. Tier-1 and Tier-2 automotive die-casting suppliers — producing gearbox housings, cylinder heads, sump plates, and suspension brackets — rely on secondary aluminium ingots derived from Tense and similar casting scrap. Aircraft MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) scrap processors are suppliers of the Tense stream, as retired aircraft castings (alloy series 2xx, 3xx, 7xx) generate significant volumes of high-value casting material. Industrial foundries, pump and valve manufacturers, and electrical engineering firms (motor housings, generator frames) are also downstream consumers of secondary alloys produced from Tense feedstock.

Trade Notes

Tense is typically shipped loose or in bulk bags/containers. PSI including spectrometric spot-checking of a sample of pieces is advisable for large lots. Because Tense can contain high-silicon aerospace castings alongside lower-silicon automotive parts, alloy chemistry variation between lots can be significant — buyers typically negotiate on a sample-test or average-analysis basis rather than fixed chemistry guarantees.