Aluminium, Grade Information
Cast Aluminium
Engine blocks, gear boxes, wheels, and other aluminium castings, a dense, high-volume scrap grade predominantly from the automotive and engineering industries.
Periodic Table Position
History & Interesting Facts
Cast aluminium entered industrial use rapidly after the Hall-Héroult process made affordable aluminium available in the 1880s. The first aluminium castings were novelties, desk ornaments and scientific instrument parts, but engineers quickly recognised that aluminium's low density (about one-third of steel) and reasonable strength made it transformative for engineering. Early aircraft engines used aluminium castings for crankcases to minimise weight. The Rolls-Royce Merlin engine that powered Spitfires and Hurricanes used an aluminium block, enabling the power-to-weight ratio essential for air combat. Post-WWII, the civilian automotive industry progressively adopted aluminium castings for cylinder heads and eventually full engine blocks. By the 2000s, most passenger car engines used aluminium alloy blocks. BMW, Ford, and Jaguar all transitioned to aluminium engine blocks during this period, generating a large future scrap supply.
Historical Uses
Cast aluminium's primary historical use has been in transport, engine blocks, cylinder heads, transmission cases, intake manifolds, and differential housings are all aluminium castings in modern vehicles. Early aircraft used it for structural frames and engine components, where the weight saving was mission-critical. Second World War military vehicles, including Jeeps, half-tracks, and aircraft, used aluminium castings extensively. The marine industry adopted cast aluminium for outboard motors, boat fittings, and underwater gear because of its corrosion resistance in salt water when properly anodised or coated. Industrial machinery, pump bodies, compressor housings, and gearbox casings, transitioned to aluminium castings during the 20th century as the material proved its durability. Architectural castings, decorative column bases, balustrade posts, and heritage lamp posts, were popular in cast aluminium through the Victorian and Edwardian eras.
Current Uses
Cast aluminium scrap today comes predominantly from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) processed at authorised treatment facilities. A typical modern car contains 150–200 kg of aluminium, much of it in castings. Alloy wheels, now standard on virtually all new cars, are a major source of scrap cast aluminium as vehicles reach end of life. Industrial plant and machinery decommissions contribute pump bodies, compressor casings, and gear housings. Aerospace overhaul and maintenance generates aluminium casting offcuts. Garden and outdoor furniture, increasingly popular in die-cast aluminium, provides a growing scrap stream. Power tool bodies and domestic appliance housings (food mixers, kettles, and hand tools) contribute to mixed cast aluminium volumes at scrap yards. Cast aluminium alloys contain silicon, magnesium, and copper additions that affect their scrap value.
Future Possible Uses
Cast aluminium's future is tied closely to the automotive sector's accelerating electrification. EV battery enclosures and structural battery housings are predominantly large aluminium castings, Tesla's "gigacasting" approach, where major vehicle underbody sections are cast as single massive aluminium pieces, represents a step-change in casting technology. This approach is being adopted across the industry and will dramatically increase the proportion of aluminium in each vehicle. Heat management is critical in EVs: aluminium castings form the battery cooling plates, power electronics housings, and motor casings. As the UK's EV fleet grows through the late 2020s and 2030s, the future scrap stream of cast aluminium from EVs will be substantial. Aluminium casting alloys designed for easy recyclability are an active area of materials research.
Where Does This Scrap Come From?
Cast aluminium scrap arises primarily from vehicle dismantling and end-of-life processing. Scrap car dealers and vehicle salvage operations are the largest source of cast aluminium alloy wheels, engine blocks, and transmission cases. Industrial plant maintenance and decommissioning generates pump casings, compressor bodies, and gearbox housings. Foundries and die-casting facilities produce sprues, runners, and reject castings. Alloy wheel refurbishers generate damaged wheels that are uneconomic to repair. Construction companies find cast aluminium items, old lamp post bases, heritage railings, and architectural details, during demolition projects. Engine rebuilders accumulate cracked or damaged engine blocks and cylinder heads. Garden furniture suppliers and retailers occasionally liquidate damaged or unsold stock. Identifying cast aluminium versus other metals is straightforward: it is lightweight, non-magnetic, and has a characteristic granular surface texture.
How Is It Remanufactured?
Cast aluminium scrap requires careful alloy segregation before smelting because different casting alloys (e.g., A380, LM25, LM6) have different silicon and copper contents that determine their downstream applications. XRF analysers are used at modern facilities to sort alloys accurately. Material is then charged into a rotary furnace and melted at 660–720°C. Fluxes are added to manage dross and recover the maximum metal from the melt. The molten alloy is transferred to a holding furnace, adjusted in composition if needed, degassed, and then cast into ingots or continuous cast billet. Secondary cast alloy ingot (standard specification LM25 or equivalent) is sold to die-casting and gravity-casting foundries for re-use in new castings. Wrought alloy billet from higher-grade material is used for extrusion or rolling. The closed-loop recycling of cast aluminium is technically mature and highly efficient.
5-Year Price Trend & Forecast
Cast aluminium scrap typically pays slightly less per tonne than rolled or clean aluminium, due to the alloy complexity and the cost of segregation and processing. LME aluminium prices over 2021–2026 ranged from approximately £1,300 to £2,800 per tonne (in sterling), with the high point in early 2022 driven by the European energy crisis affecting primary aluminium smelters. Prices moderated through 2022–2023 before stabilising in the £1,600–2,200/tonne range through 2024–2025. Scrap yard prices for cast aluminium in the UK have tracked at approximately 40–55% of LME depending on contamination level. The outlook for 2026–2030 is modestly positive as EV production increases aluminium demand, though primary aluminium supply from the Middle East and China remains plentiful, capping significant price upside.
Note: All scrap yard prices paid by QuickStop Metals are calculated as a percentage of the prevailing LME or spot market price, updated daily. Check today's prices →
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