Aluminium, Grade Information
Old Rolled Aluminium
Sheet aluminium, window frames, and extrusions with no heavy steel attachments, a very high-volume scrap grade from construction and manufacturing.
Periodic Table Position
History & Interesting Facts
Aluminium is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust, yet it was rarer than gold until the late 19th century because no practical extraction process existed. Its isolation was first achieved by Danish chemist Hans Christian Ørsted in 1825, and French chemist Henri Sainte-Claire Deville later developed a chemical reduction process that made small-scale production possible. Napoleon III famously reserved aluminium cutlery for his most honoured guests, lesser visitors ate with gold and silver. The invention of the Hall-Héroult electrolytic process in 1886 by Charles Martin Hall and Paul Héroult simultaneously and independently transformed aluminium from a precious curiosity into an industrial material. By 1910, aluminium was being rolled into sheets and extrusions for aircraft, vehicles, and building applications. The "aluminium revolution" in UK construction came in the post-war era, when aluminium window frames became standard across millions of homes.
Historical Uses
Once the Hall-Héroult process made large-scale production economical, aluminium quickly displaced heavier materials in transportation. The Wright Brothers' 1903 Flyer used an aluminium engine block, the material's strength-to-weight ratio was unique. WWI and WWII saw massive expansion of aluminium sheet production for aircraft fuselages and wings. Post-war, the UK construction industry adopted aluminium extensively: rolled sheet for cladding, curtain walling and roofing; extruded profiles for window frames; and pressed sheet for shop fronts and commercial facades. The domestic market adopted aluminium in cookware, foil, and later the ubiquitous drinks can. Rolled aluminium sheet for vehicle body panels became standard in the automotive industry from the 1970s onward. UK homes built between 1960 and 2000 typically have aluminium window frames, a major source of old rolled aluminium scrap today.
Current Uses
Old rolled aluminium scrap re-enters the supply chain primarily as secondary aluminium ingot for casting alloys or remelt for wrought alloy production. In the UK construction sector, aluminium remains the dominant material for window frames, curtain walling, and roof sheeting. The transport sector, cars, HGVs, trains, and aircraft, is the fastest-growing aluminium consumer, driven by lightweighting to improve fuel economy and reduce EV battery drain. Packaging (beverage cans, foil packaging) uses substantial quantities of aluminium, though usually a different alloy family from construction sheet. Electrical transmission lines in the UK and globally use aluminium conductors (ACSR, aluminium conductor, steel reinforced) for high-voltage overhead power lines. Aluminium heat exchangers in HVAC and automotive systems replace older copper units in most modern applications.
Future Possible Uses
Aluminium's future is exceptionally strong, driven primarily by the automotive and construction sectors' lightweighting ambitions. Electric vehicles use more aluminium than equivalent petrol cars, Jaguar Land Rover's electric models, for example, use aluminium-intensive body structures. Battery enclosures for EVs are predominantly aluminium. The UK's net-zero construction commitments are driving adoption of aluminium in high-performance building envelopes. Recycled aluminium, which requires only 5% of the energy needed to produce primary aluminium, will be increasingly preferred over virgin material as carbon pricing matures. Aerospace composites now incorporate aluminium-lithium alloys. New aluminium-air battery technology, still in development, could eventually use aluminium as a fuel source in a circular system where spent aluminium is recycled and re-energised.
Where Does This Scrap Come From?
Old rolled aluminium comes predominantly from the construction trade. Window and door replacement is the single largest source, millions of aluminium-framed windows installed in UK homes during the 1960s–1980s are now reaching replacement age. Roofing and cladding contractors stripping old commercial buildings generate substantial volumes of rolled sheet. Skip hire companies and waste management firms segregate aluminium from mixed waste streams. Car breakers provide aluminium bonnets, doors, and body panels. Fabrication workshops generate offcut aluminium sheet. Household collections, old conservatory frames, patio furniture, and guttering, contribute smaller volumes. The key grade definition is no heavy steel attachments: window frames with steel reinforcement inserts must be declared, as the steel content reduces the aluminium grade value significantly.
How Is It Remanufactured?
Old rolled aluminium scrap is processed through shredding or baling, followed by melting in a rotary or reverberatory furnace at around 660–700°C. Because rolled aluminium often has paint, lacquer, or anodising on its surface, de-coating treatment may be used before or during melting. Dross (the oxide layer that forms on the molten surface) is skimmed and processed separately to recover aluminium oxide and residual metal. The molten aluminium is degassed with chlorine or nitrogen to remove hydrogen, which causes porosity in castings. It is then either cast directly into secondary alloy ingots (for casting applications) or further processed into wrought alloy billet for re-rolling or extrusion. Recycled aluminium is indistinguishable in properties from primary aluminium and fully substitutable in virtually all applications. The energy saving is dramatic: recycling uses roughly 95% less energy than primary production.
5-Year Price Trend & Forecast
LME aluminium prices have been more volatile than copper over the 2021–2026 period. Starting at around $1,800/tonne in early 2021, aluminium surged to above $3,800/tonne in early 2022, partly due to the energy crisis in Europe making energy-intensive primary aluminium production more expensive. Prices then fell sharply back to around $2,000–2,200/tonne through 2022–2023 as demand weakened. Through 2024–2026, aluminium has traded in a range of approximately $2,200–2,700/tonne on the LME. UK scrap yard prices for old rolled aluminium typically pay 40–55% of the LME price per tonne of finished metal, reflecting processing costs and composition uncertainty. Forecasts for 2026–2030 suggest modestly higher prices driven by EV and packaging demand, with recycled aluminium commanding increasing premiums over virgin material as sustainability commitments intensify.
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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