ISRI adds nonferrous grades

The Washington-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has approved and updated additions and changes to the nonferrous portion of its "Scrap Specifications Circular." According to ISRI, its board of directors approved the specification changes this July.

The two new specifications announced by ISRI both pertain to aluminum wire and cable. ISRI has defined a new grade called “tank aluminum chops and straws” as consisting of "clean aluminum, chops or straws, free of screening, hair-wire, iron, copper, insulation and other nonmetallic items. Must be free of minus-20 mesh material. Must contain 99 percent aluminum content.”

A second grade, for stripped but not chopped wire, is called “tease aluminum wire and cable” and is described by ISRI as consisting of “new, clean, aluminum wire or cable free from hair wire, ACSR [aluminum conductor steel-reinforced cable], wire screen, iron, insulation and other nonmetallic items. Must contain 99 percent aluminum content.”

Of the three nonferrous specifications revised by ISRI, two involve processed or semiprocessed aluminum wire and cable.

The organization now specifies its “tall E.C. [electrical conductor] aluminum chops and straws” grade as consisting of “clean, 1350 and/or 1050 alloy, E.C. aluminum, chops or straws, free of screening, hair-wire, iron, copper, insulation and other nonmetallic items. Must be free of minus-20 mesh material. Must contain 99.45 percent aluminum content.”

An earlier version of “tall” was referred to as “E.C. aluminum nodules” and did not make a specific reference to the 1350 and 1050 aluminum alloys.

The ISRI “talon E.C. aluminum wire and cable” grade is now specified as consisting of “new, clean, 1350 and/or 1050, E.C. aluminum wire or cable free from hair wire, ACSR, wire screen, tape, iron, insulation and other nonmetallic items. Must contain 99.45 percent aluminum content.”

An earlier version of “talon,” likewise, did not refer to the 1350 and 1050 alloys.

Finally, the organization also updated its “reels mixed nonferrous wheel weights” grade as now consisting of “nonferrous wheel weights that are a minimum of 35 percent (overall) nonferrous and no more than 65 percent iron. Anticipated nonferrous material may be both lead and zinc weights. To be free of foreign material. Final material specifications to be determined between buyer and seller.”

The "ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular" is designed to provide industry guidelines for buying and selling a variety of processed scrap commodities, including secondary ferrous, nonferrous, paper, plastics, electronics, rubber and glass materials.