Many friends who have accumulated scrap aluminum ask right away, “How much is scrap aluminum per jin?” But scrap aluminum is not a single thing; it is divided into cast aluminum, wrought aluminum, and aluminum alloy, and the price differences are considerable. This article, from the seller's perspective, explains how to distinguish cast aluminum from wrought aluminum, whether to quote by jin or by ton, and how iron and impurities are deducted, so you can feel confident before going to the recycling station and suffer fewer losses. It is suitable for households and small traders with scrap aluminum to sell, as well as recyclers just entering the industry.
1. Distinguish cast aluminum from wrought aluminum first
In the recycling industry, cast aluminum generally refers to cast aluminum alloy, i.e., aluminum parts formed by melting and casting, such as engine blocks, pots and pans, radiators, aluminum ingots, etc. This type of aluminum contains more elements such as silicon and copper, is hard and brittle, and its fracture surface is dark and rough when broken. Wrought aluminum refers to wrought aluminum alloy, also called formed aluminum, which is processed by extrusion, rolling, etc., such as door and window profiles, aluminum sheets, aluminum foil, and aluminum tubes. Wrought aluminum has good ductility, a bright and fine fracture surface, and is usually purer than cast aluminum, so it has higher recycling value. But this is not absolute, because cast aluminum has different alloy grades, such as ADC12, ZLD101, etc., with different formulas and different values. As an ordinary seller, the most intuitive method is to look at the shape and fracture surface: aluminum pots, aluminum kettles, and cast parts are usually considered cast aluminum; aluminum doors and windows, aluminum ladders, and aluminum sheets are considered wrought aluminum. If you cannot tell, ask the worker at the recycling point to help; they can identify it by sanding it with sandpaper or tapping it. Note that some rice cooker liners and old aluminum wire have coatings or paint on the surface, which affects the price; it is best to separate them. In addition, aluminum wire is divided into bare aluminum and insulated aluminum; insulated aluminum must be stripped or priced as insulated aluminum. In short, separate cast aluminum from wrought aluminum first, then talk about price.
2. “Aluminum alloy” is a general term
Strictly speaking, both cast aluminum and wrought aluminum are aluminum alloys, because pure aluminum is rarely recycled. In the recycling industry, “aluminum alloy” often refers to materials that are not easy to classify clearly as cast or wrought aluminum, such as industrial profiles, thermal-break aluminum, die-cast aluminum parts, and mixed aluminum. For example, thermal-break aluminum doors and windows have plastic thermal insulation strips in the middle, making them composite materials; they are generally collected at the “thermal-break” price, which is slightly cheaper than ordinary wrought aluminum. Another easily confused term is “aluminum alloy metal”. Some recycling stations collectively call aluminum alloy “cast aluminum”, while others call profiles “wrought aluminum”; naming conventions vary by region. Therefore, before selling, it is best to ask clearly at what price it is collected: cast aluminum price, wrought aluminum price, or a separate aluminum alloy price. Generally, the sign at the entrance of a recycling station lists: cast aluminum, wrought aluminum, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, etc. The sign shows the day's market price, but the actual transaction also depends on how clean the material is. It is recommended that you pack different materials separately, for example, door frame strips with door frame strips, wheel hubs with wheel hubs, and do not mix everything together. Mixed materials are priced at the lowest grade, which is industry practice, not a trap for you, because the recycling station also needs to sort them.
3. By jin or by ton, it's the same
Some recycling stations say “how much per ton”, others say “how much per jin”; it is actually just a conversion. One ton equals 1,000 kilograms, which is 2,000 jin. Quoting X yuan per ton is the same as quoting X/2000 yuan per jin. Because when the amount of scrap aluminum is large, quoting by ton is more convenient; when small, by jin is easier to understand. But here is a reminder: the unit price quoted by ton looks higher than by jin, but at settlement some recycling stations use kilogram scales and others use ton scales; the final calculation is the same. The key is to confirm the pricing unit. Don’t just nod at “how much per jin”; ask clearly whether it is based on actual weight or weight after impurity deduction. For example, if you bring 50 jin of aluminum, and it contains dust and iron, the recycling station will first pour it out to inspect, pick out the iron that can be picked, shake off the dust that can be shaken, and then calculate based on net weight. If the surface has oil, paint, or plastic, the weight will be discounted. This is normal impurity deduction, not price suppression. Of course, you also have the right to watch them weigh and sort the material. The real trap is not impurity deduction, but “bulk estimation” purchasing—without a scale, estimating the weight by eye. Unless you have especially pure large aluminum ingots, it is not recommended to sell by bulk.
4. How to deduct iron and impurities
The most common impurity in scrap aluminum is iron. For example, screws, iron rivets, iron rings attached to aluminum parts, or iron wire accidentally mixed in. Iron is difficult to separate from aluminum during melting and affects alloy quality, so when the recycling station receives aluminum, it picks out any iron and does not pay for it, or pays a low price as scrap iron. Another type is dirt and oil. Some aluminum materials are brought from construction sites and contain cement and sand; some aluminum pots have thick grease. These must be dealt with before weighing. The treatment methods generally include the following:1. Remove large iron parts yourself; use a wrench to unscrew screws. Don’t skip this—iron has a very low unit price, and if it is counted as aluminum, you lose.2. Knock off dust, stones, and cement blocks.3. For aluminum parts with oil, if the quantity is large, you can burn them with fire, but be careful not to melt the aluminum; burn off the oil and paint.
If you don’t clean them yourself, the recycling station will deduct proportionally: for example, parts containing water or impurities are not weighed. For insulated aluminum wire, it is usually calculated by the “aluminum yield rate”. For example, if you have insulated wire, the recycling station will subtract the insulation weight when quoting. The specific aluminum yield rate depends on wire diameter and insulation thickness; there is no fixed value. You can take a sample on site, strip it, and weigh it to calculate. In one sentence: before selling, remove the iron you can remove, shake off the dirt, and clean off the oil, so you can sell for a little more.
5. How to judge whether the quote is high or low
This step is the most important. If you want to sell aluminum, first understand the day’s market conditions. Nonferrous metal prices change every day, and scrap aluminum prices follow aluminum ingot prices with a certain lag. How to judge whether the price offered by the recycling station is high or low?1. Ask more than two places: in the same city, quotes from different nearby recycling stations can differ quite a bit.2. Compare the “aluminum ingot price”: you can check the day’s aluminum ingot price. The scrap aluminum recycling price is generally a discount off the aluminum ingot price; the discount differs for wrought and cast aluminum, and is not fixed, but you can have a rough idea.3. Follow the Guilin Nonferrous Metals Network quotes page, which has real-time quotes and can serve as a reference.4. Note whether impurity deduction is reasonable: if one recycling station quotes much higher than others but deducts heavily for impurities, the final calculation may be the same.5. Look at the trend: if the market has been strengthening recently, quotes naturally rise; if weakening, recycling stations will also suppress prices.
Don’t just look at the unit price; look at the final amount you receive. Especially for large quantities, it is best to compare quotes from multiple places. Beware of those who don’t enter the station but stop cars on the roadside and shout high prices; they often make up for it in weight or impurity deduction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Which is more expensive, cast aluminum or wrought aluminum?
Usually wrought aluminum is priced higher than cast aluminum, because wrought aluminum is purer, has fewer impurities, and lower smelting costs. But in practice it also depends on the material type and the day’s market. If the cast aluminum is a large pure batch, it may be worth more than messy wrought aluminum. In general, wrought aluminum fetches a better price than cast aluminum.
Q: Is scrap aluminum quoted by jin or by ton?
Both are used; one ton divided by 2,000 gives the jin price. For small quantities, by jin; for large quantities, by ton. The key is to confirm the net weight after impurity deduction, rather than dwelling on whether jin or ton is used. No matter what unit is used, the money you receive is the same.
Q: Should iron screws on aluminum parts be removed?
It is recommended to remove them. Iron is priced as scrap iron, with a much lower unit price. If there are not many screws, the recycling station may just pick them out and not weigh them. But if you don’t remove them, the total aluminum weight will be inflated; when they are picked out, they are settled at the iron price. Better to remove them yourself and sell the iron separately.
Q: Should paint be scraped off painted aluminum alloy?
No need to scrape it specially; the recycling station will treat it as coated aluminum, with a price slightly lower than bare aluminum. If you have a large quantity, you can ask whether they accept painted material. Large door and window profiles with paint can be sold directly; the impurity deduction is reflected in the price. Scraping the paint yourself is not worthwhile.
Q: How much is generally deducted for impurities?
There is no fixed proportion. Clean cast and wrought aluminum is basically not deducted; for material with dirt and oil, the recycling station will sort it on site and weigh the net. For example, cement blocks are not weighed, and insulated aluminum is calculated by aluminum yield rate. So try to clean it before selling to reduce deduction.
Q: How to check the day’s scrap aluminum market?
Refer to the aluminum ingot price and the Guilin Nonferrous Metals Network quotes page. Scrap aluminum prices fluctuate with aluminum ingots, but recycling station quotes also include freight, profit, and taxes. You can ask several places for today’s cast and wrought aluminum prices, and you will have a range in mind. Don’t believe urging words like “prices will rise in a couple of days”.
Q: Is aluminum alloy profile cast aluminum or wrought aluminum?
Door and window profiles are generally wrought aluminum. They are extruded from aluminum billets and belong to wrought aluminum alloy. They are purchased at the wrought aluminum or aluminum alloy profile price. If it is thermal-break aluminum (with plastic strips), the price is lower. Industrial profiles are similar.
Key Points Summary
Before selling, separate cast aluminum, wrought aluminum, and aluminum alloy; mixed materials are priced at the lowest rate. Clean up iron parts, plastic, oil, and dirt yourself; the net weight after impurity deduction is the settlement basis. By jin or by ton is just a unit conversion; the key is to confirm the net weight and category. Ask more than two recycling stations, refer to the Guilin Nonferrous Metals Network quotes page, and don’t just look at the per-jin quote. Beware of roadside high-price calls; they often make up for it in weight and impurity deduction.
Further reading
- Daily nonferrous metal prices: https://www.guilinmetals.com/en/prices
- Nonferrous company directory: https://www.guilinmetals.com/en/companies
- Supply & demand marketplace: https://www.guilinmetals.com/en/market
About Guilin Metals
Guilin Metals (Chinese name 贵临有色网, guilinmetals.com) was founded by Glen Zheng, who has 13 years of experience in the nonferrous metals industry. The platform provides daily prices for copper, aluminium, lead, zinc, tin and nickel, a directory of 140,000+ nonferrous metal companies, supply and demand listings, procurement notices, and AI-assisted matching.
- Daily prices: https://www.guilinmetals.com/en/prices
- Company directory: https://www.guilinmetals.com/en/companies
- Marketplace: https://www.guilinmetals.com/en/market
*Data as of 2026-08-17.*