TS EN 12258-3

TS EN 12258-3 is Part 3 of a terminology standard for aluminium and aluminium alloys, focused on scrap. It provides a shared vocabulary for the way scrap is described in collection, sorting, trading, remelting and recovery contexts. In general technical use, aluminium scrap is a broad category that can include production offcuts, rejected parts, post-consumer material and mixtures whose properties depend on alloy composition and contamination level.

Why scrap terminology needs its own part

In aluminium recycling, the key issue is not only that the material is metallic, but also how the scrap is composed, contaminated, separated and suited to remelting. Clear definitions reduce ambiguity between suppliers, recyclers, foundries and quality teams. In general technical context, the value of aluminium scrap is strongly influenced by purity, sortability and suitability for a target remelted product.

What this standard covers and what it does not

• This part is about terms and definitions for aluminium and aluminium alloy scrap.
• It harmonises terminology for technical communication; it does not, by itself, set product grades, process conditions or performance limits.
• It supports classification, sorting, acceptance and documentation across the recycling chain.
• It helps establish a common understanding of alloy content and contamination, but it is not a test method for measuring those characteristics.

For that reason, TS EN 12258-3 should be understood as a terminology reference that improves consistency in aluminium scrap communication and supports classification work within recycling and metals handling workflows.