Grade names are the shorthand of the metal trade — three or four characters that define chemistry, properties and price. Misread them and you buy the wrong material; understand them and every quote becomes comparable. Here are the grades buyers of copper and aluminium meet most often, in plain language.
Why grades exist
A grade (or alloy designation) is a published recipe: which elements, in what percentages, with what guaranteed properties. It lets a buyer in Germany and a mill in Pakistan mean exactly the same thing by "6063." The grade defines the chemistry; the Mill Test Certificate then proves each specific lot matches it.
Common copper grades
Cu-ETP (Electrolytic Tough Pitch) is the standard high-conductivity copper — 99.9%+ purity, the default for wire, rod and electrical applications. Cu-DHP is phosphorus-deoxidised copper, preferred where welding or brazing is involved, such as tube and plumbing products. Remelt grades cover clean recycled copper cast into ingots for foundries and alloy makers — specified by the purity the buyer requires rather than a single universal standard.
Common aluminium alloys
Aluminium splits by process. For extrusion, billets in 6063 (windows, architectural profiles — excellent finish) and 6061 (higher strength structural work) dominate. For die casting, ingots in ADC12 (the automotive workhorse) and LM6 (high silicon, excellent fluidity for thin or marine castings) are the global standards. Wrought and conductor applications use their own series, specified by temper as well as chemistry.
Reading a grade in a quotation
When quotes name a grade, check three things: the designation itself (6063 is not 6061), the temper or condition where relevant (how the metal was worked or heat-treated), and the standard referenced (ASTM, EN and JIS versions of a similar alloy differ in detail). If any of the three is missing, ask — ambiguity in the quote becomes a dispute at the port.
What if your requirement doesn't match a standard grade?
It often doesn't — foundries in particular frequently need chemistry tuned to their own charge calculations. That is precisely where a direct manufacturer earns its place: the melt is adjusted to your analysis, and the certificate proves it lot by lot. As a mill, ZeVo Metals produces copper and aluminium to any grade, purity and dimension a buyer specifies.
Order to grade, verify by certificate
The rule that keeps metal buying safe is simple: order by grade, verify by Mill Test Certificate. Name the grade in your purchase order, require the MTC in your terms, and check the two against each other on arrival. Send us your grade or target chemistry — we will confirm feasibility and quote against it.