Aluminium foil

Aluminium’s ability to form any shape and its protective qualities have made it the most versatile packaging material in the world. In addition, a key benefit is that aluminium foil, aluminium cans and other aluminium packaging materials can be fully recycled and reused an infinite number of times.

Thin but strong, eye-catching because of its silvery glitter, aluminium foil is an everyday presence in our lives. Its unique insulating properties make aluminium foil ideal packaging for just about anything.

Aluminium foil is nothing more than aluminium alloy sheets that are between 0.004 and 0.24 mm thick. Aluminium foil is 8 times thinner than a banknote and yet it provides perfect protection against light, liquid and bacteria. It is thanks to these properties the shelf life for many type of groceries packaged in materials that include aluminium foil often exceeds 12 months.

Foil is made on rolling mills in a process that involves pulling a sheet of aluminium between two rotating rollers under pressure. The resulting extra thin sheets or [of?] foil is then cut up into rolls using special cutters. The material used most often in the production of foil is pure primary aluminium or 1xxx, 3xxx and 8xxxx series alloys that include iron, silicon, manganese and occasionally copper if greater strength is needed. Heated aluminium is rolled into sheets between 2 and 100 mm thick (hot rolling). These are then cold-rolled into foil of the required thickness.

About a fourth of all foil produced in the world is used for technical purposes in construction, transport and other industries. The bulk of all foil output goes into the production of various types of domestic packaging and foil.

Packing made from aluminium foil is most widely used in the food industry. Many groceries are easily affected by sunlight, which damages their appearance and worsens their taste. Foil solves this problem in the best way possible which is why it is generally regarded as the ideal core packaging material for dairy products, pastries, and beverages. For example, dry milk in hermetically sealed packages made from laminated foil has a shelf life of 2 years.

Aluminium foil is non-toxic, so it does not damage the foods wrapped in it, but instead protects them. Aluminium foil is used in food containers, bins, bottle caps, soft packages for liquids or bulk food stuffs and many other types of containers.