The History of Aluminum Foil

The History of Aluminum Foil

The earliest production of aluminum foil occurred in France in 1903. In 1911, Bern, Switzerland–based Tobler began wrapping its chocolate bars in foil. Their unique triangular bar, Toblerone, is still widely available today. Production of aluminum foil in the United States started in 1913. The first commercial use: packaging Life Savers into their now world-famous shiny metal tube. The demand for aluminum foil skyrocketed during World War II. Early military applications included the use of foil strips, dropped from bombers, to confuse and misguide radar tracking systems. Aluminum foil was so vital to the defense effort that families were encouraged to save strips of foil. In many towns, the collected foil balls could be exchanged for free entry to a movie theater. One of the most innovative uses of aluminum foil came in the early 1960s. The aluminum Christmas tree debuted—complete with foil-covered branches and decorations.

Why Foil Is Shiny on One Side

Aluminum foil has a shiny side and a matte side. The shiny side is produced when the aluminum is rolled during the final pass. It is difficult to produce rollers with a gap fine enough to roll a single sheet of foil. For the final pass, two sheets are rolled at the same time, doubling the thickness of the roll. When the sheets are later separated, the two inside surfaces are matte, and the two outside surfaces are shiny.