We all are aware of this thing called aluminium foil. After all, we have been wrapping brownies and leftovers with it for years. The aluminium foil is a permanent fixture in our lives. But do you know how this thin foil came into existence?  Today, let’s Learn All About Aluminium Foil – History, Uses and Manufacturing.  you know aluminium is also used for decoration? Get some great decor ideas here for this coming festive season.

Learn All About Aluminium Foil – History, Uses and Manufacturing

What is Aluminium Foil?

Aluminium foil is also known as the tin foil and it is prepared from aluminium. Thin leaves of this metal are prepared with a thickness ranging from 0.2 mm to 6 micrometres. The aluminium foil is produced in varying widths and strengths. The tin foil is fragile and can be bent and wrapped easily around any object. But you know that already, don’t you? We know the household uses of this tin foil but this thin leaf is used for far many other different purposes as well such as for the industrial applications. Though the approximately 75% of aluminium foil is used for packaging food products, chemicals, and cosmetics, the remaining 25% of aluminium foil is being used in cables, electronics, thermal insulation etc. To learn some great ideas about how to organize things perfectly, you must see this. 

History of Aluminium Foil

Don’t you ever wonder where did this idea of wrapping food with aluminium foil come from? It all started in the early 1900s. Earlier, there used to be purely tin foil that wasn’t as malleable as this aluminium foil and also left a tin taste in the food wrapped in it. The day was saved when the aluminium replaced the tin foil for the first time in 1910. The first aluminium foil rolling plant, “Dr. Lauber, Neher and Cie” owned by J.G. Neher & Sons, was opened in Switzerland. Soon, in 1911, Tobler began wrapping its chocolate bars in aluminium foil, including one of our favourite treats, Toblerone. Maggi, a Nestle brand, followed the suit and started using aluminium foil. The wind caught the news and brought it to the United States and in 1913 they used the aluminium foil for the first time to wrap candies and gums.

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Raw Materials Required to Make Aluminium Foil

One of the great things about manufacturing aluminium foil is there is an abundance of raw materials required for it. You could say that is another reason why aluminium foil is inexpensive. Great for us! Like I mentioned earlier, aluminium is needed to make aluminium foil. So aluminium is the major raw material here and thanks to the Mother Nature, we have a lot of aluminium on earth. The aluminium, however, does not exist in purest form. Bauxite is the most known aluminium ore that contains iron and hydrated aluminium oxide. This might look like an issue but it is not a really big deal because the bauxite is plenty enough to make aluminium. The concentrated aluminium deposits are found in both the hemispheres. Get crafty with the toilet paper rolls and make some great decor stuff. 

First Things First – Pure Aluminium

• The first process in the manufacturing of aluminium foil is to produce aluminium from its concentrated form. This means that first the aluminium ore, bauxite is refined and smelted to get the aluminium in its purest form.
• The impurities such as iron oxide, water, and silica are eliminated using Bayer’s process.
• This results in alumina (aluminium-oxygen compounds) and thus to extract the pure metal from aluminium oxide, it is smelted to produce the aluminium. Remove those stubborn stains just like these impurities with these few easy ways. 

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Manufacturing of Aluminium Foil

• Now that the pure aluminium is produced, the next step is to prepare thin aluminium foils.
• To get the aluminium foil, the thickness of the aluminium is to be reduced and that is done with the help of rolls.
• A rolling mill is needed where the metal rolls put pressure on the material and reduce its thickness.
• The material is passed through these rolls continuously, reducing its thickness.
• To maintain a constant thickness, beta radiation is passed through the foil to a sensor that causes the rollers to adjust the pressure as per the intensity. This method is also known as strip type rolling method. It is the most popular method to manufacture aluminium foil.

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Besides this, there are two other methods – lap rolling method and deposition. The lap rolling method is not efficient enough and the deposition method though gives impressive results with ultra-thin aluminium foil, it is too expensive and the efficiency is low as well. This makes the strip type rolling method as the main method of producing aluminium foil. Just like aluminium is a necessity in your home, these plants are also a must-have for your indoor garden. 

Uses of Aluminium Foil

Aluminium foil is used for industrial applications such as packaging, thermal insulation and electronics. The aluminium foil capacitors are found in different electrical components such as TVs and computers and also used in electrical coils. It is also used for electromagnetic shielding, geochemical sampling, ribbon microphones and even cooking. It has also a lot of uses in art and decor stuff. Besides these, there are many uses of aluminium foil like you can sharpen your scissors, get rid of dust, make your silver shine (you’ll need baking soda too!) and clean your jewelry and so much more.

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There has been a steady growth in uses of aluminium foils from the past few decades. With these many uses, the production of aluminium foil has been increasing significantly. Also, don’t forget to see these amazing Feng Shui tips to fill your home with positive vibes.