How to choose aluminum foil for packaging?

Aluminum foil has become one of the preferred materials in the food, pharmaceutical, and electronics industries due to its high barrier properties (oxygen/moisture/ultraviolet), temperature resistance (-50℃~300℃), and environmentally friendly and recyclable properties. As a leading company in the production and sales of aluminum foil, Fliat Aluminum is committed to providing customers with accurate material selection suggestions. However, aluminum foils of different alloy grades will affect their performance and application scenarios. The following is based on international standards (AA/GB) to sort out key grades, parameters, and applicable fields to help you make efficient decisions.

Aluminum foil grades and core characteristics

The performance of aluminum foil is determined by the alloy composition and processing technology. The following is a scientific classification of common grades:

• 1xxx series (pure aluminum foil, such as 1235 aluminum foil, 1060 aluminum foil)

🔹 Characteristics: aluminum content ≥99.35%, excellent ductility, strong barrier properties, and high corrosion resistance.

🔹 Parameters: Thickness range 0.006~0.2mm, water vapor transmission rate <0.015 g/(m²·24h), tensile strength 80-150 MPa.

🔹 Application: food packaging (chocolate, dairy products), pharmaceutical blister packaging, etc.

• 3xxx series (aluminum-manganese alloy, such as 3003 aluminum foil)

🔹 Features: Add 1.2% manganese element, the strength is increased by more than 30%, the high temperature resistance is enhanced, and it is suitable for mechanical processing scenarios.

🔹 Parameters: Tensile strength 150-200 MPa, temperature range -50℃~120℃.

🔹 Application: industrial parts protective packaging, high temperature cooking food bag substrate.

• 8xxx series (special function foil, such as 8011 aluminum foil, 8079 aluminum foil)

🔹 Features:

8011 aluminum foil: High formability, very few pinholes, suitable for deep stamping packaging (such as tablet aluminum-plastic blisters).

8079 aluminum foil: Ultra-high purity (99.7%), excellent barrier properties, widely used in sterile medical packaging and lithium battery casings.

🔹 Parameters: thickness tolerance ±5%, surface wetting tension ≥72 mN/m.

• Composite aluminum foil (multi-layer structure, such as Al/PE, Al/CPP)

🔹 Features:

Al/PE: low temperature resistance (-40℃), heat sealing strength ≥15 N/15mm, suitable for frozen food.

Al/CPP: high temperature resistance (135℃/30min), suitable for sauce steaming packaging.

Key performance indicators of different aluminum foils

✅ Barrier properties

The oxygen permeability of aluminum foil is close to 0, and the water vapor permeability is <0.1 g/(m²·24h), but the pinhole density needs to be paid attention to:

Food grade: pinholes ≤50/m² (thickness ≥9μm).

Medical grade: pinholes ≤10/m² (thickness ≥25μm).

✅ Mechanical properties

Soft state (O state): elongation ≥ 20%, suitable for complex molding packaging.

Hard state (H18): tensile strength ≥ 200 MPa, suitable for industrial heavy packaging.

✅ Certification standards

Food contact: must comply with FDA 21 CFR, EU 10/2011 standards.

Medical grade: meet ISO 15378, USP Class VI requirements.

Application scenarios and material selection schemes of different aluminum foils

✅ Food packaging

Liquid food (milk, juice): 8011 aluminum foil (thickness 9μm) composite PE film, resistant to pasteurization (85℃/30s).

High temperature cooking (pre-prepared dishes): 3003-H22 aluminum foil (thickness 15μm) composite CPP, resistant to 121℃/40min sterilization.

✅ Medical packaging

Vial seal: 8079 aluminum foil (thickness 25μm) + medical adhesive layer, puncture force ≤10N, sealing passed ASTM D3078 test.

Vaccine cold chain transportation: 1235 aluminum foil (thickness 30μm) composite EPS buffer layer, -70℃ impact resistance.

✅ New energy and electronics

Lithium battery packaging: 8079 aluminum plastic film (thickness 113μm), electrolyte corrosion resistance, peel strength ≥7 N/15mm.

Capacitor electrode: ultra-high purity 1050 aluminum foil (thickness 0.1mm), specific capacity ≥0.75 μF/cm².

✅ Building insulation

Roof reflective film: double-sided 3003 aluminum foil (thickness 0.15mm) composite PET, solar reflectivity ≥86%, in line with JG/T 235 standard.

Material selection strategies for different aluminum foils

✅ Cost-efficiency balance

Short-term packaging (<1 year): Choose thin 1235 aluminum foil (6-9μm), which reduces costs by 20%.

Long-term storage (>5 years): Use 8079 aluminum foil (≥25μm) + nitrogen filling, which extends the shelf life by 3 times.

✅ Sustainable development

Provide recyclable aluminum-plastic composite materials (such as Al/PP), reduce carbon footprint by 35%, and meet EPEAT and Cradle to Cradle certification.

✅ Technical support

Provide barrier properties testing (ASTM F1249), heat seal curve analysis, etc. free of charge to ensure material and equipment compatibility.

Fliat Aluminum provides a full range of aluminum foil products (covering 1xxx/3xxx/8xxx series), and has passed ISO 9001 and BRCGS dual certifications, and is fully controllable from raw material smelting to composite processing. Whether it is food preservation, medical sterile protection, or high-end new energy applications, we provide you with zero-defect aluminum foil solutions with scientific data and innovative processes.

Contact our technical team now to get free samples and customized test reports. Click to Order

Original Source:Food Packaging Aluminum Foil