Lightweight, sterile, microbe-free, clean, economical, and sustainable, are the few words that have led to aluminum foil’s popularity in the packaging industry. It has varied applications in different industries, including pharmaceutical, industrial, food & beverages, chemical, cosmetics, automotives, and others.
Out of the total aluminum foil packaging used in the world, around 75% is utilized in the cosmetic, food, and chemical industry and rest of the 25% is applied for industrial applications.
In the food industry, it is used for a wide range of items but is primarily used for desserts, chocolates, yogurt, pies, and others. The average thickness for candy and chocolates is around 10 to 12 microns and nearly 30-38 microns for dairy products.
However, the food industry is facing high supply chain costs, therefore the prime focus currently is to reduce the thickness of aluminum foils. In the preceding twenty years, the thickness of chocolate packaging alone has shrunk by almost 30%. The average thickness of chocolate foil is currently between 7-15 m, which is a fraction of the diameter of human hair.
The temperature stability of aluminum foil makes them the preferable choice for hot food, however, there are strict guidelines that need to be followed regarding its usage in ovens and microwaves.
Further, aluminum foil for pharmaceutical packaging is mostly used to package liquid medicines and injections. The most common pharmaceutical packaging aluminum foil ranged from 0.02 and 0.022 mm of thicknesses, and it goes as high as 0.04 to 0.75mm. Aluminum foil is frequently utilized in the international pharmaceutical sector for medicine packaging considering its moisture resistance, safety and hygiene, and portability.
In addition to being a good packaging material, aluminum foil has also been good for the environment. Recycling just one ton of aluminum foil can contribute to curbing carbon emissions of 913 kg, which is the same amount of emission done by a car traveling for 10,000 Km. The procedure of recycling aluminum foil is energy efficient since it takes far less energy to recycle it than to produce a new aluminum foil.
Over the years, aluminum foil packaging has replaced tin foil, plastic, and other metals in the packaging industry. Owing to continuous development in advanced material, the packaging industry is witnessing the emergence of new composites, such as nanocomposites, edible packaging, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), bio-based films, and many more, to replace the application of aluminum foil packaging in many major industries.
Source - https://www.researchnester.com/reports/aluminum-foil-packaging-market/4477