We haven’t eaten with aluminum spoons and forks for a long time, but there is a material that is still in use and it is constantly before our eyes, in our hands, on the dining table. This is foil. Those wonderful shiny pieces of paper that in childhood were so fun to smooth out with your finger after eating candy or chocolate. The girls made their “secrets” out of foil, and the boys rolled “cartridges” for a slingshot from candy wrappers. Aluminum foil is still one of the most commonly used materials in food production, electrical, pharmaceutical and automotive industries. It has ideal thermal conductivity, is hygienic, convenient and, most importantly, incredibly environmentally friendly - it comes from the earth, once there after use, it disappears without a trace.

To make aluminum foil, you need to build a plant with melting furnaces and rolling machines that roll out an aluminum ingot into the thinnest sheet up to 5 microns thick. In 1993, such a plant was built next to the Sayanogorsk aluminum smelter, which I wrote about in a previous report. SAZ was helped with this by the Italian company FATA, which produces equipment for rolling aluminum, and the American Reynolds Metals Company, a world leader in the production of aluminum-based packaging materials.
The result was modern enterprise with a full technological cycle - from melt preparation to the production of foil and packaging materials based on it. Now the plant, part of RUSAL, produces about 70 percent of domestic foil. Rolls of foil that housewives buy in the store, lids for yoghurt, wrappers for chocolate, curd cheese, candy wrappers, cigarette packages, etc. - all this is done at SAYANAL.

It all starts here, in the company's smelting shop. Conveyors with ladles of molten “primary” aluminum come here from the SAL plant and pour it into the furnace. The melt prepared in the melting furnace undergoes additional degassing with the addition of a modifier to refine the grain and improve the structure of the cast billet.

So, the melt is ready and goes to the “supercaster” continuous casting machine, which produces a tape 6-10 mm thick and 1200-1650 mm wide. Foil will be rolled out of it.

The aluminum strip, still hot, is rolled into large rolls and waits for its turn to be rolled.

But the prepared film is not immediately available for rental. First, it enters the firing furnace, where it is heated again in a nitrogen atmosphere to restore the crystal lattice in the metal - it must withstand heavy pressure loads and not tear.

The finished aluminum strip is sent to the rolling mill.

The workshop has several FATA Hunter aluminum cold rolling mills. With each pass through the mill, the aluminum strip becomes thinner.

In the production of foil, as in high performance sports, there is a struggle to reduce the thickness of the material micron by micron, just as athletes improve their performance in running, for example, by competing in tenths of a second. SAYANAL began with the production of 11-micron foil, and, gradually gaining experience, moved to increasingly thinner types of material. After modernization, which is carried out together with German company"Achenbach", at SAYANAL began to produce foil 5 microns thick (for comparison, the thickness of a human hair is 40-50 microns). This foil is used for the production of capacitors, special aluminum strips for the manufacture of wall panels, and multilayer composite material for sealing food containers.

After the tape becomes very thin, the two sheets are joined together and rolled at one time. The cold rolling process is accompanied by the use huge amount water-oil mixture.

It is amazing how a tape several microns thick, rushing through the press rollers at enormous speed, does not break. Or rather, it breaks sometimes, but this is an emergency that happens very rarely.

After two sheets of foil are rolled together, one side is matte and the other side is shiny. It is not easy to separate this thin material into two parts.

Now you need to again make two separate rolls from one roll with double foil and at the same time cut them to the specified width. After this, the foil rolls are fired again in ovens. The production is practically waste-free - everything that remains is pressed and goes back into the smelting furnace.

The finished and cut foil is sent to packaging, and the part intended for further processing is sent to the converting department, where laminating (sticking foil onto a base - paper, for example), lamination, intaglio printing, varnishing, dyeing and embossing of foil and combined packaging materials is carried out. based on it.

At SAYANAL there are these giant eight-section foil intaglio printing machines.

The factory not only makes printed forms, but independently develop packaging designs for customers.

Before printing begins, a test sample of the material is taken.

Everything here is the same as in a regular printing house, only instead of paper there is aluminum foil.

From the press release:
“The range of products is quite wide - smooth, printed, laminated foil for the tobacco industry and food packaging, painted, embossed, thermo-varnish coated foil, etc. More than half of the plant’s products are exported to the USA, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East , to Africa and to Australia (to 46 countries on 5 continents). Foil and combined packaging materials based on it have a number of advantages over other materials: high aroma, gas and light resistance, the ability to reflect heat rays and molding, good heat resistance, resistance to shock loads, the ability to be used for thermal, aseptic processing and sterilization. Foreign consumers are most interested in supplies of household and smooth foil for the production of combined materials. On Russian market SAYANAL products are used by the food and tobacco industries, pharmaceuticals, cable and construction industries. More than 350 enterprises in 40 regions of Russia use foil and packaging materials made at SAYANAL in their production.”
There are problems, of course. Chinese foil manufacturers are putting a lot of pressure on prices. If traditional confectionery brands still pack their sweet product in real foil, confectioners in the provinces, trying to reduce the cost of production, are increasingly switching to various kinds of substitutes, polyethylene, etc. Transport is not happy with the constant increase in transportation tariffs. But the Siberians maintain their brand, modernize production, reduce their own costs, and compete with the help of High Quality. In a word, they work. Remember about them when you see the inscription “Sayan” on the foil packaging - you now know where it is made.

How aluminum foil came to be

For a long time, tin foil or tin coated tin was used as packaging media. However, these materials were too rigid and did not have the proper ductility. The development of mass production of aluminum helped solve the packaging problem.

In 1910, the Swiss developed a method for continuous rolling of this metal, which made it possible to create aluminum foil with exceptional performance properties. Interesting idea The “ubiquitous” Americans immediately picked it up. Three years later, leading US companies were packaging chewing gum and candies in aluminum foil.

Subsequent development innovative technology boiled down to the fact that production techniques and equipment were improved, and the quality of the new foil was improved. They learned to paint, varnish and laminate it, and began to apply printed images to it.

Aluminum foil production

Currently, aluminum foil is an extremely popular product in the industrial, commercial and household sectors. It is produced by the method of sequential multiple cold rolling of aluminum and its various alloys. The metal is passed through special steel shafts, the distance between which decreases at each subsequent stage.

To obtain ultra-thin foil, two metal sheets are rolled at once, separated from each other by a special lubricant and cooling liquid. The final product has some specifics. In particular, one side of the foil is shiny and the other is matte. In many cases finished products subjected to high-temperature annealing, as a result of which it becomes practically sterile.

The thickness of the foil varies from 0.006 mm to 0.2 mm.

Advantages of aluminum foil

Aluminum foil, which is popular these days, has many advantages over other similar materials, for example, over film or parchment.

Among the exceptional performance and functional properties of aluminum foil are:

• high aesthetics;
• impermeability to water vapor, oxygen, gases due to a dense and ordered atomic network of macromolecules, which expands possibilities and also improves storage conditions for various goods;
• excellent corrosion resistance due to the presence of a natural oxide film on the surface of the foil, which prevents the destructive effects of a chemically active environment;
• hygiene, environmental cleanliness, which excludes the penetration of foreign odors, water, and pathogenic microbes into the products;
• inertness to any food products, medicines, cosmetics;
• ability to take the required form and preserve it by bending or folding the foil;
• complete opacity, which is important when storing a number of products;
• lack of static electricity, which makes it easier to work with foil on packaging equipment;
• resistance to high temperatures, which makes aluminum foil easy to solder without deformation or melting;
• high electrical conductivity;
• excellent light reflection.

Some nuances of using aluminum foil

Since aluminum foil is quite thin, its resistance to various mechanical influences is somewhat reduced. Therefore, packaging manufacturers often combine it with other materials and coatings, in particular with varnish, paper, polymer films, cardboard, and hot melt adhesive. This allows you to give the packaging the required strength, as well as place on it various images and printed text.

It is not recommended to use aluminum foil for packaging products that contain acetic acid, as well as for pasteurization, boiling and sterilization of food products. Otherwise, the diffusion of various active substances contained in the products through the internal heat-sealable foil layer will lead to the destruction of the protective oxide film.

Aluminum foil is not used in microwave ovens, since in this case the microwaves are reflected from its surface without penetrating inside the container.
It must also be remembered that aluminum foil, despite its chemical inertness, can react with environment, the acidity of which is in the pH range from 4 to 9.

Types of aluminum foil and their uses

Currently, a variety of aluminum foil is produced, which has certain parameters and high-quality composition, focused on specific application purposes.

In particular, foil for further processing, including food foil, can be laminated, laminated, or painted. It is used for packaging:

• perishable products;
• cigarettes;
• medicines;
• coffee and tea;
• baby food and milk powder;
• confectionery products;
• spices;
• butter, margarine, ice cream, cottage cheese products;
• minced meat, etc.

Technical industrial foil can be soft, textured, treated with bitumen or insulating agents. It is used to make:

• cable screens;
• self-adhesive tapes;
• capacitors;
• air conditioner grilles;
• transformers;
• containers;
• radiators and heat exchangers;
• air ducts;
• a number of devices;
• technological packaging;
• steam, hydro and thermal insulation of floors, roofs, pipes, ventilation systems;
• embossing of printed products;
• solar reflective panels.

In baths and saunas, technical aluminum foil makes it possible to ensure maximum safety of thermal radiation indoors. Using foil allows you to heat the room faster and retain heat. Moreover, heating costs are significantly reduced. This heat insulator creates the so-called thermos effect.

In addition, industrial foil is used to equip baths and saunas, and in underfloor heating systems. This material allows for rational, even distribution thermal energy, prevents cable crushing, reduces heat losses, and also significantly saves energy.

Household food foil is actively used in the household for storing and preparing various products.

The table below shows the differences between individual foil types.

Standards and requirements for aluminum foil, product labeling

There are a number international standards, which regulate the composition, properties, dimensions of food and industrial foil. In particular:

• EN573-3 defines quality chemical composition material;
• EN546-2 specifies its mechanical characteristics;
• EN546-3 specifies clear dimensional tolerances;
• EN546-4 states other requirements.

In accordance with standards, aluminum foil may have specific markings, including:

• OH, which means soft annealing of the material;
• GOH, indicating deep drawing annealing;
• H18, which confirms the hard cold-rolled state of the packaging product;
• H19, which indicates the special hardness of the cold-rolled material;
• H24, which indicates the semi-solid and hardened state of the packaging medium;
• GH28, which indicates the hardness of the foil released for deep drawing.

Thus, aluminum foil is the optimal material for packaging, storage, and transportation of a variety of technical and food products. Providing excellent conditions for these processes to take place, foil has a low cost.

- (Polish olga, from Latin folium leaf). Thin sheets of lead coated with clear varnish, or thin silver-plated or gilded copper leaves. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. FOIL Polish... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

AND; and. [Polish folga] 1. A very thin metal sheet (sheets) used for decorating products, for packaging food products and in a number of industries. Aluminum f. Roll of foil. Wrap in foil. Bake chicken in foil. Multi-colored f. 2... encyclopedic Dictionary

Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

FOIL, and and (obsolete and special) FOIL, and, female. The thinnest metal sheet, used. in technology, for stamping, for food packaging. Sheet, roll of foil. | adj. foil, aya, oh and foil, aya, oh (obsolete and special). Dictionary… … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (Polish folga from Latin folium sheet), thin sheets or tapes (2,100 micrometers) of various metals and alloys (Al, Sn, Pb, S Pb, etc.); foil-laminated paper tape clad with aluminum. Produced by rolling, electrolytic method... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

FOIL, foils, many. no, female (Polish folga from Latin folium leaf). Very thin metal sheet (or sheets), used. in the production of mirrors, in bookbinding for embossing, etc. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

Tape, staniol, sheet Dictionary of Russian synonyms. foil noun, number of synonyms: 6 alfol (1) ... Synonym dictionary

Foil- Foil: flat rolled rectangular product cross section uniform thickness from 0.05 to 0.10 mm, supplied in rolls... Source: GOST 2208 2007. Brass foil, tapes, sheets and plates. Specifications(put into effect... ... Official terminology

foil- foil, genus. foils and obsolete foils, foils... Dictionary of difficulties of pronunciation and stress in modern Russian language

foil- Thin sheets or strips of metals and metal alloys thickness 2,100 microns. [Terminological dictionary for construction in 12 languages ​​(VNIIIS Gosstroy USSR)] foil A semi-finished product of rectangular cross-section up to 0.1 mm thick, produced by rolling,... ... Technical Translator's Guide

Books

• Colored holographic foil "Flowers and butterflies" (7 sheets, 7 colors, A 4) (C 0296-06) , . Colored holographic foil for children's creativity. Set contains 7 sheets, 7 colors. Format: A 4. Made in Russia...
• Colored foil, 7 sheets, 7 colors, A 4 "BRAUBERG Leaves" (124743), . Textured colored foil. Format: A 4, 205*255 mm Number of sheets: 7 Number of colors: 7 Pattern: leaves…

We come across foil almost every day, most often without even noticing it. It can be household or technical. The first is used for packaging products, making blisters for tablets, and baking meat and vegetables. It is non-toxic, odorless and retains heat perfectly. The second is used in electronics and industry. This foil is plastic, heat-resistant and highly reflective.

Who invented foil? Who and when came up with the idea of ​​turning a piece of metal into a paper-thin sheet?

Truth and fiction

Sometimes you can find mention that Percy Spencer invented foil. In fact, this is not true at all. According to legend, Percy Spencer invented the microwave oven when he noticed that turning on the magnetron melted a chocolate bar in his pocket. But the chocolate bar was just wrapped in foil, which may have contributed to the heating process.

But who actually invented foil? In reality, opinions differ radically. The first foil was gold, it is also called gold leaf. It appeared a very long time ago, even among the ancient Greeks and Egyptians. This is due to the fact that gold is the most ductile and malleable metal, that is, flattening it into the thinnest sheet is not difficult. Used it for decorating jewelry and gilding.

In Japan, craftsmen forged and stretched a piece of gold until it turned into a piece of foil. When the leaves become very thin, no thicker than 0.001 mm, the foil is again beaten between layers of paper. This art exists only in Japan for many centuries.

You can even eat gold foil. IN Food Industry This is an E175 additive, used to decorate various dishes, such as ice cream.

Nowadays, gold foil is valued not only for its artistic value, but also for its high electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance. And this important qualities for electrical engineering.

Who invented foil? Actually, the aluminum product has a long and controversial history. Its ancestor was tin foil, staniol, which was widely used until the twentieth century in the manufacture of mirrors, in food packaging and in dentistry. But staniol was toxic and had an unpleasant tinny smell, so it did not take root in the food industry.

Brilliant invention

Who invented foil? Interesting Facts talk about this “brilliant” invention. In 1909, a young engineer from Zurich, Robert Victor Neher, was watching an international balloon race and accidentally overheard fans arguing about which aircraft would last the longest in the air. It occurred to Neer that for best result It would be worth covering the silk balloon with a thin layer of aluminum foil.

Unfortunately, the balloon, designed according to Neer's design, could not fly. But a machine for producing the thinnest strips of aluminum, that is, foil, had already been built. After several trials and errors, with the help of colleagues (Edwin Laubert and Alfred Grum), Neer still managed to achieve success. A patent for the production of aluminum foil was received on October 27, 1910.

Neer and chocolate factories

The first to appreciate the benefits of the new packaging material confectioners. Before this, chocolate was sold in pieces by weight. Further opinions differ. Some historians say that the first contract with Neer for the supply of foil was concluded by the Tobler chocolate factory. Others claim that the use of aluminum foil to protect consumers from melted chocolate was invented at Nestlé factories. Still others attribute the idea of ​​chocolate wrappers made from this material to Franklin Mars, owner of the Mars factory. Aluminum wrap was a successful innovation by a savvy entrepreneur. Life Savers were the first foil-wrapped candies in the United States in 1913.

So, who invented foil? Some claim that Thomas Edison did this so that his favorite sweets would not spoil so quickly.

Later, foil began to be used for packaging medicines, cigarettes, oil, coffee and even juice. At the same time, the first rolls of household foil for packaging anything appeared.

Color matters

So after all, who invented the foil? To this day, this is a controversial issue. What is known for sure is that in 1915 Neher came up with a way to make foil multi-colored. But in 1918 he was drafted into the army, where he died from a Spanish flu on November 27 of the same year. But his idea did not disappear, and in 1933 Konrad Kurz became the discoverer of the cathode deposition method. This method made it possible to apply a thin, even layer of gold onto an aluminum base. This foil was used for hot stamping. World wars and total economic decline forced manufacturers to replace the layer of real gold with a layer of yellow lacquer with a metallized base. This is how modern multi-colored foil appeared. Color variety and cheaper production have expanded the scope of application of the material.

Other story

The question remains unresolved: who invented foil? There is another version of its appearance, and it is not connected with balloons, and with the tobacco industry. It often happens that discoveries come to the minds of several people almost simultaneously. Until the early 20th century, cigars and cigarettes were packaged in thin sheets of tin to protect them from moisture. Richard Reynolds, who was working at his uncle's tobacco factory at the time, came up with the idea of ​​using aluminum, a cheaper and lighter material, instead of tin. He produced the first sample of aluminum foil in 1947.

Foil and lotus

On April 16, 2015, German scientists announced the invention of a material to which liquid does not stick, in this case yogurt. New material- This is aluminum foil covered with microscopic depressions in which air collects and prevents liquid from getting inside. Scientists got this idea from the lotus leaf, which repels water and dirt.

Japanese companies are already ready to put the invention into practice by developing special lids for yogurt.

The history of the foil weaving technique

People have always been involved in handicrafts. In ancient times, they carved rock paintings with stone on stone, used veins and bone needles to sew together pieces of skin and fur, strung beautiful pebbles and shells on leather laces, wove baskets from bark and branches, and sculpted clay jugs. And it has always been important for people that the things they make are not only practical, but also beautiful. Therefore, clay jugs were decorated with paintings, clothes with embroidery, wooden crafts- carving, and metal ones - chasing. Whenever new material became available, people immediately adapted it to artistic creativity. Rope appeared - macrame appeared, paper appeared - origami appeared... If aluminum foil had become available to people in the Stone Age, then now archaeologists would proudly show us Neolithic jewelry woven from it. But, despite the fact that aluminum is the most common metal on earth, scientists were able to obtain it in its pure form for the first time only in the 19th century. This was a very difficult task, so for some time aluminum was a rare metal and was valued more than gold. Very noble and influential people, sparing no expense, ordered aluminum buttons and cutlery to boast of such unprecedented luxury. But in the 20th century, people finally conquered electricity, a cheap way to produce aluminum was found, and it became a widely available material. Aluminum forks and spoons, which the emperors dreamed of, became attributes of cheap catering. And after stamped products, aluminum foil appeared.

This is a delightful modern completely safe material, as if specially created for needlework. Light, flexible and shiny, it is not afraid of water and high temperatures, does not require special tools when working and, importantly, it can be bought in every hardware store, and it is very cheap.

Foil flowers are an excellent decoration for the interior, a wonderful gift for any occasion. They will delight you at any time of the year and will never wither.

Materials and tools:
- food foil 1 roll;
- scissors;
- a sheet of black velvet cardboard;

Double sided tape.
Manufacturing process:

1. Unfold the roll of foil.
2. Using scissors, cut strips of foil 2-2.5 cm wide

To make 1 flower, cut strips of foil (strips can be torn off using a ruler) in the amount of 20 pieces for making petals and 1 wide strip 15-20 cm wide for the stem.
3. We twist the wires from the resulting strips.To obtain the wire, first crumple the foil strips along the width.Then we make rotational movements with the fingers of both hands, reminiscent of the process of spinning threads from the hair of domestic animals by our grandmothers.This must be done very carefully, since you should remember that foil is a very fragile material, ready to tear at any moment. If this happens, then you can connect the pieces together without using adhesives, etc. funds.

4. To make 1 petal for a flower you need 4 wires. First, we take 1 wire for the base, and twist the second one around it.
We fasten the remaining wires around it in the same way.

Make 4 more petals in the same way.

5. For each petal we gather the ends of the wires together and straighten it beautifully.

The number of petals in a flower and wires in each flower petal is chosen arbitrarily, at the discretion of the author of the craft.
6. We made 3 flowers with petals from 4 wires and 2 from 2 wires. The process of making such flowers is similar. Only to make one petal they used two wires, twisted them together, and sharpened the ends of the petal. The number of petals of one flower was increased to 7. Stamens were also added.
7. Making stamens. For this we need 1 wire. Divide it into three equal parts, twisting the ends into circles.

8. Making a stem. To do this, we need a wide strip of foil (20 cm wide. Just like with thin strips, we first crumple it and then twist the stem out of it.

9. We collect the petals around the stem. For the second type of flower, insert the stamen into the middle.

10. In order to secure the petals to the stem, take 1 more wire and wrap it around it, you get a sepal. You can strengthen the petals around the stem by wrapping a strip of foil 3-4 cm wide around the petals and stem.

11. Making a vase. Take a sheet of black velvet cardboard and cut it in half vertically. We glue double-sided tape to the edge of one half and connect it to the other side. Thus, we have a cylinder; we cover the bottom of the cylinder with foil, gluing it inside with tape.

12. Place the resulting flowers in a vase, filling the empty space with balls made of foil.

13. Decorate flowers with spirals made from foil wires.

Our bouquet is ready!