Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Aluminium Foil shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Aluminium Foil offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Aluminium Foil at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Aluminium Foil? Wrong! If the Aluminium Foil is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Aluminium Foil then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Aluminium Foil? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Aluminium Foil and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Aluminium Foil wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Aluminium Foil then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Aluminium Foil site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Aluminium Foil, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Aluminium Foil, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
Aluminium foil (known as
aluminum foil in
North America) is aluminium prepared in thin sheets (about 0.02 millimetre in thickness). As a result of this, the
Foil (chemistry) is extremely pliable, and can be bent or wrapped around objects with ease.
Aluminium foil is sometimes known as
al-foil or
alu-foil. It is also often called
tinfoil, although it is not made from tin, or as
silver paper although it is not made from
silver; or in North America, as
Reynolds wrap after
Reynolds Metals, the leading manufacturer when it was introduced on the American market (much to the chagrin of
Alcoa, Reynolds' main competitor, which had its brand "Alcoa Wrap" referred to as "Alcoa Reynold's Wrap").
Millions of tons of aluminium foil are used throughout the world in the protection and
packaging of
foods, cosmetics and chemical products. Usually, an extremely thin layer (0.0065 mm or 6.5 µm) is
laminated to other materials,
plastics and
paper.
History
Foil made from a thin leaf of
tin was commercially available before the aluminium counterpart. In the late
19th century and early
20th century, tin foil was in common use, and some people continue to refer to the new product by the name of the old one. Tin foil is stiffer than aluminium foil. It tends to give a slight tin taste to
food wrapped in it, which is one major reason it has largely been supplanted by aluminium and other materials for wrapping food.
The first audio recordings on phonograph cylinders were made on tin foil.
Tin was first replaced by aluminium in 1910, when the first aluminium foil rolling plant, “Dr. Lauber, Neher & Cie., Emmishofen.” was opened in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.
The plant, owned by J.G. Neher & Sons (aluminium manufacturers) started in 1886 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, at the foot of the Rhine Falls - capturing the falls’ energy to produce aluminium. Neher's sons together with Dr. Lauber discovered the endless rolling process and the use of aluminium foil as a protective barrier. From there began the wide use of aluminium foil in the packaging of chocolate bars and tobacco products. Processes evolved over time to include the use of print, colour, lacquer, laminate and the embossing of the aluminium.
Properties
Aluminium foil typically has a highly reflective side and a more matte side. This is a result of common manufacturing processes. As aluminium foil is easy to tear, the foil is sent through machines in pairs. The side where the aluminium foil was in contact with the other sheet is more matte than the exterior side. This difference in the finish has led to the perception that favouring a side has an effect when cooking. While many believe that the shiny side's reflective properties keep heat in when wrapped on the interior and keep heat out when facing exterior, the actual difference is imperceptible without instrumentation .
Uses
Food packaging
Aluminium foil is used to make long life packs for
drinks, dairy products, and many other sensitive foods. The foil acts as a complete barrier to light (which spoils
fats),
odours, loss or gain of moisture, and bacteria. Aluminium foil containers and trays are used to bake pies and to pack
Take-out meals, ready snacks and long life
pet foods.
Aluminium foil is widely sold into the consumer market, usually in rolls of around 50
centimetres width and several metres in length. It is used for wrapping food in order to preserve it, for example when storing leftover food in a refrigerator (where it serves the additional purpose of preventing odour exchange), when taking sandwiches on a journey, or when selling some kinds of
take-away or
fast food.
Tex-Mex restaurants in the
United States, for example, typically provide take-away burrito (food)s wrapped in aluminium foil.
Insulation
Aluminium foil is also widely used for
thermal insulation (barrier and reflectivity), heat exchangers (heat conduction) and cable liners (barrier and electrical conductivity). Foils in special
alloys are even used for structural honeycomb components for aircraft. Aluminium foil's heat conductive qualities make it a common accessory in hookah smoking: a sheet of perforated aluminium foil is frequently placed between the coal and the tobacco, allowing the tobacco to be heated without coming into direct contact with the burning coal.
In one year's April Fool's joke, a
The Netherlands television news station reported that the government had introduced a new way to detect hidden televisions (in many countries in Europe, one must pay a television licence to fund public broadcasting) by simply driving through the streets with a new detector, and that the only way to keep one's television from being detected was to wrap it in aluminium foil.
Cooking
Aluminium foil is also used for barbecue more delicate foods such as mushrooms and vegetables; food is wrapped in foil then placed on the grill, preventing loss of moisture that may result in a less appealing texture.
As is the case with all metallic items, aluminium foil reacts to being
Microwave Oven. This is due to the effect of electric fields of the microwaves causing a build up of charge to form between the sharp points in the aluminium; if enough charge accumulates it will discharge to a different place on the foil, creating a spark (i.e. arcing). Due to frequent use in food services, this commonly leads to kitchen fires.
It is also unwise to cook a highly acidic food in an iron vessel, then cover the leftovers in aluminium foil, because if the foil touches the food, a simple
battery (electricity) is created. The foil rapidly dissolves into the food, leaving dull grey dregs.
Art and decoration
Heavier foils made of aluminium are used for art, decoration, and crafts, especially in bright metallic colours. Metallic aluminium, normally silvery in colour, can be made to take on other colours through
anodization. Anodizing creates an oxide layer on the aluminium surface that can accept coloured dyes or metallic salts, depending on the process used. In this way, aluminium is used to create an inexpensive gold foil that actually contains no gold, and many other bright metallic colours. These foils are sometimes used in distinctive packaging.
Deterring pets
Aluminium foil is also sometimes used in the training of
cats; as cats have an inborn dislike of loud noise, like that caused by sheets of aluminium foil, it is possible to prevent cats from jumping on or otherwise damaging furniture by covering its surfaces. Though this could be seen as a questionable housekeeping manner..
Criticism
The extensive use of aluminium foil has been criticised by some
environmentalism because of the high Resource (economics) cost of extracting aluminium, primarily as a result of the large amount of
electricity used to decompose bauxite. However, this cost is greatly reduced via recycling and the fact that many foods that would otherwise perish can be protected over long periods without refrigeration thanks to the total barrier properties of aluminium foil. Many aluminium foil products can be recycled at around 5% of the original
energy cost.
References
See also
External links
- http://www.alufoil.org
- Photos of the Aluminium Foiled Apartment
- Aluminium Foil from How Products Are Made, vol. 1, Thomson Gale (2005).
- A video on how Aluminium Foil is made
Aluminium foil (known as
aluminum foil in
North America) is aluminium prepared in thin sheets (about 0.02
millimetre in thickness). As a result of this, the
Foil (chemistry) is extremely pliable, and can be bent or wrapped around objects with ease.
Aluminium foil is sometimes known as
al-foil or
alu-foil. It is also often called
tinfoil, although it is not made from
tin, or as
silver paper although it is not made from silver; or in North America, as
Reynolds wrap after Reynolds Metals, the leading manufacturer when it was introduced on the American market (much to the chagrin of
Alcoa, Reynolds' main competitor, which had its brand "Alcoa Wrap" referred to as "Alcoa Reynold's Wrap").
Millions of tons of aluminium foil are used throughout the world in the protection and packaging of foods,
cosmetics and chemical products. Usually, an extremely thin layer (0.0065 mm or 6.5 µm) is laminated to other materials, plastics and
paper.
History
Foil made from a thin leaf of
tin was commercially available before the aluminium counterpart. In the late
19th century and early 20th century, tin foil was in common use, and some people continue to refer to the new product by the name of the old one. Tin foil is stiffer than aluminium foil. It tends to give a slight tin taste to
food wrapped in it, which is one major reason it has largely been supplanted by aluminium and other materials for wrapping food.
The first audio recordings on phonograph cylinders were made on tin foil.
Tin was first replaced by aluminium in 1910, when the first aluminium foil rolling plant, “Dr. Lauber, Neher & Cie., Emmishofen.” was opened in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland.
The plant, owned by J.G. Neher & Sons (aluminium manufacturers) started in 1886 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, at the foot of the Rhine Falls - capturing the falls’ energy to produce aluminium. Neher's sons together with Dr. Lauber discovered the endless rolling process and the use of aluminium foil as a protective barrier. From there began the wide use of aluminium foil in the packaging of chocolate bars and tobacco products. Processes evolved over time to include the use of print, colour, lacquer, laminate and the embossing of the aluminium.
Properties
Aluminium foil typically has a highly reflective side and a more matte side. This is a result of common manufacturing processes. As aluminium foil is easy to tear, the foil is sent through machines in pairs. The side where the aluminium foil was in contact with the other sheet is more matte than the exterior side. This difference in the finish has led to the perception that favouring a side has an effect when cooking. While many believe that the shiny side's reflective properties keep heat in when wrapped on the interior and keep heat out when facing exterior, the actual difference is imperceptible without instrumentation .
Uses
Food packaging
Aluminium foil is used to make long life packs for
drinks,
dairy products, and many other sensitive foods. The foil acts as a complete barrier to light (which spoils fats), odours, loss or gain of
moisture, and
bacteria. Aluminium foil containers and trays are used to bake pies and to pack Take-out meals, ready snacks and long life
pet foods.
Aluminium foil is widely sold into the
consumer market, usually in rolls of around 50 centimetres width and several metres in length. It is used for wrapping food in order to preserve it, for example when storing leftover food in a
refrigerator (where it serves the additional purpose of preventing odour exchange), when taking sandwiches on a journey, or when selling some kinds of take-away or fast food.
Tex-Mex restaurants in the
United States, for example, typically provide take-away
burrito (food)s wrapped in aluminium foil.
Insulation
Aluminium foil is also widely used for
thermal insulation (barrier and reflectivity), heat exchangers (
heat conduction) and cable liners (barrier and
electrical conductivity). Foils in special alloys are even used for structural honeycomb components for aircraft. Aluminium foil's heat conductive qualities make it a common accessory in hookah smoking: a sheet of perforated aluminium foil is frequently placed between the coal and the tobacco, allowing the tobacco to be heated without coming into direct contact with the burning coal.
In one year's April Fool's joke, a The Netherlands television news station reported that the government had introduced a new way to detect hidden
televisions (in many countries in Europe, one must pay a television licence to fund public broadcasting) by simply driving through the streets with a new detector, and that the only way to keep one's television from being detected was to wrap it in aluminium foil.
Cooking
Aluminium foil is also used for barbecue more delicate foods such as mushrooms and vegetables; food is wrapped in foil then placed on the grill, preventing loss of moisture that may result in a less appealing texture.
As is the case with all metallic items, aluminium foil reacts to being
Microwave Oven. This is due to the effect of electric fields of the microwaves causing a build up of charge to form between the sharp points in the aluminium; if enough charge accumulates it will discharge to a different place on the foil, creating a spark (i.e. arcing). Due to frequent use in food services, this commonly leads to kitchen fires.
It is also unwise to cook a highly acidic food in an iron vessel, then cover the leftovers in aluminium foil, because if the foil touches the food, a simple battery (electricity) is created. The foil rapidly dissolves into the food, leaving dull grey dregs.
Art and decoration
Heavier foils made of aluminium are used for art, decoration, and crafts, especially in bright metallic colours. Metallic aluminium, normally silvery in colour, can be made to take on other colours through anodization. Anodizing creates an oxide layer on the aluminium surface that can accept coloured dyes or metallic salts, depending on the process used. In this way, aluminium is used to create an inexpensive gold foil that actually contains no gold, and many other bright metallic colours. These foils are sometimes used in distinctive packaging.
Deterring pets
Aluminium foil is also sometimes used in the training of
cats; as cats have an inborn dislike of loud noise, like that caused by sheets of aluminium foil, it is possible to prevent cats from jumping on or otherwise damaging furniture by covering its surfaces. Though this could be seen as a questionable housekeeping manner..
Criticism
The extensive use of aluminium foil has been criticised by some environmentalism because of the high
Resource (economics) cost of extracting aluminium, primarily as a result of the large amount of
electricity used to decompose bauxite. However, this cost is greatly reduced via recycling and the fact that many foods that would otherwise perish can be protected over long periods without refrigeration thanks to the total barrier properties of aluminium foil. Many aluminium foil products can be recycled at around 5% of the original energy cost.
References
See also
External links
- http://www.alufoil.org
- Photos of the Aluminium Foiled Apartment
- Aluminium Foil from How Products Are Made, vol. 1, Thomson Gale (2005).
- A video on how Aluminium Foil is made
aluminium foil cutting
Supplying, laminating and cutting of aluminium foil for use in the food packaging and catering industries. Based in Exeter, Devon, England.
Aluminium foil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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