When foil was invented. The history of the foil weaving technique “FOILART. Who Invented Foil? Interesting Facts. Aluminum foil in the pharmaceutical industry

We come across foil almost every day, more often than not even noticing it. It can be household and technical. The first is used for packaging food, making blisters for tablets, baking meat and vegetables. It is non-toxic, odorless and retains heat well. The second is used in electronics and industry. This foil is flexible, heat-resistant and highly reflective.

Who Invented Foil? Who and when had the idea to turn a piece of metal into a sheet as thin as paper?

Truth and fiction

It is sometimes mentioned that Percy Spencer invented the foil. In fact, this is not at all the case. Legend has it that Percy Spencer invented the microwave when he noticed that the switched on magnetron melted a chocolate bar in his pocket. But the chocolate was just wrapped in foil, which may have contributed to the heating process.

But who really invented the foil? In reality, opinions differ dramatically. The first foil was gold, it is also called It appeared a 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, it is not difficult to flatten it into the thinnest sheet. They used it to decorate 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 off between the layers of paper. This art has existed only in Japan for many centuries.

You can even eat gold foil. In the food industry, this is an E175 additive, used to decorate various dishes, for example, ice cream.

Now it is appreciated not only for its artistic value, but also for its high electrical conductivity and resistance to corrosion. And these are important qualities for electrical engineering.

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

A brilliant invention

Who Invented Foil? Interesting facts tell about this "brilliant" invention. In 1909, a young engineer from Zurich, Robert Victor Neer, watched an international balloon race and overheard fans arguing about which aircraft would last longer. It occurred to Neer that for the best result it would be worth covering the silk balloon with a thin layer of aluminum foil.

Unfortunately, the balloon designed by Neer's design could not fly. But a machine for the production of the thinnest strips of aluminum, that is, foil, had already been built. After several trial and error, with the help of colleagues (Edwin Laubert and Alfred Moody), Neer still managed to achieve success. The patent for the production of aluminum foil was obtained on October 27, 1910.

Neer and the chocolate factories

Confectioners were the first to appreciate the advantages of the new packaging material. Prior to that, 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 made by the Tobler chocolate factory. Others claim that the Nestlé factories came up with the idea of ​​using aluminum foil to protect consumers from melted chocolate. Still others attribute the idea of ​​chocolate wrappers made from this material to Franklin Mars, the owner of the Mars factory. The aluminum wrapper was a smart innovation for the savvy entrepreneur. In the United States, Life Savers were first wrapped in foil in 1913.

So who came up with the foil? Some argue that this was done to prevent his favorite sweets from spoiling so quickly.

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

Color matters

So who invented the foil after all? Until today, this is a controversial issue. It is only known for certain that in 1915 Neher came up with a way to make the foil multi-colored. But in 1918 he was drafted into the army, where he died of the Spanish flu on November 27 of the same year. But his idea did not disappear, and in 1933 Konrad Kurz became the pioneer of the cathode sputtering method. This method made it possible to apply the thinnest even layer of gold to the aluminum base. This foil was used for hot embossing. 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 the modern multi-colored foil appeared. The variety of colors and the reduction in production costs have expanded the scope of the material.

Other story

The question is still not resolved: who invented the foil? There is another version of its appearance, and it is associated not with balloons, but with the tobacco industry. It often happens that discoveries come to the heads of several people almost simultaneously. Until the early 20th century, cigars and cigarettes were wrapped in thin sheets of tin for moisture protection. Richard Reynolds, then working at his uncle's tobacco factory, came up with the idea of ​​using aluminum instead of tin, a cheaper and lighter material. He made 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 adhere, in this case, yogurt. The new material is aluminum foil covered with microscopic cavities in which air collects and prevents liquid from entering. Scientists spied this idea from a lotus leaf, which repels water and dirt.

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

People at all times were engaged in needlework. In ancient times, they carved rock paintings with stone on stone, with the help of veins and bone needles they sewed pieces of skin and fur, strung beautiful pebbles and shells on leather laces, weaved baskets from bark and branches, molded 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 painting, clothes - with embroidery, wooden items - with carvings, and metal ones - with chasing. Whenever there was a new material available, people immediately adapted it for artistic creation. Rope appeared - macrame appeared, paper appeared - origami appeared ... If aluminum foil became available to people in the Stone Age, now archaeologists would proudly show us the jewelry of the Neolithic times woven from it. But, despite the fact that aluminum is the most widespread metal on earth, scientists managed to get it for the first time in its pure form only in the 19th century. This was a very difficult task, so for some time aluminum was a rare metal and was more valuable than gold. Very noble and influential persons, sparing no expense, ordered themselves aluminum buttons and cutlery to boast of such an unprecedented luxury. But in the 20th century, electricity finally conquered people, a cheap method of producing aluminum was found, and it became a widely available material. The aluminum forks and spoons that emperors dreamed of became the attributes of cheap catering. And after the stamped products, aluminum foil appeared.

This is a delightful, modern, completely safe material, as if it was specially made for handicrafts. Lightweight, 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.

Therefore, it is not surprising that from the very moment of its appearance, craftsmen and craftswomen tried to adapt it to create jewelry and artistic creativity: they wrapped nuts and candies in it to hang on a New Year's tree, pasted over cardboard boxes, crumpled and pressed them in the form of various figures and sculptures. But it turned out that this is far from all that ordinary aluminum foil is capable of. Foil weaving is the next big step in the application of this new modern material to the arts. When people see products woven from foil, they do not immediately understand what and how it is made, and having figured out what is what, they cannot believe that for a whole century of the existence of this material, no one has thought of such a thing.

Weaving from foil is so simple and cool that it immediately begins to seem as if this kind of needlework, accessible even to children, has always existed. Indeed, he had a chance to be born every time someone, having eaten a candy or a chocolate bar, began to wrinkle and twist a useless, but such a beautiful and shiny candy wrapper in his hands. But, either the sweet tooth had more important things to do, or no one ate sweets in the quantities necessary for inspiration, but it turned out that it was me, Olesya Emelyanova, who once came up with the idea of ​​finding a better use for candy wrappers than a trash can. I began to weave miniature flowers, butterflies and goldfish from golden wrappers from "Autumn Waltz" and other fancy sweets. Familiar kids enthusiastically collected suitable candy wrappers for me to exchange for an outlandish craft.

But the collection of candy wrappers was slow, their size was small, and there were many ideas, so I started looking for a more affordable and convenient replacement. You didn't have to go far, because in every house there is a roll of food foil. It, of course, was not as shiny as gold, but it did not end in the most interesting place. So from “goldsmiths” I moved to the category of “silver”. Now you could weave whatever your heart desires: life-size flowers, candlesticks, lampshades, toys, figurines of animals and birds.

This is how I took the next step in the application of a relatively new material for humanity and invented a new kind of creativity - weaving from foil or, as it is also called, "FOILART" (from the combination of the English words "foil" and "art"). There was nothing like this anywhere in the world, so Russia can be safely called the birthplace of this amazing technology, as evidenced by the patent for invention I received №2402426 *. Having defended my invention, which is never superfluous, I decided that it was time to introduce it not only to friends and acquaintances, but also to the general public.

In 2008, the Elf-Market company released the first series of kits for creativity. It includes 11 sets: flowers, a butterfly, an Easter egg and a candlestick. By the way, precisely because of the name of this series, the second name of the technique - "FOILART", has stuck to foil weaving.

In 2011, the publishing house "AST-PRESS" published the world's first book on weaving from foil "Foil. Openwork weaving ”. This is a beautiful deluxe edition with many photos. Some of them you had the pleasure to see above in the photo exhibition of works. The book includes master classes on weaving flowers, candlesticks, napkins, vases, baskets and animals from foil.

In 2012, the Tenth Kingdom company released another one, which included 6 models: a box, tree leaves, jewelry, candlesticks and a miniature bicycle.

In 2014, the art of foilart continued its triumphant march through the market for children's art sets. Russian Style has released a series of foil weaving kits under the new name Sparkling Art, which translates as brilliant art or sparkling art. And why not, because the products woven from aluminum straw really shine due to the uneven metal surface of the foil. The series includes 4 models: a horse, a snail, a fish and a diadem.

Also on my site you can right now become participants in free master classes and.

Products woven from foil look very impressive, but there is nothing complicated in their manufacture. Despite the fact that foil weaving is a new type of creativity, it has a lot in common with traditional types of needlework. The process of preparing the material - twisting a wire from a strip of foil, is very similar to spinning a thread. Our great-great-grandmothers did this by hand for so long that the genetic memory of this occupation is still alive. Do not be surprised if you suddenly feel that your hands have remembered how to do this. The very process of weaving from foil is similar to weaving of lace, and to weaving from wire, and to the work of a jeweler, therefore “FOILART” cannot be unambiguously called a purely female handicraft. Weaving from foil is simple, exciting and is liked by everyone who appreciates beauty and grace, loves to decorate their home, surprise and delight their loved ones.

I sincerely hope that you will like my invention and that weaving from foil will become your favorite way of creative self-expression. Learn new things, create beauty with your own hands! I sincerely wish you success in this.

© Photographer. Sergey Anatolyevich Potapov. 2011 r.

* « Foil weaving"- a new modern type of handicraft, patented by the author (RF patent for an invention and a method for making decorative thread from foil and products from it, No. 2402426). The technique of "weaving from foil" can be used for commercial purposes (books on weaving from foil, kits for creativity, paid master classes on teaching technique, sale of finished products and threads from foil, etc.) only with a license obtained from the author and owner of the patent, Olesya Emelyanova, executed in writing in accordance with applicable law.

We have not eaten aluminum spoons and forks for a long time, but there is material that is still in use and it is constantly in front of our eyes, in our hands, on the dining table. This is foil. Those wonderful shiny pieces of paper that in childhood were so great to smooth with your finger after eating a candy or chocolate bar. Girls made their "secrets" from foil, and boys twisted "cartridges" for a slingshot from candy wrappers. Aluminum foil is still one of the most commonly used materials in the food, electrical, pharmaceutical and automotive industries. It has ideal thermal conductivity, is hygienic, comfortable and, most importantly, is amazingly environmentally friendly - it comes from the ground, once it gets there after use, it disappears without a trace.

To make aluminum foil, you need to build a plant with smelting furnaces and rolling mills 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 plant, which I wrote about in my previous report. The Italian company FATA, which produces equipment for rolling aluminum, and the American Reynolds Metals Company, the world leader in the production of aluminum-based packaging materials, helped SAZ with this.
The result is a modern enterprise with a full technological cycle - from melt preparation to the production of foil and packaging materials based on it. Now the plant, which is part of the RUSAL structure, produces about 70 percent of the domestic foil. Rolls of foil that housewives buy in the store, lids for yoghurt, wrappers for chocolate, curd cheeses, candy wrappers, cigarette packages, etc. - all this is done at the 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 smelting 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 apparatus, with the help of which a tape is produced with a thickness of 6-10 mm and a width of 1200-1650 mm. Foil will be rolled from it.

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

But the harvested tape does not go to the rental immediately. First, it enters the roasting furnace, where it is heated again in a nitrogen atmosphere to restore the crystal lattice in the metal - it must withstand strong loads under pressure and not break.

The finished aluminum strip goes to the rolling mill.

There are several FATA Hunter cold rolling mills installed in the shop. With each pass through the mill, the aluminum tape gets thinner.

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

After the tape is very thin, the two webs are joined together and rolled in one go. The cold rolling process is accompanied by the use of a huge amount of water-oil mixture.

It is amazing how a tape several microns thick, which is carried through the press rolls at great speed, does not break. Rather, it breaks sometimes, but this is an emergency that happens very rarely.

After the two sheets of foil have been rolled together, one side is matte and the back is shiny. It is not easy to split this thinnest material into two parts.

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

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

At SAYANAL there are such gigantic eight-section intaglio printing machines on foil.

The factory not only makes printing plates, but also independently develops packaging designs for customers.

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

Everything here is like in a regular printing house, only instead of paper - aluminum foil.

From the press release:
“The range of products is quite wide - smooth, printed, laminated foil for the tobacco industry and food packaging, colored foil, embossed, with thermal varnish coating, etc. More than half of the plant's products are exported to the USA, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East , to Africa and Australia (to 46 countries of the world on 5 continents). Foil and combined packaging materials based on it have a number of advantages over other materials: high aroma, gas and light barrier, ability to reflect heat rays and form, good heat resistance, shock resistance, the ability to use in heat, aseptic processing and sterilization. Foreign consumers are most interested in the supply of household and smooth foil for the manufacture of composite materials. On the Russian market, SAYANAL's 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 also problems, of course. Chinese foil manufacturers are under 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 all sorts of substitutes, polyethylene, and so on. Transport is not happy with the constant increase in transportation tariffs. But Siberians keep the brand, modernize production, reduce their own costs, compete with the help of high quality. In a word, they work. Remember about them when you see the inscription "Sayanskaya" on the foil packaging - now you know where it is made.

The word "foil" came into the Russian language from Polish, where it got directly from Latin in transit through German. In Latin, folium means leaf. Only foil is a very thin sheet.

If the thickness of "real" aluminum sheets starts from 0.3 mm (GOST 21631-76 Sheets of aluminum and aluminum alloys), then the foil has a series of thicknesses long before this point on the number line.

The thickness of the aluminum foil ranges from a few thousandths to a few tenths of a millimeter. Foil for packaging - from 0.006 to 0.200 mm. It is allowed to manufacture a more "solid" assortment with a thickness of 0.200-0.240 mm.

Almost the same range of thickness values ​​- from 0.007 to 0.200 mm - is established by regulatory and technical documents for technical aluminum foil. In aluminum foil for capacitors, it is slightly less - from 0.005 to 0.150 mm.

Another important geometric parameter is width. Industrial aluminum foil is produced in widths from 15 to 1500 mm. For packaging foil, the minimum width is 10 mm.

From the history of aluminum foil

Initially, aluminum foil was perceived as a replacement for tin. For the first time its industrial production was organized in 1911 in Kreuzlingen in Switzerland. Just a year after Robert Victor Neher received a patent for its manufacturing technology.

In 1911, bars of the famous Swiss chocolate were wrapped in aluminum foil, and a year later, the well-known Maggi bouillon cubes were also wrapped a year later.

In the 20s of the XX century, manufacturers of dairy products became interested in aluminum foil. And already in the mid-thirties, millions of European housewives used foil rolls in their kitchens. In the 1950s-1960s, the production of aluminum foil increased several times. Largely thanks to her, the ready-made food market is gaining such an impressive scale. In the same years, the well-known laminate for milk and juice bags appeared - a symbiosis of paper and aluminum foil.

Along with the packaging foil, industrial aluminum foil has become widespread. It is increasingly used in construction, mechanical engineering, in the manufacture of climatic equipment, and so on.

Since the early 1960s, aluminum foil has been sent into space - satellites wrapped in aluminum foil are used to reflect radio signals and study the charged particles emitted by the Sun.

Standards

In Russia, the production of aluminum foil and products based on it is regulated by a fairly large number of regulatory and technical documents.

GOST 745-2003 Aluminum foil for packaging. The technical conditions apply to cold-rolled aluminum foil intended for packaging food products, pharmaceuticals, medical products, cosmetics industry products, as well as for the production of packaging materials based on aluminum foil.

GOST 618-73 Aluminum foil for technical purposes. The technical conditions are intended for manufacturers of aluminum roll foil used for thermal, hydro and sound insulation.

The production of aluminum roll foil for the manufacture of capacitors is regulated by GOST 25905-83 Aluminum foil for capacitors. Technical conditions.

In addition, aluminum foil is produced in accordance with the technical specifications: TU 1811-001-42546411-2004 Aluminum foil for radiators, TU 1811-002-45094918-97 Flexible packaging in rolls based on aluminum foil for medicines, TU 1811-007- 46221433-98 Combined multilayer material based on foil, TU 1811-005-53974937-2004 Aluminum foil for household use in rolls and a number of others.

Aluminum foil production technology

The production of aluminum foil is a rather complicated technological process.

Aluminum ingots are fed to a hot rolling mill, where they are rolled several times between rolls at a temperature of about 500 ° C to a thickness of 2-4 mm. Then the resulting semi-finished product enters the cold rolling mill, where it acquires the required thickness.

The second method is continuous metal casting. A cast billet is made from molten aluminum at a continuous casting plant. Then the resulting coils are rolled on a blank mill, simultaneously subjecting them to intermediate high-temperature annealing. On a foil rolling mill, the semi-finished product is rolled to the required thickness. The finished foil is cut into rolls of the required width.

If hard foil is produced, then it goes to packaging immediately after cutting. If a soft foil is required, a final annealing is required.

What is aluminum foil made of?

If earlier aluminum foil was produced mainly from pure aluminum, now alloys are increasingly used. The addition of alloying elements improves the quality of the foil and makes it more functional.

Foil for packaging is made from aluminum and aluminum alloys of several brands. These are primary aluminum (A6, A5, A0) and technical aluminum (AD, AD0, AD1, 1145, 1050). Alloys АЖ0.6, АЖ0.8 and АЖ1 contain iron as the main element, in addition to aluminum. The number after the letters shows its share in percent, respectively, 0.40-050, 0.60-0.80, 0.95-1.15%. And in alloys 8011, 8011A, 8111, from 0.3 to 1.1% of silicon is added to aluminum and iron.

By agreement between the manufacturer and the consumer, it is possible to use other aluminum alloys approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.

Food aluminum foil should not emit harmful substances in quantities exceeding the established ones. Aluminum over 0.500 mg / l, copper and zinc - over 1,000 mg / l, iron - 0.300 mg / l, manganese, titanium and vanadium - over 0.100 mg / l. It must be free from odors affecting the quality of packaged products.

Technical foil is made of aluminum and aluminum alloys of grades AD1, AD0, AD, AMts, A7, A6, A5 and A0. Foil for capacitors - from aluminum grades A99, A6, A5 and its alloys - AD0 and AD1.

Aluminum foil surface

According to the state of the surface, smooth aluminum foil (conventional designation FG), foil for finishing and foil with finishing are distinguished.

The finishing is formed by layers of printing, primers, varnishes, paper (lamination), polymer films (lamination), adhesives and embossing (hot and cold, flat and embossed).

In GOST 745-2003, according to the condition of the treated surface, the foil is divided into several types. Painted with colored varnishes or paints is designated "FO", varnished on one side - "FL", on both sides - "FL", covered with thermovarnish - "FTL". The presence of a seal is indicated by the letters "FP" ("FPL" - printing on the front side and varnish on the back. If the thermovarnish is applied to the reverse side, write "FPTL"). The presence of primer for printing on the front side and thermal varnish on the back is indicated by a combination of the letters "FLTL".

The thickness of the foil is indicated without taking into account the thickness of the paintwork applied to it.

Laminated aluminum foil enhances packaging finishing options. Aluminum foil laminated with polymer films is used for aromatic products and goods that require moisture protection.

And a few more words about conventions

In addition to information about the surface of the aluminum foil, the following data is “encrypted” in its symbol from left to right:

• manufacturing method (for example, cold-deformed foil is designated by the letter "D");
• section shape (for example, "PR" - rectangular);
• manufacturing accuracy - depending on the maximum deviation in thickness, aluminum foil for packaging is made of normal (denoted by the letter "H"), increased (P) and high (B) accuracy;
• state - soft (M) or hard (T);
• sizes;
• length - off-gauge length is indicated by the letters "ND";
• brand;
• designation of the standard.

Missing data is replaced by an “X”.

Aluminum foil - perfect packaging ...

Due to its “content” (aluminum and its alloys) and shape (geometric dimensions), aluminum foil has a unique combination of properties.

Bright and shiny aluminum foil packaging is sure to grab the attention of consumers. And the brand of its content will become recognizable, which is extremely important for successful marketing.

The most important advantage of aluminum foil in the role of packaging is impermeability, the ability to serve as a reliable barrier on the way of negative influences to which the packaged product is exposed to the external environment and time. It protects against the effects of gases, light, does not allow moisture and bacteria to pass through. It will not only protect you from extraneous odors, but also will not allow you to lose your own aroma.

Aluminum foil is an environmentally friendly material. Fundamentally important in modern conditions is the possibility of its 100% recyclability. And the foil, which did not get into the recycling "cycle", in a short time without harmful consequences will dissolve without a trace in the environment.

Aluminum foil is resistant to high temperatures, does not melt or deform when heated, which allows it to be used for heat treatment and freezing of food.

It is free from toxicity and does not affect the taste of food. During the production process (during final annealing) it becomes practically sterile, preventing the formation of a medium for the growth of bacteria.

And also aluminum foil is a durable, technological, easily taking various shapes, resistant to corrosion, perfectly compatible with other materials.

... and an important economic factor

Long-term preservation of food and packaging that provides this opportunity is growing in importance today. This is the only way to increase the mobility of food production and take full advantage of the advantages of the division of labor.

Aluminum foil not only preserves food quality and nutritional value. It saves the food itself, which means huge resources that were spent on its production.

Aluminum foil, milk and other drinks

Milk is a capricious, perishable product, and aluminum foil is especially appropriate in this case. Cheese and butter will keep their freshness in it longer.

Milk and products made from it have been “friendly” with aluminum for a long time. Suffice it to recall the multi-liter aluminum cans in which milk is transported, or the multi-colored aluminum caps on milk bottles that occupied the shelves of grocery stores several decades ago.

And what is not a symbol of the era - a man licking an aluminum yogurt lid, as well as processed cheese in an aluminum foil package - a symbol of a bygone time? Continuing the theme of the symbolic, the hissing of an opened aluminum can, anticipating the pleasure of quenching thirst, is undoubtedly one of the brightest touches of the sound palette of our time.

By the way, aluminum can be used to cover not only milk, but also more "serious", although not so healthy drinks. Aluminum screw caps are used for glass bottles with alcohol-containing liquids.

Aluminum foil or how to cheat time

Aluminum foil is an ideal packaging for storing dehydrated products, allowing them to retain their structure for a long time. The most obvious examples are instant coffee and milk powder.

Dictated by the increasing pace of life, the rapid development of the market for ready-to-eat and semi-finished products of a high degree of completion was made possible by aluminum foil. Foil containers have gained immense popularity, which can be put into the microwave together with the contents and in a matter of seconds "cook" a delicious lunch.

A quarter of a century ago, in large Russian cities, they began to sell ready-made frozen second courses in thick foil. Aluminum containers are ideal packaging for long-term storage and preparation of ready meals in the oven and microwave. They do not need to be washed and can be thrown away immediately after a meal.

Aluminum foil for home cooking

No less than those who most appreciate the possibility of fast cooking in food, aluminum foil is in demand by gourmets who know many recipes for cooking with its use.

Such food is distinguished not only by its high taste (dishes cooked in foil will retain juiciness and not burn), but also by the benefits associated with the absence of the need to add fat, that is, full compliance with the principles of healthy eating.

The undoubted advantage of aluminum foil is its hygiene, which is especially important when packaging such extremely hygienic products as meat, poultry and fish.

Pets, for which food is also packaged in aluminum foil packaging, will hardly appreciate its aesthetic advantages, but the high taste of the food stored in it will undoubtedly not be ignored.

Aluminum foil in the pharmaceutical industry

Hygienic and safe aluminum foil is often the best choice for pharmaceutical packaging, ensuring long-term transport and storage.

It is used for the production of blister packaging (cases made in the form of a packaged product); flexible tubes; bags for powders, granules, liquids and ointments.

Easily glued to paper and plastic, aluminum foil is used for the manufacture of combined packaging that fully meets all hygienic requirements. And this is extremely important for its use in the production of cosmetics and personal care products.

Aluminum technical foil

Aluminum foil is light weight, thermal conductivity, manufacturability, resistance to dirt and dust, ability to reflect light, decorative properties. All these qualities have predetermined a wide range of applications for technical aluminum foil.

In the electrical industry, electrical cable shields are made from it. In the automotive industry, they are used in engine cooling systems and for finishing car interiors. The latter is not only beautiful and almost weightless, but also contributes to greater safety of passengers, because the foil improves sound insulation and prevents the spread of fire. It is also used as a fire barrier in other types of transport.

Foil is used in the manufacture of heat exchangers in heating and air conditioning systems. It helps to increase the energy efficiency of heating devices (radiators). Aluminum foil is widely used in refrigeration technology.

It can be found outside and inside buildings, including engineering systems. Aluminum foil for a bath, reducing heat exchange with the environment, allows you to quickly heat up the room and keep warm longer.

Aluminum foil can serve as a stand-alone reflective insulator and complement other thermal insulation materials. Mineral wool cylinders, lined with aluminum foil, are used for thermal insulation of technological pipelines in various industries and the construction complex.

Self-adhesive aluminum foil is used for sealing flexible structures (for example, thermal insulation of air ducts).

Modern technologies set the task for aluminum foil - to separate environments, protect, isolate. In general, serve as a reliable barrier. And this despite the fact that its thickness is commensurate with the thickness of a human hair. As you know, that averages 0.04-0.1 mm, while the thickness of the foil starts from 0.005 mm.

But the possibilities of aluminum are so great that even with such a modest size, it is possible to achieve the required results. Therefore, the aluminum foil, which celebrated its centenary several years ago, is not threatened with "peace".

Aluminum is the most abundant metal on Earth. It has high thermal and electrical conductivity. In alloys, aluminum reaches a strength that is practically not inferior to steel. Light metal is readily used in aircraft construction and the automobile industry. Thin sheets of aluminum, on the other hand, are excellently suited for their softness; for packaging - and have been used in this capacity since 1947

Loot difficulties

The element aluminum occurs naturally in a chemically bound form. In 1827, the German physicist Friedrich Wehler managed to obtain significant quantities of pure aluminum. The release process was so complex that at first this metal remained an expensive rarity. In 1886, the American Charles Hall and the Frenchman Paul Héroux independently invented the electrolytic method for the reduction of aluminum. In 1889, the Austrian engineer Karl Josef Bayer, who worked in Russia, managed to significantly reduce the cost of a new method of metal mining.

To the invention - in a roundabout way

The road to aluminum foil was through the tobacco industry. At the beginning of the XX century. cigarettes were still packed in sheet tin to protect them from moisture. Richard Reynolds, who joined his uncle's tobacco company at that time, quickly realized that the foil market had a great future, and founded his own business, supplying packaging for tobacco and chocolate makers. The falling price of aluminum drew Reynolds' attention to the light metal. In 1947 he managed to produce a film with a thickness of 0.0175 mm. The new foil did not have toxic properties and reliably protected the products from moisture, light or foreign odors.

17th century: Staniol, a thin sheet of tin, used to make mirrors.

1861: Industrial production of grease and moisture resistant parchment paper begins.

1908: Jacques Edwin Brandenberger invented cellophane, a transparent cellulose film.

The present invention relates to a method of making electrodeposited copper foil on which thin shapes can be applied, in particular electrodeposited foil, for which a high etching rate can be achieved and which can be used in copper clad laminated boards, printed circuit boards and secondary electrochemical cells including such foil. In addition, the present invention is intended for the production of untreated copper foil, both sides of which have flatter surfaces in comparison with conventional copper foil, as a result of which it can be used as flat cables or wires, as a covering material for cables, as a shield. material, etc. However, the electrodeposited copper foil made in accordance with the present invention is not limited to these applications. Electrodeposited copper foil for printed circuits is manufactured industrially by filling the gap between an insoluble electrode, such as a lead electrode or a platinum group metal coated titanium electrode, and a rotating drum cathode made of stainless steel or titanium facing the insoluble electrode, electrolyte, containing an aqueous solution of copper sulfate and passing an electric current between these electrodes, as a result of which copper is deposited on the rotating drum cathode; the precipitated copper is then continuously stripped from the drum and wound onto a collection drum. Usually, when an aqueous solution containing only copper ions and sulfate ions is used as an electrolyte, pinholes and / or microporosities are formed in the copper foil due to the inevitable admixture of dust and / or oil from the equipment, leading to serious defects in the practical use of the foil. In addition, the profile shape (protrusion / depression) of the surface of the copper foil that is in contact with the electrolyte (matte side) is deformed, as a result of which sufficient adhesion strength is not ensured when the copper foil is subsequently bonded to the insulating material of the substrate. If the roughness of this matte side is significant, the insulation resistance between the layers and / or the conductivity of the multilayer PCB circuit is reduced, or when the figures are etched after being bonded to the substrate material, copper may remain on the substrate material or etching of circuit elements may occur; each of these phenomena has detrimental effects on various aspects of the operation of the printed circuit board. To prevent the occurrence of defects such as pinholes or through pores, for example, chloride ions can be added to the electrolyte, and dust can be removed by passing the electrolyte through a filter containing active carbon or the like. In addition, in order to control the shape of the profile (protrusions / valleys) of the matte side and prevent the occurrence of microporosities, it has been proposed in practice for a long time to add glue and various organic and inorganic additives to the electrolyte separately from the glue. The process of making electrodeposited copper foil for use in printed circuit boards is primarily an electrolytic deposition technique as seen from the fact that it involves placing electrodes in a solution containing a copper salt, passing an electric current between the electrodes, and depositing copper on the cathode; therefore, additives used in copper electrowinning can often be used as additives in the process of making electrodeposited copper foil for use in printed circuit boards. Glue, thiourea and molasses, etc. have long been known as brighteners in copper electrowinning. Therefore, they can be expected to have a so-called chemical glaze effect or an effect in which the roughness of the matte side of the electrodeposited foil for use in printed circuit boards is reduced when these additives are used in the electrolyte. US Pat. No. 5,171,417 describes a method for making copper foil using an active sulfur-containing compound, such as thiourea, as an additive. However, in this situation, without modification of the described method, it is impossible to obtain satisfactory performance when using these additives for electrolytic deposition as additives in the manufacture of electrodeposited copper foil for printed circuit boards. This is due to the fact that the electrodeposited copper foil for printed circuit boards is manufactured at higher current densities than those used in conventional electrolytic deposition technology. This is necessary to increase productivity. Recently, there has been an extraordinary increase in the need for electrodeposited foil for printed circuit boards with a reduced roughness of the matte side without compromising mechanical characteristics, in particular, such as elongation. In addition, due to the incredible development of electronic circuit technology, including semiconductors and integrated circuits, in recent years there has been a need for further technical revolutions regarding the printed circuit boards on which these elements are formed or mounted. This applies, for example, to the very large number of layers in multilayer printed circuit boards and to the increasingly accurate copying. Requirements for the performance of electrodeposited foil for printed circuit boards include requirements for improving interlayer insulation and interlayer insulation, reducing the profile (roughness) of the matte side to prevent undercutting during etching, and improving elongation characteristics at high temperatures to prevent cracking due to thermal stress and, in addition, to high tensile stress to ensure dimensional stability of the printed circuit board. The requirement for further lowering (height) of the profile to enable more accurate copying is particularly stringent. A decrease in the (height) profile of the matte side can be achieved by adding large amounts of glue and / or thiourea to the electrolyte, as, for example, described above, but on the other hand, with an increase in the amount of these additives, there is a sharp decrease in the elongation ratio at room temperature and the elongation ratio at high temperatures. In contrast, although copper foil obtained from an electrolyte to which no additives have been added has exceptionally high elongation at room temperature and elongation at high temperature, the shape of the matte side breaks down and its roughness increases, making it impossible to maintain high tensile strength. ; in addition, it is very difficult to manufacture a foil in which these characteristics are stable. If a low current density is maintained during electrolysis, the roughness of the matte side is lower than that of the matte side of the electrodeposited foil obtained at a high current density, while the elongation and tear resistance are also improved, but an economically undesirable decrease in productivity occurs. Therefore, it is rather difficult to provide additional profile reduction (height) with good room temperature elongation and high temperature elongation required recently from electrodeposited copper foil for printed circuit boards. The main reason why more accurate copying could not be achieved with conventional electrodeposited copper foil was the too pronounced roughness of the surface. Typically, electrodeposition copper foil can be made by first using an electrolytic cell for electroplating the copper foil shown in FIG. 1, and then using the depicted in FIG. 2 of a device for electrolytic treatment of copper foil obtained by electrodeposition, in which the latter is subjected to adhesion enhancement and anti-corrosive treatment. In an electrolytic cell for the electroforming of copper foil, electrolyte 3 is passed through a device containing a fixed anode 1 (lead or titanium electrode with a noble metal oxide coating) and a rotating drum cathode 2 located opposite it (the surface of which is made of stainless steel or titanium), and an electric current is passed between both electrodes to deposit a copper layer of a required thickness on the surface of said cathode, and then the copper foil is peeled off the surface of said cathode. The foil thus obtained is commonly referred to as untreated copper foil. In a subsequent step, in order to obtain the characteristics required for copper-clad laminated boards, the untreated copper foil 4 is subjected to a continuous electrochemical or chemical surface treatment by passing it through an electrolytic treatment apparatus shown in FIG. 2. This treatment includes the step of depositing copper bumps to enhance adhesion when laminated onto an insulating resin backing. This step is referred to as "adhesion enhancement treatment". Copper foil, after it has been subjected to these surface treatments, is called "treated copper foil" and can be used in copper clad laminated boards. The mechanical properties of the electrodeposited copper foil are determined by the properties of the untreated copper foil 4, and the etching characteristics, in particular the etching rate and uniform dissolution, are also largely determined by the properties of the untreated copper foil. A factor that has a huge impact on the behavior of the etching characteristics of a copper foil is its surface roughness. The roughening effect produced by the adhesion enhancement treatment to the face that is laminated to the insulating resin backing is quite significant. Factors affecting the roughness of copper foil can be broadly divided into two categories. One is the surface roughness of the untreated copper foil, and the other is the method by which copper bumps are deposited on the surface being treated to enhance adhesion. If the surface roughness of the original foil, i.e. untreated foil, high, the roughness of the copper foil becomes high after adhesion enhancement treatment. In general, if the amount of deposited copper bumps is large, the roughness of the copper foil after the adhesion enhancement treatment becomes high. The number of copper bumps deposited during adhesion enhancement processing can be controlled by the current flowing during processing, but the surface roughness of the untreated copper foil is largely determined by the electrolysis conditions under which copper is deposited on the cathode drum, as described above, in particular , due to additives added to the electrolyte. Typically, the front surface of the untreated foil that contacts the drum, the so-called "shiny side", is relatively smooth, while the other side, called the "matte side", has an uneven surface. Various attempts have been made in the past to make the matte side smoother. One example of such attempts is the method for making electrodeposited copper foil as described in US Pat. No. 5,171,417, cited above, in which an active sulfur-containing compound such as thiourea is used as an additive. However, although in this case the rough surface becomes smoother than when using a conventional additive such as glue, it is still rough in comparison to the shiny side, so that full effectiveness is not achieved. In addition, due to the relatively smooth surface of the shiny side, attempts have been made to laminate this shiny surface onto a resin substrate by depositing copper bumps thereon, as described in Japanese Patent No. 94/270331. However, in this case, in order to be able to etch the copper foil, it is necessary to layer a photosensitive dry film and / or resistance on the side, which is usually the matte side; The disadvantage of this method is that the unevenness of this surface reduces the adhesion to the copper foil, as a result of which the layers become easily separable. The present invention solves the aforementioned problems of the known methods. The invention provides a method for manufacturing a copper foil having a high etching rate without reducing its peeling resistance, as a result of which it can be ensured that a fine pattern can be applied without leaving copper particles in the areas of the valleys of the mounting pattern, and having a high elongation at high temperature and high resistance break. Typically, the copy accuracy criterion can be expressed in terms of the etching factor (= 2T / (W b - W t)) shown in FIG. 3, where B denotes an insulating board, W t is the upper cross-sectional width of the copper foil, and W b is the thickness of the copper foil. Higher values ​​of the etching index correspond to a sharper cross-sectional shape of the circuit. According to the invention, a method for producing copper foil by electrolysis using an electrolyte containing 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate and a chloride ion is characterized in that the electrolyte additionally contains a high molecular weight polysaccharide. It is advisable to additionally introduce into the electrolyte a low molecular weight adhesive having an average molecular weight of 10,000 or less, as well as sodium 3-mercapto-4-propanesulfonate. The invention also relates to an electrodeposited copper foil obtained by the above method, wherein its matte side can have a surface roughness R z, preferably equal to or less than the surface roughness of its shiny side, and to enhance adhesion, its surface can be treated, in particular , electrodeposition. The surface roughness z is the roughness value measured at 10 points in accordance with the requirements of JIS B 0601-1994 "Indication of definition of surface roughness" 5.1. This copper foil can be obtained by electrolysis using an electrolyte to which is added a chemical compound having at least one mercapto group and in addition at least one type of organic compound and a chloride ion. In addition, the invention relates to a copper clad laminate board containing the above-described electrodeposited copper foil obtained by the method according to the present invention. The invention also relates to a printed circuit board containing an electrodeposited copper foil obtained from an electrolyte containing 3-marcapto-1-propanesulfonate, a chloride ion and a high molecular weight polysaccharide, and its matte side may have a surface roughness R z, preferably equal to or less than the surface the roughness of its shiny side, and to enhance adhesion, its surface can be treated, in particular by electrodeposition. Finally, the subject of the invention is also a galvanic battery cell comprising an electrode comprising an electrodeposited copper foil according to the invention. The main additive to the electrolyte used in the process according to the invention is 3-mercapto-1-propane sulfonate. An example of 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonates is the compound HS (CH 2) 3 SO 3 Na, etc. By itself, this compound is not particularly effective in reducing the size of copper crystals, but when used in combination with another organic compound, smaller copper crystals can be obtained, as a result of which the surface of the electrolytic deposit will have a slight surface unevenness. The detailed mechanism of this phenomenon has not been established, but it is believed that these molecules can reduce the size of copper crystals by reacting with copper ions in the copper sulfate electrolyte, forming a complex, or by acting on the interface during electrolytic deposition to increase the overvoltage, which makes it possible to obtain a precipitate with weak surface roughness. It should be noted that DT-C-4126502 discloses the use of 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate in an electrolyte bath to deposit copper coatings on various objects, such as ornament parts, to give them a shiny appearance, or on printed circuit boards to reinforce their conductors. However, this prior patent does not disclose the use of polysaccharides in combination with 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate to produce copper foil with high etching, high tensile strength and high elongation at high temperature. According to the present invention, the compounds used in combination with a compound containing a mercapto group are high molecular weight polysaccharides. High molecular weight polysaccharides are hydrocarbons such as starch, cellulose, gum, etc., which usually form colloids in water. Examples of such high molecular weight polysaccharides that can be obtained in a cheap industrial way are starches such as food starch, industrial starch or dextrin and cellulose, such as water-soluble cellulose, or described in Japanese patent 90/182890, i.e. sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, or ether carboxymethyloxyethyl cellulose. Examples of gums are gum arabic or tragacanth. These organic compounds reduce the size of copper crystals when used in combination with 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate, allowing the surface of the electrolytic deposit to be produced with or without irregularities. However, in addition to reducing the size of the crystals, these organic compounds prevent embrittlement of the manufactured copper foil. These organic compounds inhibit the build-up of internal stresses in the copper foil, thereby preventing rupture or twisting of the foil when stripped from the drum cathode; in addition, they improve the elongation at room temperature and at high temperatures. Another type of organic compound that can be used in combination with a mercapto-containing compound and a high molecular weight polysaccharide in the present invention is a low molecular weight adhesive. A low molecular weight adhesive is understood to mean a conventional adhesive in which the molecular weight is lowered by cleavage of gelatin with an enzyme, acid or alkali. Examples of commercially available adhesives are "PBF" manufactured in Japan by Nippi Gelatine Inc. or "PCRA" manufactured in the USA by Peter-Cooper Inc. Their molecular weights are less than 10,000 and they have extremely low gelling resistance due to their low molecular weight. Conventional adhesive has an effect to prevent microporosity and / or to regulate the roughness of the matte side and improve its appearance, but it has a detrimental effect on elongation. However, it has been found that if low molecular weight gelatin is used instead of conventional glue or commercially available gelatin, it is possible to prevent microporosity and / or suppress the roughness of the matte side and at the same time improve its appearance without significantly degrading the elongation characteristics. In addition, by simultaneously adding a high molecular weight polysaccharide and a low molecular weight adhesive to 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate, the elongation at high temperature is improved and microporosity is prevented, and a cleaner, evenly uneven surface can be obtained than when they are used. independently of each other. In addition, in addition to the aforementioned additives, chloride ions may be added to the electrolyte. If the electrolyte contains no chloride ions at all, it is impossible to obtain copper foil with a reduced rough surface profile to the desired degree. Adding them at a concentration of several parts per million is beneficial, however, in order to stably produce copper foil with a low profile surface over a wide range of current densities, it is desirable to maintain their concentration in the range of 10 to 60 ppm. A decrease in the profile is also achieved when the added amount exceeds 60 ppm, but there was no increase in the beneficial effect with an increase in the added amount of chloride ions; on the contrary, when an excessive amount of chloride ions was added, dendritic electrodeposition took place, which lowers the limiting current density, which is undesirable. As described above, by the combined addition of 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate, high molecular weight polysaccharide and / or low molecular weight adhesive and traces of chloride ions to the electrolyte, various superior characteristics can be obtained that a low profile copper foil should have in order to ensure accurate replication. In addition, since the surface roughness R z of the surface of the matte side of the untreated copper foil according to the invention is of the same order of magnitude or less than the surface roughness R z of the shiny side of this untreated foil, the surface-treated copper foil, after being treated to enhance adhesion of the surface of the matte side, has more a lower profile than the surface profile of a conventional foil, as a result of which a foil with a high etching performance can be obtained. Hereinafter the invention is described in more detail with reference to examples, which, however, do not limit the scope of the present invention. Examples 1, 3 and 4
(1) Making foil
The electrolyte, the composition of which is shown in Table 1 (copper sulfate-sulfuric acid solution before additives were added), was purified by passing it through an active carbon filter. An electrolyte for making foil was then prepared by appropriately adding sodium 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate, a high molecular weight polysaccharide composed of hydroxyethyl cellulose and a low molecular weight adhesive (molecular weight 3,000) and chloride ions at the concentrations shown in Table 1. Chloride ion concentrations in all cases were 30 ppm, but the present invention is not limited to this concentration. Then, raw copper foil with a thickness of 18 μm was obtained by electrodeposition under the electrolysis conditions specified in Table 1, using a titanium electrode coated with a noble metal oxide as an anode and a rotating titanium drum as a cathode, and an electrolyte prepared by the above method as an electrolyte. (2) Evaluation of the roughness of the matte side and its mechanical characteristics
The surface roughness R z and R a of each variant of the untreated copper foil obtained in (1) were measured using a surface roughness tester (type SE-3C manufactured by KOSAKA KENKYUJO). (The surface roughnesses R z and R a correspond to R z and R a, defined in accordance with JIS B 0601-1994 "Definition and indication of surface roughness." 8 mm in case of measuring the surface of the shiny side). Accordingly, the elongation at normal temperature in the longitudinal direction (machine) and after holding for 5 minutes at a temperature of 180 ° was measured, as well as the tensile strength at each temperature, using a tensile tester (type 1122 manufactured by Instron Co., England). The results are shown in Table 2. Comparative Examples 1, 2 and 4
The surface roughness and mechanical characteristics of copper foil obtained by electrodeposition in the same way as in examples 1, 3 and 4 were evaluated, except for the fact that the electrolysis was carried out under the electrolysis conditions and with the electrolyte composition indicated in Table 1. The results are shown in Table 2. In the case of Example 1, in which sodium 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate and hydroxyethyl cellulose were added, the roughness of the matte side was very small and the elongation at high temperature was excellent. In the case of examples 3 and 4, in which sodium 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate and hydroxyethyl cellulose were added, the roughness of the matte side was even less than that achieved in example 1. In contrast, in the case of comparative example 1, in which thiourea and conventional glue were added although the roughness of the matte side was less than that of the prior art untreated foil, it was rougher than the roughness of the matte side of the untreated foil of the present invention; therefore, only untreated copper foil was obtained, the roughness of the matte side of which is greater than the roughness of the shiny side. In addition, in the case of this untreated foil, the elongation at high temperature was lower. In the case of Comparative Examples 2 and 4, the performance characteristics of untreated copper foil obtained by electrodeposition using a conventional adhesive for each sodium 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate and a conventional adhesive, respectively, are given as examples of known copper foils for reference. Then, an adhesion enhancement treatment was carried out on the untreated copper foil of Examples 1, 3 and 4 and Comparative Examples 1, 2 and 4. The same adhesion enhancement treatment was carried out on the shiny side of the untreated foil of Comparative Example 2. The bath composition and processing conditions were as follows. After the adhesion treatment, a surface-treated copper foil was obtained by an additional anti-corrosive treatment step. The surface roughness of the copper foil was measured using a surface roughness tester (SE-3C type from KOSAKA KENKYUJO, Japan). The results are shown in Table 3. Table 3 for Examples 1, 3 and 4 and Comparative Examples 1, 2 and 4 shows the results obtained by performing the adhesion enhancement treatment on the matte side of the untreated foil of Examples 1, 3 and 4 and Comparative Examples 1. , 2 and 4 in Table 2, respectively; Comparative Example 3 shows the results of the adhesion enhancement treatment on the shiny side of the untreated copper foil of Comparative Example 2 in Table 2. 1. Conditions for electrolytic deposition of the first copper layer
Bath composition: metallic copper 20 g / l, sulfuric acid 100 g / l;
Bath temperature: 25 o C;
Current density: 30 A / dm 2;
Processing time: 10 seconds;
2. Conditions for electrolytic deposition of the second copper layer
Bath composition: metallic copper 60 g / l, sulfuric acid 100 g / l;
Bath temperature: 60 o C;
Current density: 15 A / dm 2;
Processing time: 10 seconds. A copper-clad laminate board was obtained by heat pressing (warm pressing) copper foil formed on one side of an FR-4 glass epoxy resin substrate. The etch rate was evaluated by the following "evaluation method". Assessment method
The surface of each copper-clad laminated board was washed, and then a 5 m thick layer of liquid (photo) resist was evenly applied to this surface, which was then dried. The (photo) resist was then superimposed on an experimental pattern of the circuit and irradiated with ultraviolet light at 200 mJ / cm 2 using a suitable exposure device. The experimental pattern consisted of a scheme of 10 parallel straight lines 5 cm long with a line width of 100 μm and a distance between the lines of 100 μm. Immediately after exposure, development was performed, followed by washing and drying. In this state, using an etching evaluator, etching was carried out on respective copper-clad laminated boards on which printed circuits were made by means of a (photo) resist. An etch evaluator sprays an etch solution from a single nozzle perpendicularly onto a vertically mounted sample of a copper-clad laminated board. A mixed solution of ferric chloride and hydrochloric acid (FeCl 3: 2 mol / l, HCl: 0.5 mol / l) was used for the pickling solution; etching was carried out at a solution temperature of 50 o C, a jet pressure of 0.16 MPa, a solution flow rate of 1 l / min and a separation distance between the sample and the nozzle of 15 cm. The spraying time was 55 s. Immediately after spraying, the sample was washed with water and the (photo) resist was removed with acetone to obtain a printed circuit pattern. For all the resulting printed circuit patterns, the etch rate was measured at the bottom width of 70 µm (base level). The peel force was measured at the same time. The results are shown in Table 3. Higher values ​​for the etching index mean that the etching was judged to be of better quality; the etch rate in the case of examples 1, 3 and 4 was much higher than in the case of comparative examples 1-3. In the case of Comparative Examples 1-2, the roughness of the matte side of the untreated copper foil was higher than in the case of Examples 1, 3 and 4, therefore, the roughness after the adhesion treatment was also much higher, resulting in a low pickling rate. In contrast, the roughness of the shiny side of the untreated copper foil of Comparative Example 3 was almost equal to that of the matte side of the untreated copper foil of Comparative Example 4. However, even though they were treated under the same conditions, the surface roughness after the adhesion treatment was less in the case of comparative example 4 and more in the case of comparative example 3, both examples refer to the known foil. This is believed to be due to the fact that in the case of the shiny side, since it is the face and is in contact with the titanium drum, any scratches on the drum are directly transferred to the shiny side, and therefore, when post-processing to enhance adhesion, copper bumps formed in during this processing, they become coarser and rougher, which leads to greater surface roughness after finishing finishing to enhance adhesion; In contrast, the surface of the matte side of the copper foil according to the present invention obtained by electrodeposition under mirror conditions is very smooth (finely processed), and therefore, during the subsequent processing to enhance adhesion, smaller copper bumps are formed, which leads to an even greater reduction of roughness after finishing to enhance adhesion. This is even more noticeable in the case of example 1, example 3 and example 4. It is believed that the reason why the peel force is of the same order of magnitude as the peel force in Comparative Example 3, despite the fact that the roughness of the surface subjected to the treatment for strengthening much lower in adhesion processing is that finer copper particles are deposited in the adhesion treatment, resulting in increased surface area, whereby the peel force is increased even though the roughness is low. It should be noted that although the etching rate of Comparative Example 3 is close to that of Examples 1, 3, and 4, Comparative Example 3 is inferior to Examples 1, 3 and 4 with respect to the marks left on the other side of the substrate during the etching process due to the higher roughness after processing. to enhance grip; in other words, it is worse not because of the low elongation at high temperature, but because of the reason given above. As described above, by the present invention, an electrodeposited copper foil with a low profile can be obtained, furthermore having excellent room temperature and high temperature elongation and high tensile strength. The thus obtained electrodeposited copper foil can be used as an inner or outer copper foil in high density printed circuit boards, and also as an electrodeposited copper foil for flexible printed circuit boards due to its increased bending resistance. In addition, since the untreated copper foil obtained in accordance with the present invention is flatter on both sides than the conventional untreated foil, it can be used in electrodes for a battery cell, as well as flat cables or wires, as a covering material for cables and as a shielding material, etc.

CLAIM

1. A method of manufacturing copper foil, including electrolysis using an electrolyte containing a solution of copper sulfate, sulfuric acid and chloride ions, characterized in that the electrolysis is carried out from an electrolyte additionally containing 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate and a high molecular weight polysaccharide. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrolysis is carried out from an electrolyte, additionally containing a low molecular weight glue, the average molecular weight of which is 10,000 or less. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the electrolysis is carried out from an electrolyte additionally containing sodium 3-mercapto-4-propanesulfonate. 4. Electrodeposited copper foil having matte and shiny sides, characterized in that the foil is obtained by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, and its matte side has a surface roughness R 2 equal to or less than the surface roughness of its shiny side. 5. Electrodeposited copper foil according to claim 4, characterized in that its surface is treated to enhance adhesion. 6. Electrodeposited copper foil according to claim 5, characterized in that the surface treatment is carried out by electrodeposition. 7. A copper-clad laminated board, characterized in that it contains an electrodeposited copper foil according to any one of claims 4 to 6. 8. A printed circuit board, characterized in that it contains an electrodeposited copper foil according to any one of claims 4 to 6. 9 A galvanic battery cell comprising an electrode containing an electrodeposited metal foil, characterized in that it contains a copper foil as an electrodeposited metal foil according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

Aluminum foil is a very thin sheet of aluminum. The word "foil" comes from the Polish folga, goes back to the German Folie and Latin, which literally means: thin sheet, or metal paper, or flexible metal sheet. This name only applies to thin aluminum sheets. Usually it is not used for iron and its alloys, such a material is denoted by the word "tin". Thin sheets of tin and tin alloys are staniol, the thinnest sheets of gold are gold leaf.
Aluminum foil is a material about which we can say: here it is, amazing next! For the first time, people tried to use aluminum in ancient Egypt. However, this metal has been widely used commercially for a little over 100 years. The lightweight silver metal has become the backbone of all global space exploration, power transmission and automotive projects.
The use of aluminum for domestic purposes is not so global in scale, but in this direction its role is also important and responsible. The various items of aluminum cookware and high-quality packaging are familiar to everyone. Someone will ask: what does creativity have to do with it? For the creative process, you need foil - this is the same aluminum, but in the form of an alloy. For the first time, aluminum foil was produced in France in 1903. A decade later, many other countries followed suit. In 1910, in Switzerland, the technology of continuous rolling of aluminum was developed, which resulted in the creation of aluminum foil with phenomenal performance. The rise of mass production of aluminum solved the packaging problem. immediately adopted by American industrialists, and within three years the leading US companies were packing their products - chewing gum and candies - only in aluminum foil. In the future, there was a multiple improvement of production methods and equipment, improvement of the properties of the new foil. Now the foil was dyed, varnished and laminated, they learned how to apply various printed images to it. Since then, food aluminum foil has firmly entered our life, it has become familiar and commonplace. In fact, foil is a unique high-tech product of the 20th century. The various components added to the aluminum alloy multiply the strength of the packaging material, making it increasingly thinner. The standard thickness of a sheet of food foil ranges from 6.5 to 200 microns or 0.0065-0.2 mm.
Currently, no industrial, commercial or household spheres can do without aluminum foil. The production process for food and household foil is quite complex. The production of aluminum foil is now carried out by the method of sequential multiple cold rolling of aluminum and its various alloys. During the production process, the metal passes between special steel shafts, and at each subsequent stage, the distance between the shafts is reduced. To obtain an ultra-thin foil, the technology of simultaneous rolling of two metal sheets is used, which are separated from each other by a specialized lubricating-cooling liquid. As a result, one side of the foil comes out shiny and the other is matte.
By the end of the production process, thanks to high-temperature annealing, the aluminum foil becomes sterile. This makes it safe in contact with food. That is why it cannot harm if used in the creative process, it is chemically inert, harmless to health, and does not cause allergies.
Aluminum foil has many unique properties that make it an ideal material for making crafts, it is not afraid of bright sun or dust. Foil has a very interesting quality - when heated to high temperatures, it does not deform or melt. This quality of the foil creates ideal conditions for soldering processes.
During the manufacturing process, a natural oxide film forms on the surface of the foil, which gives the material excellent resistance to corrosion and protects against the effects of a reactive environment. The moisture resistance and resistance of the foil to temperature extremes, the destructive effects of bacteria and fungi make the scope of decorative products created from it practically unlimited. Where other jewelry is a danger to others or quickly deteriorate, foil products will still delight with their unusual beauty. The foil also has excellent reflective properties.
The unique properties and high aesthetics of this material allow foil crafts to maintain their impeccable appearance in a variety of conditions. They can be used to decorate the interiors of the kitchen and bathroom, where, due to humidity, the choice of materials for decoration is significantly limited. The properties of aluminum foil make it possible to create complex decorative elements for these premises.
Foil is a material that practically eliminates the occurrence of static electricity when working with it. Due to the fact that it lacks the ability to attract, products from it are almost not covered with dust. Therefore, foil products feel great on a balcony or loggia, on an open terrace of a summer cottage and in a garden gazebo. Aluminum foil has good flexibility and ductility and is probably the only material that can be easily configured as required. Therefore, confectioners pack chocolate Santa Claus or a hare in foil, accurately repeating the shape of the product. The foil used to create crafts makes it easy to shape the product into any shape - from an exquisite flower to an elegant plant composition or an intricate souvenir. These properties turn foil into a very interesting decorative and applied material, make working with it easy and pleasant, and expand design horizons. It is the flexibility, plasticity and softness that make it easy to make amazingly beautiful and unusual crafts from it - this greatly increases the scope for joint family creativity. The ability to color, emboss, apply text enhances the decorative properties of the foil. The metallic luster of the starting material gives the crafts an elegance and resemblance to silver jewelry. A small bunch of flowers, twisted from foil and placed in a decorative vase, can decorate any interior.
You can decorate lamps, candlesticks, flower pots and other interior items with a variety of foil compositions.
The pliability and plasticity of the foil, as well as its noble metallic luster, have always attracted lovers of folk art. The affordable price of the material is also important. Thanks to all these advantages, such an ideal ornamental material has found application in many techniques, becoming the raw material for a large number of various original works.
There are some exceptions to the use of foil as a starting material for weaving. When working with this technique, you cannot use foil with a paper backing. Since it has slightly different properties, the idea of ​​weaving can hardly be realized. But this type of foil can be used as a starting material in other types of creativity, in particular, it is an excellent material for working in the applique technique or mixed.

Foil varieties

Currently, manufacturers produce various foils from aluminum, which have a special high-quality composition. Different types of foil are given certain parameters, based on specific purposes of application.
The width of the foil is determined by its final purpose: flexible packaging, household foil, foil boxes, foil for lids, etc. All these types of foil can be used to some extent for making crafts. Typically, household foil is supplied to the market in standard roll sizes.
According to the type of surface, aluminum foil is divided into two groups:
- one-sided - has two matte surfaces;
- double-sided - the surface is matte on one side and glossy on the other.
Moreover, the surface of both varieties can be both smooth, even, and textured. This means that another group appears - embossed foil.
Aluminum foil is thin enough, because of this, it is characterized by relatively low resistance to various mechanical influences - it breaks easily. To remedy this deficiency, packaging manufacturers often combine foil with other materials or coatings. They combine it with paper, cardboard, various plastic films, varnish or hot melt glue. These combinations give the package the necessary strength, allow you to place various images and printed text on it. When using such foil in creative work, you can easily get additional effects.
Household food foil, which can be used for creative purposes, is widely used in households for storing and preparing various foods. Common food foil comes in various packages of candy, muffins, chocolate, etc. This type of foil is laminated (cached) and with a painted surface.
Laminated (cached) foil is used in various packaging areas for both food and non-food products. It is often used for packaging glazed curd cheeses, cottage cheese, butter and other similar products. This variety is a combination of paper and foil. It is opaque, hygienic, resistant to moisture, vapors and gases.
The usual lamination process involves gluing a sheet of paper or cardboard onto a stiffer backing. Laminated foil is produced using a technology that is fundamentally different from this method. In this case, a thin aluminum sheet is applied to a paper base. Currently, there are three ways to create laminated (laminated) foil. The most reliable method of making laminated foil is similar to the production of metallized cardboard, which is usually obtained by foil stamping the cardboard.
For hot foil stamping of cardboard, special sections are placed on narrow-web machines. Next, embossing is carried out with a special printing foil using a heated engraved brass shaft. The foil gives the cardboard surface a specific metallic sheen that cannot be obtained with metallized printing inks.
Another technology combines embossing and varnishing (so-called cold stamping). Here, in the lamination process, a specially formulated cold stamping varnish is applied to the desired substrate using a conventional photopolymer form. Often, an image is printed on a sheet of paper or cardboard in advance, which is varnished. During the process, the varnish is polymerized by ultraviolet rays, then foil is applied to it. Then the final polymerization of the varnish takes place for several more hours. An effective design technique is an embossing performed in special presses or in crucible printing machines. Laminated foil provides new opportunities for the external finishing of packaging of goods, at the same time it is also a new chance for creative searches when working with foil.
Technical industrial foil is produced for a wide variety of purposes; it is soft or relatively hard, with a smooth or textured surface. This foil is used in the production of condensers, containers, air conditioning grilles, air ducts, radiators and heat exchangers, transformers, screens, cables and many other types of equipment. Self-adhesive foil tapes or a kind of metal tape are of interest for creative work.
Self-adhesive aluminum foil tape can have a special adhesive layer on one side covered with a protective material. But there are modifications of self-adhesive aluminum mounting tape. In particular, there is a laminated aluminum foil in the form of a tape with an adhesive layer, both coated with a special protective material and without such a coating. Such an aluminum mounting tape has increased strength, it can be used to fasten structures under heavy stress. It is easier to use in business tapes produced without a protective material coating. A special heat-resistant adhesive allows the tape to be used in conditions where there is a strong temperature fluctuation (30-150 ° C). However, it should be borne in mind that at temperatures above 80 ° C, slight curling of the tape along the edges may be observed. Therefore, when joining parts, stick the tape with an overlap.
Self-adhesive foil can also be in the form of a thin raster paper-based material that is designed to highlight a specific part of the engraved image. The best result is achieved when a drawing or lettering is applied to glass and acrylic. This foil can be engraved to produce a matte image and retain the original color of the foil. Self-adhesive foil with a thickness of 0.1 mm and dimensions of 150 x 7500 mm is produced in rolls.
Various types of foil are widely used in the printing industry for finishing products. These types are subdivided depending on the method of applying the foil to the product:
- hot stamping foil;
- foil for cold stamping;
- foil for foiling.
In hot stamping, the foil is applied to the surface of the product using a stamp heated to a certain temperature. The hot stamping foil, which is placed between the die and the material to be embossed (cardboard), is a multi-component system. It consists of a film base, a release layer, a varnish layer, a metal or colored pigment layer and an adhesive layer. When a hot stamp is applied to the foil, it selectively melts the release layer, and then pressure transfers the metal or pigment layer onto the print. For hot stamping, foil is produced in a fairly wide range: metallized, colored, textured, holographic and diffractive.
Metallized and colored foils are intended for product refinement. Thanks to the metallic sheen, any kind of foil finish decorates the product, giving it uniqueness and sophistication. Metallized foil with excellent metallic luster is available in gold, silver and bronze. With its help, you can give the logo a relief of various profiles, significantly changing the appearance of the product.
Colored (pigment) foil, glossy or matte, can be white, black, blue, red, green, yellow and orange. Using matte colored foil, you can print on the surface of a product previously coated with a glossy film or varnish. After embossing, this foil has the appearance of paint applied to the surface. With its help, you can get an extraordinary spectacular design.
If on the matte surface of products it is necessary to obtain an effective glossy colorless layer, a transparent varnish foil is used for embossing. As a result, a shiny, colorless layer appears on the surface of the printed material.
Textured foil can have an ornament on its surface that is similar to the surfaces of natural materials - stone, leather or wood.
To protect documents or products from counterfeiting, holographic or diffractive foils are used, as well as special types of foils such as magnetic and erasable scratch foils. Patterns, drawings or inscriptions are visible on the holographic foil at a certain angle. It has a higher degree of protection compared to diffractive foil. Diffractive foil with the first degree of protection is used for printing on flexible plastic, on all types of coated and uncoated paper. Scratch foil is designed to temporarily protect information from unauthorized reading during the production of instant lottery tickets, various prepaid cards, etc. Magnetic foil is used in the production of credit cards, paper tickets and bank documents.
Cold stamping foil is designed to work with those materials that cannot withstand heat - these are thin films used for the production of packaging and labels. It is available in roughly the same color range as the hot stamping foil. The cold stamping method allows you to obtain a rasterized image and reproduce halftones. However, this method cannot be used for embossing on materials with strong absorbent properties.
Foiling is a special way of applying foil to a paper base. Special foils for these purposes are produced in matte, glossy and holographic versions and in standard colors. Matte and glossy foil resembles paint. The holographic variety of foil consists of geometric patterns, repeating patterns and / or fragments of inscriptions.
A special foil is applied to the image printed by a laser printer. Then the paper with the applied foil is passed through a special apparatus - a foil or laminator, where, under the influence of high temperature, the toner is sintered, which is applied to the paper with the foil. When the foil is removed, a foil-like image remains on the paper. This foil application technique should not be used on textured linen papers.

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How did aluminum foil come about?

For a long time, tin foil or tin coated tin have been used as packaging means. However, these materials were too tough 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 technique for continuous rolling of this metal, which made it possible to create aluminum foil with exceptional performance properties. An interesting idea was immediately picked up by the "omnipresent" Americans. Three years later, the leading US companies were packing chewing gum and sweets in aluminum foil.

The subsequent development of innovative technology boiled down to the fact that production methods and equipment were improved, the quality of new foil was improved. They learned to paint, varnish and laminate it, they began to put printed images on it.

Aluminum foil production

Currently, aluminum foil is a highly demanded product in the industrial, commercial and household sectors. It is obtained 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 an ultra-thin foil, two metal sheets are rolled at once, separated from each other by a special lubricating-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, the finished product is subjected to high-temperature annealing, as a result of which it becomes practically sterile.

Foil thickness varies from 0.006 mm to 0.2 mm.

Benefits of aluminum foil

Aluminum foil, popular today, has many advantages over other similar materials, for example, over film or parchment.

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

• high aesthetics;
• impermeability to water vapor, oxygen, gases due to the dense and ordered atomic network of macromolecules, which expands the possibilities and also improves the storage conditions for various goods;
• excellent resistance to corrosion due to the presence of a natural oxide film on the foil surface, which prevents the destructive effect of a chemically active environment;
• hygiene, ecological purity, which excludes the penetration of foreign odors, water, pathogenic microbes into the products;
• inertness to any food products, medicines, cosmetics;
• the ability to take the desired shape and maintain it by bending or folding the foil;
• complete opacity, which is important when storing a number of products;
• no static electricity, which makes it easier to work with foil on packaging equipment;
• resistance to high temperatures, due to which aluminum foil lends itself well to soldering without deformation and melting;
• high electrical conductivity;
• excellent light reflection.

Some nuances of using aluminum foil

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

It is not recommended to use aluminum foil for packaging products containing 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 inner 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 into the container.
It should also be remembered that aluminum foil, with all its chemical inertness, can react with the environment, the acidity index of which is in the pH range from 4 to 9.

Varieties of aluminum foil and their use

Currently, a variety of aluminum foils are produced, which have certain parameters and quality composition, focused on specific purposes of application.

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

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

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

• cable shields;
• 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;
• sun-reflecting panels.

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

In addition, industrial foil is used in the equipment of baths and saunas, in underfloor heating systems. This material allows you to rationally, evenly distribute heat energy, prevents cable punching, reduces heat losses, and also significantly saves electricity.

Household food foil is actively used in the household for the storage and preparation of various products.

The table below reflects the differences between the individual types of foil.

Appointment	Thickness	Tension	Elongation
Types of food foil: household use; for baking.	0.01 — 0.02 0.06 — 0.09	50 – 105 120-170	1% 3%
Types of industrial foil: for cable packing; for the heat exchanger of the air conditioner; for the heat exchanger of cars; The use of food foil in the pharmaceutical industry	0.15 — 0.20 0.01 — 0.13 0,08 — 0,1 0,02 — 0,038	60-110 90-190 above 170 50-110	16% 2-5% — 4%
The use of food foil in the pharmaceutical industry	0.02 - 0.009 mm	above 170	—

Standards and requirements for aluminum foil, product labeling

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

• EN573-3 defines the qualitative chemical composition of the material;
• EN546-2 specifies its mechanical characteristics;
• EN546-3 specifies clear dimensional tolerances;
• EN546-4 approves other requirements.

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

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

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