What Makes Industrial Foil Different from Household Foil
Most people know aluminum foil from the kitchen. Industrial-grade foil is a different product. It is manufactured to tighter thickness tolerances, specific alloy compositions, and surface quality standards that consumer foil does not meet.
Industrial aluminum foil runs from 0.006 mm up to 0.2 mm in thickness. It is supplied in large coils, sheets, or converted formats. The applications range from thermal insulation and HVAC duct facing to pharmaceutical blister packs, capacitor electrodes, and battery current collectors.
The right foil for an industrial job depends on three things — alloy, temper, and thickness. Getting those three right determines whether the foil performs or fails in service.
Alloy & Temper Reference
Different alloys give different combinations of strength, formability, conductivity, and barrier performance.
| Alloy | Temper | Key Property | Typical Industrial Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1050 | O / H18 | Very high purity, excellent conductivity | Capacitor foil, electronics |
| 1060 | O / H18 | High purity, good barrier | Pharmaceutical packaging, food contact |
| 1070 | O | Highest conductivity in series | Battery current collector, transformer |
| 1100 | H14 / H18 | Good formability, general purpose | HVAC facing, insulation foil, general industrial |
| 1235 | O / H18 | Very low pinhole rate, excellent barrier | Pharma blister, flexible packaging |
| 3003 | H18 | Stronger than 1xxx, moderate formability | Fin stock, heat exchanger, duct facing |
| 3102 | H19 | Very high strength for thin gauge | Air conditioner fin foil |
| 8006 | O / H22 | Low pinhole, good deep draw | Pharmaceutical blister, container foil |
| 8011 | O / H18 | Wide application range, good sealing | Cable wrap, lidding, pharma, food |
| 8021 | O | Very low pinhole rate, flexible | Lithium battery pouch, flexible packaging |
| 8079 | O / H18 | Excellent elongation, very low pinhole | Battery pouch, pharmaceutical, food |
For general industrial insulation and HVAC work, 1100-H18 and 3003-H18 are the standard choices. For electronics and battery applications, 1070-O and 8021-O are preferred. By pharmaceutical barrier packaging, 1235-O and 8011-O are the most specified alloys.
Thickness & Gauge Guide
Industrial foil thickness is measured in microns (μm) or millimeters. The gauge determines the barrier level, formability, and mechanical strength.
| Thickness Range | Common Designation | Barrier Level | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 – 9 μm | Ultra-thin foil | Low — pinholes possible | Capacitors, metallizing base |
| 9 – 12 μm | Thin foil | Moderate | Pharmaceutical blister backing |
| 12 – 18 μm | Standard thin | Good | Flexible food packaging, lidding |
| 18 – 25 μm | Standard industrial | Very good | Cable wrap, pharma blister base |
| 25 – 40 μm | Medium gauge | Excellent | HVAC duct facing, insulation laminate |
| 40 – 80 μm | Heavy gauge | Full barrier | Container foil, fin stock |
| 80 – 200 μm | Semi-rigid | Structural | Formed containers, honeycomb core foil |
The thinner the foil, the more critical the alloy and rolling process. Below 10 μm, pinhole rate becomes a key specification. Pinholes compromise barrier properties in pharmaceutical and food packaging.
Surface Finish & Treatment Options
| Surface Type | Description | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Bright / mill finish | Both sides bright | General packaging, insulation |
| One side bright, one side matte | Standard double-roll finish | Food and pharma packaging |
| Annealed (O temper) | Soft, fully recrystallized | Deep draw, forming, battery pouch |
| Hard temper (H18 / H19) | Maximum cold work | Fin stock, high-strength thin foil |
| Coated — polyester | PET film laminated | HVAC duct facing, vapor barrier |
| Coated — kraft paper | Paper laminated | Building insulation facing |
| Coated — PE film | Polyethylene laminated | Moisture barrier wraps |
| Printed | Flexo or gravure print | Pharma blister, branded packaging |
| Embossed | Surface pattern pressed in | Decorative, grip surface |
Product Types
Plain Industrial Aluminum Foil
The base format. A plain, uncoated foil rolled to the specified thickness, alloy, and temper. Supplied in coils with a specified inner diameter (ID) — typically 76 mm or 152 mm — and a maximum outer diameter (OD) depending on weight. Used as the raw input material for conversion into other formats.
Plain foil is the starting point for packaging laminators, HVAC manufacturers, insulation fabricators, and electronics producers. Most other product types described below start from plain foil coil stock.
Insulation Foil
Aluminum foil used as the facing material on thermal insulation products. The foil reflects radiant heat and acts as a vapor barrier. It is bonded to fiberglass batts, mineral wool boards, foam panels, or flexible duct insulation.
- Thickness: 25 – 60 μm
- Alloy: 1100-H18 or 3003-H18
- Typical laminate: foil + kraft paper + polyester scrim
- Used in: roof insulation, wall cavity insulation, pipe wrap, HVAC duct liner
HVAC Duct Facing Foil
A laminated product specifically for flexible HVAC duct and rigid ductboard. The foil facing provides the air barrier, vapor barrier, and reflective surface on the duct exterior.
| Property | Specification |
|---|---|
| Foil thickness | 25 – 40 μm |
| Total laminate thickness | 80 – 150 μm |
| Layers | Foil + scrim + kraft or film |
| Tensile strength | ≥ 80 N/25mm (laminate) |
| Water vapor transmission | ≤ 0.02 perms |
| Temperature range | -20 °C to +120 °C |
| Standard reference | ASTM C1136, UL 181 |
Fin Stock Foil
Used in heat exchangers and air conditioning condensers. Thin foil — typically 80–150 μm — is stamped into corrugated fin shapes and bonded to copper or aluminum tubes. The large surface area of the fins transfers heat to or from the air stream.
- Alloy: 3102-H19, 1100-H24
- Thickness: 80 – 150 μm
- Surface treatment: hydrophilic coating (for AC units), bare mill finish, or corrosion-inhibitor coat
- Key property: high elongation to allow stamping without cracking
Cable Wrap Foil
A narrow slit foil used to wrap electrical cables as an electromagnetic shielding layer. Bonded to a polyester film for handling strength. The foil provides both EMI shielding and moisture barrier in the cable structure.
- Alloy: 8011-H18 or 1235-H18
- Thickness: 12 – 25 μm
- Width: 20 – 100 mm slit coils
- Laminate: foil + polyester film, conductive adhesive or plain
Pharmaceutical Blister Foil
Used as the lidding or base material in blister pack drug packaging. The foil provides a complete moisture, oxygen, and light barrier around each tablet or capsule. Pin-hole free performance is the critical specification.
- Alloy: 8021-O, 8079-O, 1235-O
- Thickness: 20 – 25 μm (lidding) / 40 – 60 μm (cold-form base)
- Temper: O (fully annealed for forming)
- Pinhole rate: zero pinholes per square meter is the target specification
- Surface: one side coated with heat-seal lacquer, reverse printed
Battery Current Collector Foil
Used inside lithium-ion and lithium-polymer battery cells. The foil acts as the current collector for the cathode in lithium-ion batteries. It conducts electricity from the active electrode material to the cell terminal.
- Alloy: 1070-O, 1060-O
- Thickness: 10 – 20 μm
- Purity: ≥ 99.6% aluminum (low iron, low copper)
- Surface: clean, oil-free, no oxide build-up
- Key requirement: very tight thickness tolerance ±1 μm
Battery Pouch Foil (Soft Pack)
A laminated foil used to form the outer casing of pouch-type lithium batteries. The foil provides the structural skin, moisture barrier, and electrolyte seal in soft-pack (pouch cell) batteries used in electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and energy storage systems.
- Alloy: 8021-O, 8079-O
- Foil thickness: 40 – 60 μm in the laminate
- Laminate structure: nylon / foil / polypropylene
- Key property: deep drawability, very low pinhole rate, excellent elongation
Flexible Packaging Foil
A converted foil used in food and pharmaceutical flexible packaging. Usually laminated with plastic film and paper to form multi-layer structures. The foil layer provides the barrier properties — blocking moisture, oxygen, light, and odor.
- Alloy: 8011-O, 1235-O, 8079-O
- Thickness: 9 – 25 μm
- Laminates: foil + PET + PE / foil + OPP + PE / foil + paper + PE
- Applications: coffee pouches, retort pouches, sachets, lidding films
Capacitor Foil
High-purity foil used as the electrode in electrolytic capacitors. The foil is etched and formed to increase its effective surface area, which raises the capacitance of the finished component.
- Alloy: 1050-H18, 1060-H18
- Thickness: 6 – 100 μm depending on capacitor voltage rating
- Purity: ≥ 99.5% aluminum
- Surface: etched (anode foil) or plain (cathode foil)
Product Format Reference
| Format | Description | Common Width | Coil Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain coil | Uncoated foil on core | 100 – 1600 mm | 50 – 2000 kg |
| Slit coil | Cut to narrow width from master coil | 10 – 600 mm | 5 – 500 kg |
| Laminated coil | Foil bonded to film or paper | 100 – 2000 mm | 50 – 1500 kg |
| Sheet cut | Cut sheets from coil | Custom | N/A |
| Embossed coil | Surface pattern pressed | 100 – 1600 mm | 50 – 1000 kg |
| Coated coil | Lacquer, PE, or other coating applied | 100 – 1600 mm | 50 – 1500 kg |
Application Areas
Building & Construction
- Roof and wall insulation facing
- Under-floor heating reflective layer
- Pipe and duct insulation wrap
- Vapor barrier membranes
- Radiant barrier in attic insulation systems
- Fireproof door core material
HVAC & Refrigeration
- Flexible duct facing and jacketing
- Rigid ductboard surface facing
- Heat exchanger fin stock
- Air conditioning condenser coil fins
- Refrigeration unit evaporator fins
- Duct sealing tape backing
Electronics & Electrical
- Cable shielding wrap (EMI/RFI)
- Capacitor electrode foil
- PCB copper-clad laminate base layer
- Transformer winding tape
- Shielding film for flex circuits
- Conductive gasket tape base
Battery & Energy Storage
- Lithium-ion battery cathode current collector
- Lithium polymer pouch cell outer casing
- Solid-state battery electrode substrate
- Supercapacitor electrode foil
- Grid-scale energy storage cell components
Pharmaceutical & Medical
- Blister pack lidding foil
- Cold-form blister base foil
- Strip packaging for tablets
- Medical device sterile packaging
- Suppository wrapping foil
- Foil pouch packaging for medical devices
Food & Beverage Packaging
- Retort pouch laminate foil layer
- Coffee and tea sachet packaging
- Snack food flexible wrapper foil
- Dairy and yogurt lidding foil
- Juice and drink pouch foil layer
- Aseptic carton foil inner layer
Automotive & Transportation
- Under-hood thermal insulation foil
- Exhaust heat shield material
- Battery pack thermal management foil
- Fuel cell component foil
- Cabin insulation and noise barrier foil
- Wiring harness shielding wrap
Industrial Manufacturing
- Mold release and parting foil
- Process masking foil in surface treatment
- Heat-reflective barrier in industrial ovens
- Gasket and sealing foil in fluid systems
- Die casting mold protection foil
- Cleanroom surface protection sheeting
Alloy Comparison for Key Industrial Applications
| Application | Recommended Alloy | Temper | Why This Alloy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insulation facing | 1100 / 3003 | H18 | Good strength, easy to laminate |
| HVAC fin stock | 3102 / 1100 | H19 / H24 | High elongation for stamping |
| Pharma blister lid | 1235 / 8011 | O | Zero pinhole, heat-seal compatible |
| Pharma cold-form | 8021 / 8079 | O | Deep draw, very low pinhole |
| Li-ion current collector | 1070 / 1060 | O | High purity, low resistance |
| Battery pouch | 8021 / 8079 | O | Elongation, deep draw, low pinhole |
| Cable shielding | 1235 / 8011 | H18 | Thin, good conductivity, laminate adhesion |
| Capacitor electrode | 1050 / 1060 | H18 | High purity, etchable surface |
| Flexible food pack | 8011 / 1235 | O | Barrier performance, sealing |
| Building vapor barrier | 1100 | H18 | Cost, formability, barrier |
Key Specifications When Ordering Industrial Foil
Providing complete specifications avoids costly errors on bulk orders.
| Parameter | Options / Range |
|---|---|
| Alloy | 1050, 1060, 1070, 1100, 1235, 3003, 3102, 8006, 8011, 8021, 8079 |
| Temper | O, H14, H18, H19, H22, H24 |
| Thickness | 6 μm – 200 μm (specify in μm or mm) |
| Width | 10 mm – 1600 mm |
| Coil inner diameter | 76 mm (3″) or 152 mm (6″) |
| Coil outer diameter | Up to 800 mm or by weight |
| Coil weight | 50 kg – 2000 kg |
| Surface | Bright / matte / one side bright |
| Coating / laminate | Plain, PE, PET, paper, lacquer |
| Pinhole requirement | Specify max pinholes per m² |
| Tolerance | Thickness ±4% – ±6% standard; ±1% for battery foil |
| Certification | RoHS, REACH, food-contact compliance, ISO 9001 |
Certifications & Standards
| Standard | Scope | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM B479 | Aluminum foil for flexible barrier | US packaging and industrial foil standard |
| EN 546 | Aluminum and alloy foil | European foil specification |
| ISO 9001 | Quality management | Production process control |
| EU 10/2011 | Food contact materials | Required for food-contact foil |
| RoHS | Hazardous substance restriction | Required for electronics applications |
| REACH | EU chemical regulation | Chemical compliance for EU supply |
| USP / EP | Pharmaceutical standards | Required for pharma packaging foil |
| UL 181 | HVAC duct facing | Required for US HVAC market |
| ASTM C1136 | Flexible vapor barriers | Insulation facing standard |
Ordering Reference
| Order Type | MOQ | Lead Time |
|---|---|---|
| Standard stock alloy and thickness | 500 kg – 2 MT | 5 – 10 business days |
| Custom alloy or temper | 3 – 5 MT | 20 – 30 business days |
| Laminated or coated foil | 2 – 5 MT | 15 – 25 business days |
| Slit narrow coils from stock | 500 kg | 7 – 14 business days |
| Battery or pharma grade foil | 1 – 3 MT | 20 – 35 business days |