Foil is a delicate matter (20 photos). The history of the emergence of the foil weaving technique “FOILART. Who Invented Foil? Interesting facts Invention of foil




People at all times were engaged in needlework. In ancient times, they carved rock paintings with stone on stone, sewed together pieces of skin and fur with the help of veins and bone needles, strung beautiful pebbles and shells on leather laces, wove 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, earthenware jugs were decorated with paintings, clothes with embroidery, wooden items with carvings, and metal items with embossing. Whenever new material became available, people immediately adapted it for artistic creation. Ropes appeared - macrame appeared, paper appeared - origami arose ... If aluminum foil had become available to people in the Stone Age, now archaeologists would proudly show us Neolithic jewelry woven from it. But, despite the fact that aluminum is the most common metal on earth, scientists managed to obtain it in its pure form for the first time only in the 19th century. This was a very difficult task, so for some time aluminum was a rare metal and was valued more than gold. Very noble and influential persons, not sparing money, ordered aluminum buttons and cutlery to show off such unprecedented luxury. But in the 20th century, people finally conquered electricity, a cheap way to produce aluminum was found, and it became a widely available material. The aluminum forks and spoons dreamed of by emperors have become attributes of cheap catering. And after stamped products, aluminum foil appeared.

This is a delightful modern completely safe material, as if specially created for needlework. Light, flexible and shiny, it is not afraid of water and high temperatures, does not require special tools when working and, importantly, it can be bought at 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 for creating jewelry and artistic creativity: they wrapped nuts and sweets in it to hang on the New Year tree, glued cardboard boxes, crumpled and pressed in the form of various figures and sculptures. But it turned out that this is not all that ordinary aluminum foil is capable of. Foil weaving was the next big step in the application of this new modern material in the field of artistic creation. When people see products woven from foil, they do not immediately understand what and how it is made of, but having figured out what's what, they cannot believe that no one has thought of this for a century of the existence of this material.

Weaving from foil is so simple and cool that it immediately begins to seem as if this type of needlework, accessible even to children, has always existed. Indeed, he had a chance to be born every time when someone, having eaten a candy or a chocolate bar, began to crush and twist in his hands an already useless, but such a beautiful and shiny candy wrapper. But, either the sweet tooth had more important things to do, or no one ate sweets in the quantities needed for insight, but it turned out that it was me, Olesya Emelyanova, who once came up with the idea to find wrappers a better use than a wastebasket. From gold wrappers from Autumn Waltz and other elegant candies, I began to weave miniature flowers, butterflies and goldfish. The kids I knew enthusiastically collected suitable candy wrappers for me, so that later they could exchange them for an outlandish craft.

But the collection of wrappers was slow, their size was small, and there were a lot of ideas, so I started looking for a replacement that was more affordable and convenient for work. I didn’t have to go far, because in every house there is a roll of food foil. She, of course, did not shine as much as gold, but she did not end in reality. interesting place. So from the “goldsmiths” I moved into the category of “silver”. Now it was possible to 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 use of a relatively new material for mankind and invented a new kind of creativity - foil weaving or, as it is also called, “FOILART” (from the combination of the English words “foil” and “art”). There was nothing like it anywhere in the world, so Russia can be safely called the birthplace of this amazing technology, which is confirmed by the patent for the invention I received No. 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, Elf-Market released the first series of creative kits. It includes 11 sets: flowers, a butterfly, an Easter egg and a candlestick. By the way, it is precisely because of the name of this series that the second name of the technique, “FOILART”, stuck to foil weaving.

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

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

In 2014, the art of foil art continued its triumphant march on the market of kits for children's creativity. The Russian Style company 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 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 website 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 kind 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. Don't be surprised if you suddenly feel that your hands remember how to do it. The very process of foil weaving is similar to lace weaving, wire weaving, and the work of a jeweler, so "FOILART" cannot be unambiguously called purely female needlework. 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 foil weaving will become your favorite way of creative expression. Learn new things, create beauty with your own hands! I sincerely wish you success in this.

© Photographer. Sergey Anatolievich Potapov. 2011




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

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

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

Dictionary Ozhegov

FOIL, and and (obsolete and special) FOIL, and, wives. The thinnest metal sheet, upr. in engineering, for embossing, for food packaging. Sheet, roll of foil. | adj. foil, oh, oh and foil, oh, oh (obsolete and special). Dictionary… … Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

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

FOIL, foils, pl. no, female (Polish folga from lat. folium leaf). Very thin metal sheet (or sheets) used. in the manufacture of mirrors, bookbinding for embossing, etc. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

Ribbon, frame, sheet Dictionary of Russian synonyms. foil n., number of synonyms: 6 alfol (1) ... Synonym dictionary

Foil- Foil: a flat rolled product of rectangular cross section with a uniform thickness of 0.05 to 0.10 mm, supplied in a roll ... Source: GOST 2208 2007. Foil, tapes, sheets and plates made of brass. Technical conditions (put into effect ... ... Official terminology

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

foil- Thin sheets or strips of metals and metal alloys with a thickness of 2,100 µm. [Terminological dictionary for construction in 12 languages ​​(VNIIIS Gosstroy of the USSR)] foil Semi-finished product of rectangular section up to 0.1 mm thick, manufactured by rolling, ... ... Technical Translator's Handbook

Books

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

The word "foil" came into Russian from Polish, where it came directly from Latin 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 long before this point already ends on a numerical straight line of thicknesses.

The thickness of aluminum foil is from a few thousandths to a few tenths of a millimeter. For packaging foil - 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 thickness range - from 0.007 to 0.200 mm - is established by regulatory and technical documents for technical aluminum foil. For aluminum foil for capacitors, it is somewhat smaller - from 0.005 to 0.150 mm.

Another important geometric parameter is the width. Technical aluminum foil is produced from 15 to 1500 mm wide. 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 foil. For the first time its industrial production was organized in 1911 in Kreuzlingen (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 began to be wrapped in aluminum foil, and a year later - the well-known Maggi bouillon cubes today.

In the 1920s, dairy producers became interested in aluminum foil. And already in the mid-thirties, millions of European housewives used foil in rolls in their kitchens. In the 1950s and 1960s, the production of aluminum foil increased several times. It is largely thanks to her that the ready-made food market acquires such an impressive scale. In the same years, a laminate, well known to everyone from milk and juice bags, appeared - a symbiosis of paper and aluminum foil.

In parallel with packaging foil, technical aluminum foil has become widespread. It is increasingly used in construction, mechanical engineering, in the manufacture of climate control equipment, and so on.

Since the early sixties, aluminum foil has been sent into space - satellites "wrapped" in aluminum foil serve to reflect radio signals and study 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 specifications apply to cold-rolled aluminum foil intended for packaging food products, medicines, medical products, cosmetics, as well as for the production of packaging materials based on aluminum foil.

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

The production of aluminum rolled foil for the manufacture of capacitors is regulated by GOST 25905-83 Aluminum foil for capacitors. Specifications.

In addition, aluminum foil is produced in accordance with the 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 Household aluminum foil 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 the 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 a cold rolling mill, where it acquires the required thickness.

The second method is continuous casting of metal. A cast billet is made from aluminum melt at a continuous casting plant. The rolls obtained are then rolled on a billet mill while undergoing intermediate high-temperature annealing at the same time. On the foil rolling mill, the semi-finished product is rolled to the required thickness. The finished foil is cut into rolls of the desired width.

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

What is aluminum foil made from?

Whereas in the past aluminum foil was predominantly made from pure aluminium, now alloys are increasingly being used. The addition of alloying elements improves the quality of the foil, making it more functional.

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

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

Aluminum food foil should not emit harmful substances in quantities exceeding those specified. 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 not have an odor affecting the quality of the 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 (symbol FG), foil for finishing and foil with finishing are distinguished.

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

In GOST 745-2003, according to the state 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 - “FLL”, covered with thermal varnish - “FTL”. The presence of a seal is indicated by the letters “FP” (“FPL” - printing on the front side and varnish on the back. If thermal varnish is applied on the reverse side, they write “FPTL”). The presence of a primer for printing on the front side and a 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 paint coating applied to it.

Laminated aluminum foil expands the packaging finishing possibilities. Aluminum foil laminated with polymer films is used for flavored products and products requiring moisture protection.

And a few more words about conventions

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

  • manufacturing method (for example, cold-formed foil is indicated by the letter "D");
  • section shape (for example, "PR" - rectangular);
  • manufacturing accuracy - depending on the maximum deviation in thickness, aluminum foil for packaging is manufactured with normal (indicated by the letter "H"), increased (P) and high (V) accuracy;
  • state - soft (M) or hard (T);
  • dimensions;
  • length - random length is indicated by the letters "ND";
  • brand;
  • standard designation.

Missing data is replaced with an "X".

Aluminum foil is the perfect packaging…

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

The 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 against the negative influences that the packaged product is subjected to by the external environment and time. It protects from exposure to gases, light, does not allow moisture and bacteria to pass through. It will not only protect against foreign 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% recycling. And the foil that did not get into the “circulation” of recycling will dissolve in the environment without a trace in a short time without any harmful consequences.

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

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

And also aluminum foil is a durable, technologically advanced, easily accepting various forms, corrosion resistant, perfectly compatible with other material.

…and an important economic factor

Today, the importance of long-term storage of products and packaging that provides this opportunity is growing. This is the only way to increase the mobility of food production and take full advantage of the division of labor.

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

Aluminum foil, milk and other drinks

Milk is a fickle, perishable product, and aluminum foil is especially appropriate in this case. It keeps cheese and butter fresh longer.

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

Why is a man licking an aluminum lid of yogurt not a symbol of the era, just like processed cheese in an aluminum foil package is a symbol of a bygone time? If we continue the theme of the symbolic, then the hiss of an opened aluminum can, anticipating the pleasure of quenching one's thirst, is certainly one of the bright strokes of the sound palette of our time.

By the way, not only milk can be covered with aluminum, 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.

Driven by the increasing pace of life, the rapid development of the ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook food market has been made possible by aluminum foil. Foil containers have gained immense popularity, which can be put in the microwave 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 main courses in thick foil. Aluminum containers are ideal packaging for long-term storage and preparation of ready meals in the oven and in the 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 value the possibility of its quick preparation in food most of all, aluminum foil is in demand by gourmets who know many recipes for cooking with its use.

Such food is distinguished not only by high palatability (dishes cooked in foil will remain juicy and will not burn), but also by the benefits associated with the absence of the need to add fat, i.e., full compliance with the principles of a healthy diet.

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

Pets, whose food is also packaged in aluminum foil packaging, will hardly appreciate its aesthetic merits, but the high palatability of the food stored in it, no doubt, will not be ignored.

Aluminum foil in the pharmaceutical industry

Hygienic and safe, aluminum foil is often the best choice when it comes to packaging pharmaceuticals, ensuring they are transported and stored for long periods of time.

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 sticking together with 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 cosmetic products and personal care products.

Technical aluminum foil

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

In the electrical industry, screens of electrical cables are made from it. In the automotive industry, they are used in engine cooling systems and for car interior trim. The latter is not only beautiful and almost weightless, but also contributes to greater passenger safety, because the foil improves sound insulation and prevents the spread of fire. It is also used as a fire barrier in other modes 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.

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 an independent reflective insulator and complement other thermal insulation materials. Mineral wool cylinders laminated with aluminum foil are used for thermal insulation of technological pipelines in various industries and building complex.

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

With modern technologies, aluminum foil is faced with the task of separating environments, protecting, isolating. 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, it 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 modest dimensions it is possible to achieve the required results. Therefore, aluminum foil, which celebrated its centennial anniversary a few years ago, is not in danger of “peace”.

Aluminum is the most common 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 the aircraft industry and the automotive industry. Thin aluminum sheets, on the other hand, are excellently suited due to their softness; for packaging - and have been used in this capacity since 1947.

Difficulties in mining

The element aluminum occurs naturally in a chemically bonded form. In 1827, the German physicist Friedrich Wöhler managed to obtain significant amounts of pure aluminum. The release process was so difficult 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 of aluminum reduction. The Austrian engineer Karl Josef Bayer, who worked in Russia, managed in 1889 to significantly reduce the cost of a new method of metal mining.

To the invention - in a roundabout way

The path to aluminum foil lay through the tobacco industry. At the beginning of the XX century. cigarettes were still packaged in tin sheet to protect them from moisture. Richard Reynolds, who at that time joined his uncle's tobacco company, quickly realized that the foil market had a great future, and founded his own enterprise, supplying packaging to tobacconists and chocolate manufacturers. The cheapening of aluminum drew Reynolds' attention to the light metal. In 1947, he succeeded in making a film 0.0175 mm thick. The new foil did not have toxic properties and reliably protected the products from moisture, light or odors.

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

1861: started industrial production grease and moisture resistant parchment paper.

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

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electrodeposited copper foil that can be applied to thin patterns, in particular an electrodeposited foil that can achieve a high etch rate and that 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 to produce a raw copper foil whose both sides have flatter surfaces than ordinary copper foil, whereby it can be used as flat cables or wires, as a cable covering material, as a shielding 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 a gap between an insoluble electrode, such as a lead electrode or a titanium electrode coated with a platinum group metal, and a rotating drum cathode made of stainless steel or titanium facing the insoluble electrode, an 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 a rotating drum cathode; the deposited copper is then continuously stripped from the drum and wound onto a storage 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 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/trough) of the surface of the copper foil that is in contact with the electrolyte (matte side) is deformed, so that sufficient adhesive strength is not ensured when this 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 layers and/or the conductivity of the circuit of the multilayer printed circuit board is reduced, or when the figures are etched after being bonded to the substrate material, copper may remain on the substrate material or chipping of circuit elements may occur; each of these phenomena has a detrimental effect on different aspects of PCB performance. To prevent the occurrence of defects such as pinholes or through pores, chloride ions, for example, 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 profile shape (protrusions / depressions) of the matte side and prevent the occurrence of microporosity for a long time, it was proposed in practice 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 basically an electroplating technique, as can be 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 electroplating 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 brightening additives in the electrolytic deposition of copper. Therefore, they can be expected to have a so-called chemical gloss effect, or an effect in which the roughness of the matte side of the electrodeposited foil for use in printed circuit boards is reduced by the use of these additives in the electrolyte. US Pat. No. 5,171,417 describes a process for making copper foil using an active sulfur compound, such as thiourea, as an additive. However, in this situation, without modifying the described method, it is not possible to obtain satisfactory performance by using these electroplating additives 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 the current densities used in conventional plating technology. This is necessary to increase performance. Recently, there has been a tremendous increase in the demand for electrodeposited foils for printed circuit boards with reduced matte side roughness and yet without compromising mechanical characteristics such as elongation in particular. 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 breakthroughs 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 increasingly precise copying. Among the requirements for the performance of electrodeposited foils for printed circuit boards, it is necessary to list the requirements for improving the interlaminar insulation and inter-pattern insulation, reducing the profile (reducing the roughness) of the matte side to prevent etching from etching, and improving the elongation at high temperature to prevent cracking due to thermal stresses and, in addition, to high tensile stress to ensure the dimensional stability of the printed circuit board. The requirement for further lowering (height) of the profile to enable more accurate copying is particularly stringent. Reduction (height) of the matte side profile can be achieved by adding large amounts of glue and/or thiourea to the electrolyte, as described above, but on the other hand, with an increase in the amount of these additions, there is a sharp decrease in the elongation at room temperature and the elongation at high temperature. In contrast, although the copper foil obtained from an electrolyte to which no additives are added has exceptionally high elongation at room temperature and elongation at high temperature, the shape of the frosted side is destroyed and its roughness increases, making it impossible to maintain high tear resistance. ; moreover, it is very difficult to produce a foil in which these characteristics are stable. If the electrolysis is maintained at a low current density, the matte side roughness is lower than the matte side roughness of the electrodeposited foil produced at high current density, while elongation and tear strength are also improved, but an economically undesirable decrease in productivity occurs. Therefore, it is quite difficult to provide additional profile reduction (height) with good room temperature elongation and high temperature elongation recently required 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 that the surface roughness was too pronounced. Typically, electrodeposition copper foil can be made by first using the copper foil electroplating cell shown in FIG. 1 and subsequent use of the one shown in FIG. 2 devices for the electrolytic treatment of copper foil obtained by electrodeposition, in which the latter is subjected to an adhesion enhancing treatment and an anti-corrosion treatment. In an electrolytic cell for the electroforming of copper foil, electrolyte 3 is passed through a device containing a fixed anode 1 (a lead or titanium electrode coated with noble metal oxide) 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 the required thickness on the surface of said cathode, and then the copper foil is peeled off from the surface of said cathode. The foil thus obtained is commonly referred to as raw copper foil. In a subsequent step, in order to obtain the characteristics required for copper-clad laminated boards, the raw copper foil 4 is continuously electrochemically or chemically surface treated by passing it through the electrolytic treatment apparatus shown in FIG. 2. This treatment includes the step of depositing copper bumps to enhance adhesion when layered on an insulating resin substrate. This step is referred to as "adhesion enhancement treatment". Copper foil after it has been subjected to these surface treatments is referred to as "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 raw copper foil 4, and the etching characteristics, in particular the etching rate and uniform dissolution, are also determined to a large extent by the properties of the raw copper foil. A factor that has a huge influence on the behavior of the etching characteristics of copper foil is its surface roughness. The effect of roughness produced by the adhesion enhancing treatment on the face surface which is laminated on the insulating resin substrate 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 manner in which copper bumps are deposited on the surface being treated to enhance adhesion. If the surface roughness of the initial foil, i.e. raw foil, high, the roughness of the copper foil after the treatment to enhance adhesion becomes high. In general, if the amount of copper bumps deposited is large, the roughness of the copper foil after the adhesion enhancing treatment becomes high. The amount of copper bumps deposited during bonding processing can be controlled by the current flowing during processing, but the surface roughness of the raw 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 raw foil that contacts the drum, the so-called "shiny side", is relatively smooth, and 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 described in US Pat. No. 5,171,417, cited above, which uses an active sulfur compound such as thiourea 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 compared 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 layer this shiny surface onto a resin substrate by depositing copper bumps thereon, as described in Japanese Patent No. 94/270331. However, in this case, to enable the copper foil to be etched, it is necessary to layer the photosensitive dry film and/or resistance on the side that is usually the matte side; the disadvantage of this method is that the roughness of this surface reduces the adhesion to the copper foil, with the result that the layers become easily separable. The present invention solves the aforementioned problems of known methods. The invention provides a method for manufacturing a copper foil having a high etching rate without reducing its peel resistance, as a result of which it can be possible to apply a thin pattern without leaving copper particles in the areas of the mounting pattern depressions, and having a high relative elongation at high temperature and high resistance break. Typically, the copy accuracy criterion can be expressed in terms of the etching rate (=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, W b is the thickness of the copper foil. Higher values ​​of the etch index correspond to a more pointed 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 further contains a high molecular weight polysaccharide. It is expedient 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 may have a surface roughness R z advantageously equal to or less than the surface roughness of its shiny side, and its surface may be subjected to a treatment to enhance adhesion, in particular , electroplating. 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 produced by electrolysis using an electrolyte to which a chemical compound having at least one mercapto group and further at least one type of organic compound and a chloride ion is added. In addition, the invention relates to a copper-clad layered board containing the above-described electrodeposited copper foil obtained by the method according to this 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 subjected to processing, 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 electrolyte additive 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, finer copper crystals can be obtained, resulting in the surface of the plating deposit having a slight surface roughness. The detailed mechanism of this phenomenon has not been established, but it is believed that these molecules can reduce the size of the copper crystals by reacting with copper ions in the copper sulfate electrolyte to form a complex, or by acting on the interface during electroplating to increase the overvoltage, which makes it possible to obtain a deposit with slight surface roughness. It should be noted that patent DT-C-4126502 describes the use of 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate in an electrolyte bath to deposit copper coatings on various objects, such as ornamental parts, to give them a shiny appearance, or on printed circuit boards to reinforce their conductors. However, this known patent does not describe the use of polysaccharides in combination with 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate to produce a copper foil with high etch rate, 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, and the like, which usually form colloids in water. Examples of such high molecular weight polysaccharides which can be produced cheaply industrially are starches such as food starch, industrial starch or dextrin and cellulose such as water soluble cellulose or as described in JP 90/182890, i.e. sodium carboxymethylcellulose, or carboxymethyloxyethylcellulose ether. 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 electrodeposit to be obtained with or without irregularities. However, in addition to reducing the size of the crystals, these organic compounds prevent embrittlement of the produced copper foil. These organic compounds inhibit the build-up of internal stresses in the copper foil, thereby preventing the foil from tearing or twisting when stripped from the drum cathode; in addition, they improve elongation at room temperature and at high temperature. Another type of organic compound that can be used in combination with a mercapto group-containing compound and a high molecular weight polysaccharide in the present invention is a low molecular weight adhesive. Low molecular weight adhesive is understood to mean an adhesive obtained in the usual way, in which the molecular weight is reduced by splitting the 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 an extremely low gelation resistance due to their low molecular weight. Conventional adhesive has an effect that prevents the occurrence of microporosity and/or regulates the roughness of the matte side and improves 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 adhesive or commercially available gelatin, it is possible to prevent appearance, microporosity and/or suppress matte side roughness and at the same time improve its appearance without significantly degrading 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, uniformly uneven surface can be obtained than when they are used. independently of each other. Moreover, in addition to the above-mentioned additives, chloride ions may be added to the electrolyte. If the electrolyte contains no chloride ions at all, it is not possible to obtain a copper foil with a reduced rough surface profile to the desired degree. Adding them at a concentration of a few parts per million is useful, however, in order to stably produce low-profile surface copper foil 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 amount added exceeds 60 ppm, but no increase in the beneficial effect was observed with an increase in the amount of chloride ions added; on the contrary, when adding an excess amount of chloride ions, dendritic electrodeposition took place, reducing the limiting current density, which is undesirable. As described above, by the combined addition of 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate to the electrolyte, a high molecular weight polysaccharide and/or a low molecular weight adhesive, and traces of chloride ions, various higher characteristics that a low profile copper foil should have to ensure accurate copying can be obtained. In addition, since the surface roughness R z of the matte side surface of the raw copper foil according to the invention has the same order of magnitude or less than the surface roughness R z of the shiny side of this raw foil, the surface roughness R z of the matte side surface surface roughness has more low profile than the surface profile of conventional foil, as a result, a foil with high etch rates can be obtained. In the following, 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) Foil making
The electrolyte whose composition is shown in Table 1 (copper sulfate-sulfuric acid solution before additives are 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. The chloride ion concentrations in all cases were 30 ppm, however, the present invention is not limited to this concentration. Then, a raw copper foil of 18 μm thickness was obtained by electrodeposition under the electrolysis conditions indicated in Table 1, using a noble metal oxide-coated titanium electrode as an anode and a rotating titanium drum as a cathode, and an electrolyte prepared by the above-described method as an electrolyte. (2) Evaluation of the roughness of the matte side and its mechanical characteristics
The surface roughnesses R z and R a of each of the raw copper foil obtained in (1) were measured using a surface roughness meter (SE-3C type, manufactured by KOSAKA KENKYUJO). (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". Standard length 1 was 2.5 mm in case of matte side surface measurements and 0, 8 mm in case of measurements of the surface of the shiny side). Accordingly, the elongation at normal temperature in the longitudinal direction (of the machine) and after soaking for 5 minutes at a temperature of 180°, as well as the tensile strength at each temperature, were measured 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 properties of the copper foil obtained by electrodeposition in the same manner 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 shown 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 matte side roughness was very small and the high temperature elongation was excellent. In the case of Examples 3 and 4, in which sodium 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate and hydroxyethyl cellulose were added, the matte side roughness 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 matte side roughness was less than the known raw foil, it was rougher than the matte side roughness of the raw 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 of the raw copper foil obtained by electrodeposition using a conventional adhesive for each of sodium 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate and conventional adhesive, respectively, are given as examples of known copper foils for reference. Then, an adhesion enhancing 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 raw foil of Comparative Example 2. The bath composition and treatment conditions were as follows. After the adhesion enhancement treatment, a surface-treated copper foil was obtained by carrying out an additional anti-corrosion treatment step. The surface roughness of the copper foil was measured using a surface roughness meter (SE-3C type, KOSAKA KENKYUJO, Japan). The results are shown in Table 3. For Examples 1, 3, and 4 and Comparative Examples 1, 2, and 4, Table 3 shows the results obtained by applying the adhesion enhancement treatment on the matte side of the raw foil of Examples 1, 3, and 4 and Comparative Examples 1. , 2 and 4 in Table 2, respectively; For Comparative Example 3, the results obtained by carrying out the adhesion enhancing treatment on the shiny side of the untreated copper foil of Comparative Example 2 in Table 2 are shown. 1. Conditions for the electrolytic deposition of the first layer of copper
Bath composition: metallic copper 20 g/l, sulfuric acid 100 g/l;
Bath temperature: 25°C;
Current density: 30 A/dm 2 ;
Processing time: 10 seconds;
2. Conditions for electrolytic deposition of the second layer of copper
Bath composition: metallic copper 60 g/l, sulfuric acid 100 g/l;
Bath temperature: 60°C;
Current density: 15 A/dm 2 ;
Processing time: 10 seconds. The copper-clad laminated board was obtained by heat-pressing (warm-pressing) a copper foil obtained on one side of an FR-4 glass epoxy resin substrate. The etch index was evaluated by the following "evaluation method". Assessment method
The surface of each copper-clad layered board was washed, and then a layer of liquid (photo)resist 5 m thick was evenly applied to this surface, which was then dried. The (photo)resist was then overlaid with an experimental circuit pattern and irradiated with ultraviolet light at 200 mJ/cm 2 using a suitable exposure device. The experimental pattern was a scheme of 10 parallel straight lines 5 cm long with a line width of 100 μm and a line spacing of 100 μm. Immediately after exposure, development was carried out, followed by washing and drying. In this state, using the etch evaluation apparatus, etching was carried out on the respective copper-clad laminated boards on which printed circuits were formed with the (photo)resist. The etch evaluation device sprays the etch solution from a single nozzle perpendicularly onto a vertically mounted sample of the copper clad laminated board. For the pickling solution, a mixed solution of ferric chloride and hydrochloric acid (FeCl 3:2 mol/l, HCl:0.5 mol/l) was used; etching was carried out at a solution temperature of 50°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 spray 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 printed circuit patterns obtained, the etch index was measured at the bottom width of 70 μm (base level). At the same time, the peel force was measured. The results are shown in Table 3. Higher values ​​of the etch index mean that the etch 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 to 2, the roughness of the matte side of the raw copper foil was higher than that of Examples 1, 3, and 4, so the roughness after the bond enhancement treatment was also much higher, resulting in a low etching rate. In contrast, the roughness of the bright 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 processed under the same conditions, the surface roughness after the bond enhancement treatment was less in the case of Comparative Example 4 and more in the case of Comparative Example 3, both examples referring to known foils. It is believed that the reason for this is that in the case of the shiny side, since it is the front side in contact with the titanium drum, any scratches on the drum are directly transferred to the shiny side, and therefore, during post-treatment to increase adhesion, copper bumps formed in during this treatment, they become larger and rougher, which leads to a greater surface roughness after finishing finishing to enhance adhesion; in contrast, the surface of the matte side of the mirror-plated copper foil of the present invention is very smooth (fine-finished), so that smaller copper bumps are formed in the post-treatment to enhance bonding, resulting in even more reducing roughness after finishing to enhance adhesion. This is even more pronounced in the case of Example 1, Example 3, and Example 4. It is believed that the reason why the peel force of the same order as the peel force in Comparative Example 3 is achieved, despite the fact that the surface roughness treated for strengthening much lower is that, in the adhesion enhancing treatment, finer copper particles are deposited, resulting in an increase in surface area, whereby the peel force is increased even though the roughness is low. It should be noted that although the etch rate in Comparative Example 3 is close to that of Examples 1, 3, and 4, Comparative Example 3 is worse than Examples 1, 3, and 4 in terms of marks left on the other side of the substrate during etching due to greater post-treatment roughness. 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 means of the present invention, a low profile electrodeposited copper foil can be obtained, furthermore having excellent room temperature and high temperature elongation and high tensile strength. The electrodeposited copper foil thus obtained can be used as the inner or outer layer of copper foil in high-density printed circuit boards, and also as electrodeposited copper foil for flexible printed circuit boards due to its increased bending resistance. In addition, since the raw copper foil obtained in accordance with the present invention is flatter on both sides than the known raw foil, it can be used in battery cell electrodes, as well as flat cables or wires, as a covering material for cables and as a shielding material, etc.

CLAIM

1. A method for 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 adhesive, 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 matt 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 comprises an electrodeposited copper foil according to any one of claims 4 to 6. 8. A printed circuit board, characterized in that it comprises 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: a thin sheet, or metallic paper, or a flexible metal sheet. This name is applicable only to thin sheets of aluminum. 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 steel, the thinnest sheets of gold are gold leaf.
Aluminum foil is a material about which one can say: here it is, amazing is nearby! 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. Lightweight silver metal has become the basis of all global projects for space exploration, electricity transmission and automotive industry.
The use of aluminum for domestic purposes is not so global, but its role in this direction is important and responsible. 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, foil is needed - this is the same aluminum, but in the form of an alloy. Aluminum foil was first 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, thanks to which aluminum foil was created with phenomenal performance. The emergence of mass production of aluminum solved the problem of packaging facilities. American industrialists immediately adopted it, and three years later the leading US companies packed their products - chewing gum and sweets - only in aluminum foil. In the future, there was a multiple improvement in production methods and equipment, and an improvement in the properties of the new foil. Now the foil was painted, varnished and laminated, they learned how to apply various printed images on it. Since then, food aluminum foil has firmly entered our everyday life, it has become familiar and everyday. In fact, foil is a unique high-tech product of the 20th century. The various components added to the aluminum alloy increase the strength of the packaging material, making it thinner and thinner. The standard thickness of a sheet of food foil ranges from 6.5 to 200 microns or 0.0065-0.2 mm.
At present, neither the industrial, nor the commercial, nor the domestic sphere can do without aluminum foil. The production process of food and household foil is quite complicated. The production of aluminum foil is now carried out by the method of successive repeated cold rolling of aluminum and its various alloys. During the production process, the metal passes between special steel shafts, with each successive step reducing the distance between the shafts. To obtain ultra-thin foil, the technology of simultaneous rolling of two metal sheets, which are separated from each other by a specialized lubricating and cooling liquid, is used. As a result, one side of the foil comes out shiny and the other side matte.
By the end of the manufacturing process, due to high temperature annealing, the aluminum foil is sterile. This makes it safe in contact with food. That is why it cannot harm when used in the creative process, it is chemically inert, harmless to health, does not cause allergies.
Aluminum foil has many unique properties that make it an ideal material for making crafts, it is not afraid of either the bright sun or dust. Foil has a very interesting quality - when heated to high temperatures, it does not deform or melt. This foil quality creates ideal conditions for soldering processes.
During the manufacturing process, a natural oxide film is formed on the surface of the foil, which gives the material excellent corrosion resistance and protection against chemically active environments. 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 decorations pose a danger to others or quickly become unusable, 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 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 rooms.
Foil is a material that virtually eliminates the occurrence of static electricity when working with it. Due to the fact that it lacks the ability to attract, products made from it are almost not covered with dust. Therefore, foil products feel great on the balcony or loggia, on the open terrace of the cottage and in the garden gazebo. Aluminum foil has good flexibility and ductility, it is probably the only material that can be easily shaped to the desired shape. Therefore, confectioners pack chocolate Santa Claus or a hare in foil, exactly repeating the shape of the product. The foil used to create handicrafts makes it easy to give the product 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 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 texts enhances the decorative properties of the foil. The metallic luster of the source material gives the crafts an elegance and resemblance to silver jewelry. A small bouquet of flowers, twisted from foil and placed in a decorative vase, can decorate any interior.
A variety of foil compositions can decorate lamps, candlesticks, flower pots and other interior items.
The flexibility and plasticity of the foil, as well as its noble metallic luster, have always attracted lovers of folk art. Equally important is the affordable price of the material. 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. Do not use paper-backed foil with this technique. 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 application or mixed technique.

Foil varieties

Currently, manufacturers produce a variety of aluminum foils, which have a special high-quality composition. Different types of foil are given certain parameters, based on specific applications.
The width of the foil is determined by its end use: flexible packaging, household foil, foil boxes, foil for lids, etc. All of these types of foil can be used to some extent for making crafts. Typically, household foil is supplied to the market in rolls of standard sizes.
According to the type of surface, aluminum foil is divided into two groups:
- one-sided - has two matte surfaces;
- bilateral - a surface on one party opaque, and on another glossy.
In this case, the surface of both varieties can be either smooth, even, or textured. This means that another group appears - embossed foil.
Aluminum foil is quite thin, because of this, it is characterized by relatively low resistance to various mechanical influences - it is easily torn. To remedy this shortcoming, packaging manufacturers often combine foil with other materials or coatings. They combine it with paper, cardboard, various plastic films, varnished or hot melt adhesives. 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 creativity, is widely used in the household for storing and preparing various products. Ordinary food foil is present in the form of various packages of sweets, muffins, chocolate, etc. This kind of foil is laminated (cached) and with a painted surface.
Laminated (cached) foil is used in various areas of packaging, both food and non-food products. Often it is used for packaging glazed curds, 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 laminating process consists of gluing a sheet of paper or cardboard onto a more rigid backing. Laminated foil is produced using a technology that is fundamentally different from this method. In this case, a thin aluminum sheet is superimposed on a paper base. Currently, there are three ways to create a laminated (laminated) foil. The most reliable way to make laminated foil is similar to the production of metallized board, which is usually obtained by embossing cardboard with foil.
For hot stamping of cardboard with foil, 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 using metallic printing inks.
Another technology combines embossing and varnishing (so-called cold stamping). Here, during the lamination process, a specially developed composition of cold stamping varnish is applied to the desired printed material using a conventional photopolymer mold. Often, an image is printed on a sheet of paper or cardboard in advance, which is varnished. During the process, the varnish is polymerized with ultraviolet rays, then foil is applied to it. Further, within a few hours, the final polymerization of the varnish takes place. An effective design technique is embossing, performed in special presses or in crucible printing machines. Laminated foil provides new possibilities for the external finishing of product packaging, at the same time it is a new chance for creative research when working with foil.
Technical industrial foils are produced for a 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 conditioner grilles, air ducts, radiators and heat exchangers, transformers, screens, cables and many other types of equipment. For creative work, self-adhesive foil tapes or a kind of metal tape are of interest.
Self-adhesive aluminum foil tape can have a special adhesive layer on one side, covered with a protective material. But there are modifications of the mounting self-adhesive aluminum 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 a mounting aluminum tape has increased strength, it can be used to fasten structures that are under heavy load. It is easier to use 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 must be taken into account that at temperatures above 80 ° C, slight curling of the tape at the edges can be observed. Therefore, when connecting parts, the tape should be overlapped.
The self-adhesive foil can also be in the form of a thin paper-backed material that is designed to highlight a particular part of the engraved image. The best result is achieved when the drawing or inscription is applied to glass and acrylic. These foils can be engraved to achieve a matte finish while retaining 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 divided depending on the method of applying the foil to the product:
- foil for hot stamping;
- foil for cold stamping;
- foil for foiling.
With hot stamping, the foil is applied to the surface of the product using a stamp heated to a certain temperature. Hot stamping foil, which is placed between the stamp and the material to be stamped (cardboard), is a multi-component system. It consists of a film base, a separating layer, a varnish layer, a metal or color pigment layer and an adhesive layer. When the hot stamp hits the foil, it selectively melts the release layer and then pressurizes the metal or pigment layer onto the impression. For hot stamping, foil is produced in a fairly wide range: metallized, colored, textured, holographic and diffractive.
Metallized and colored foils are designed to improve products. Thanks to the metallic luster, any kind of foil finish decorates the product, giving it originality and sophistication. Metallized foil, which has a beautiful metallic sheen, comes in gold, silver and bronze. With its help, you can give the logo a relief of a different profile, significantly changing the appearance of the product.
Colored (pigment) foil, glossy or matte, comes in white, black, blue, red, green, yellow and orange. Using matte color foil, you can print on the surface of a product that has been pre-coated with a glossy film or varnish. After embossing, such a foil has the appearance of paint applied to the surface. With its help, you can get an unusual spectacular design.
If you need to get a spectacular glossy colorless layer on the matte surface of the products, transparent lacquer foil is used for embossing. As a result, a shiny, colorless layer appears on the surface of the printed material.
Texture foil can have an ornament on its surface similar to the surfaces of natural materials - stone, leather or wood.
To protect documents or products from forgery, holographic or diffractive foils are used, as well as special types of foil, such as magnetic and erasable scratch foil. Patterns, drawings or inscriptions are visible on holographic foil at a certain angle. It has a higher degree of protection compared to diffractive foil. The diffractive foil having 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 plastic 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 presented in approximately the same color range as hot stamping foil. The cold embossing method allows you to get a rasterized image and reproduce halftones. However, this method cannot be used to emboss materials with strong absorbent properties.
Foiling is a special way of applying foil to a paper base. Special foil for this purpose is produced in matte, glossy and holographic versions and in standard colors. Matte and glossy foils look like paint. The holographic kind of foil consists of geometric patterns, repeating patterns and/or lettering fragments.
A special foil is applied to the image printed by a laser printer. Then the foil-coated paper is passed through a special apparatus - a foil machine or a laminator, where under the action of high temperature the toner is sintered, which is applied to the paper with foil. When the foil is peeled off, the foil-lined image remains on the paper. This foiling technique should not be used on linen textured papers.

In contact with

We encounter foil almost every day, most often without even noticing it. It is household and technical. The first is used for packaging products, making blisters for tablets, baking meat and vegetables. It is non-toxic, odorless and perfectly retains heat. The second is used in electronics and industry. Such a foil is plastic, heat-resistant and has a high reflectivity.

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

Truth and fiction

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

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

In Japan, craftsmen forged and stretched a piece of gold until it turned into a sheet 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 exists only in Japan for many centuries.

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

Now gold foil is valued 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 the steel was toxic and had an unpleasant tin smell, so it did not take root in the food industry.

brilliant invention

Who Invented Foil? Interesting facts tell about this "brilliant" invention. In 1909, a young engineer from Zurich, Robert Victor Neher, was watching an international balloon race and accidentally overheard fans arguing about which aircraft would last the longest in the air. It occurred to Neher 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 Neher could not fly. But the machine for the production of the thinnest strips of aluminum, that is, foil, had already been built. After several trial and error, not without the help of colleagues (Edwin Laubert and Alfred Moody), Neher still managed to succeed. A patent for the production of aluminum foil was received on October 27, 1910.

Neher and chocolate factories

Confectioners were the first to appreciate the advantages of the new packaging material. Prior to this, chocolate was sold in pieces by weight. Beyond that, opinions differ. Some historians say that the Tobler chocolate factory signed the first contract with Neher for the supply of foil. 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 from this material to Franklin Mars, the owner of the Mars factory. The aluminum wrap was the successful innovation of a savvy entrepreneur. In the US, Life Savers were first wrapped in foil in 1913.

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

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

Color matters

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

Other story

The question remains unresolved: who invented the foil? There is another version of its appearance, and it is not associated with balloons, but with the tobacco industry. It often happens that discoveries come to the minds of several people almost simultaneously. Until the early 20th century, cigars and cigarettes were packaged in thin sheets of tin to keep moisture out. Richard Reynolds, who was working at his uncle's tobacco factory at the time, thought of using aluminum, a cheaper and lighter material, instead of tin. 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 stick, in this case yogurt. The new material is aluminum foil covered in microscopic cavities where air collects and prevents liquid from getting inside. Scientists spied this idea on a lotus leaf, which repels water and dirt.

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