Benefits of Aluminium Foil In Medical Packaging

In the field of medical packaging, aluminium foil has become an irreplaceable material by virtue of its unique physical and chemical properties. In particular, the application of 8011 aluminum alloy, combined with different material states (e.g. H16, H18, etc.) and thickness ranges (0.018-0.2mm), provides pharmaceuticals with all-around protection from moisture-proofing, barrier to safe sealing.

• Alloy and Material Characteristics:

8011 aluminum foil is the mainstream alloy for medical packaging. Its composition is Al-Fe-Si system, with alloying elements accounting for more than 1%, which gives it excellent mechanical properties and processing adaptability. The alloy can be adjusted to meet the needs of different scenarios by adjusting the state (e.g., O state, H16, H18, etc.):

– Aluminum foil in O state (annealed state) is highly flexible and suitable for yogurt lids, capsule plates and other packages that require heat sealing;

– H16/H18 aluminum foils are harder and are commonly used for pharmaceutical bottle caps, PTP (blister packaging) and other applications that require puncture resistance.

– In terms of thickness, medical aluminum foils are usually in the range of 0.018-0.07mm, taking into account the need for lightweight and strength. For example, 0.02mm H18 state aluminum foil can be used for cold press forming pharmaceutical foils, while 0.05mm H16 state is suitable for high sealing bottle cap materials.

• Barrier properties: the “invisible shield”for pharmaceuticals

The multi-layer composite structure of medical aluminum foil can effectively block light, oxygen, water vapor and microorganisms to extend the shelf life of drugs:

– Moisture and light shielding: 8011 medicine aluminum foil has a clean surface without pinholes, very low water vapor transmission rate (≤0.5g/m²-24h), and at the same time, it reflects 98% of light, avoiding photolysis of medicines;

– High barrier: through the composite coating process, the aluminum foil’s barrier to oxygen can reach 0.1cm³/m²-24h or less, far beyond the ordinary plastic packaging;

– Anti-pollution and sterilization compatibility: the medical aluminum foil can withstand high temperature sterilization (e.g. 121℃ steam treatment), and the surface is free of residual oil and grease after annealing process, which is in line with FDA and GMP health standards.

• Safety and Compliance: Full Protection from Production to Application

Medical aluminum foils need to pass a strict testing system to ensure non-toxicity and no migration risk:

– Heavy metal control: the content of lead, cadmium and other heavy metals is less than 0.25ppm, which is far below the international pharmacopoeia standard;

– Bio-safety: passes bacteria and mold testing and has no oily foreign matter on the surface, so that it can be directly contacted with medicines;

– Anti-counterfeiting and sealing: Aluminum foil can be compounded with a heat sealing layer or a weak adhesive layer, which is both anti-counterfeiting and easy to tear, e.g., the aluminum foil sealing film of the blister package of tablets prevents secondary opening.

• Process and Customization: Accurately Matching Pharmaceutical Needs

Take Haomei Aluminum Industry as an example, its medical aluminum foil production process covers the whole chain control from billet inspection, rolling, slitting to annealing:

– Rolling process: By adjusting the roughness of rollers and viscosity of rolling oil, it ensures the surface of aluminum foil is flat and free of scratches;

– Slitting technology: adopting high-precision slitting equipment to avoid the problem of “ruffles” on the edges and guarantee the quality of subsequent laminating and gluing;

– Annealing treatment: customized annealing temperature (200-300℃) and time to balance the flexibility and strength of aluminum foil.

• Application Diversity: Full Scenario Coverage from Tablets to Bottle Caps

8011 aluminum foil can meet the diversified needs of pharmaceutical packaging through the combination of different states and thicknesses:

– PTP blister packaging: 0.025mm H18 state aluminum foil, with high cup convex value, can be accurately stamped and formed;

– Pharmaceutical bottle cap material: 0.03-0.05mm H16 aluminum foil, with low lug making rate and strong sealing, suitable for infusion bottle caps;

– Sealing gasket: 0.016mm O-state aluminum foil, excellent heat sealing performance, for oral liquid bottle mouth sealing.

• Environmental protection and economy: “Sustainable choice”for green medical treatment.

Aluminum foil is 100% recyclable, and the energy consumption for recycling is only 5% of that of primary aluminum, which is in line with the greening trend of the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, its light weight (roll weight is usually 1-3 tons) reduces transportation costs, and its high barrier property reduces the loss of medicines, so the comprehensive benefits are significant.