ARTICLE

UTILIZATION OF ALUMINUM FOIL AS A FOOD WRAPPING

Gusti Ayu Made Melia Purnami

1713081005

Aluminum is a chemical element with atomic number 13 and atomic mass 26, 9815. This
element has a natural isotope: Al-27. An isomer of Al-26 can shed light with a half-life of 105
years. Silvery white aluminum, has a melting point of 659.7 oC and boiling point of 2.057oC, and
its specific gravity is 2.699 gr / cm 3 (at a temperature of 20 oC). Included in the boron group in
the chemical element (Al-13) with a density of 2.7 gr / cm 3. The atomic radius is 117.6
picometers (1x10-10 m). Aluminum is the third most element found on earth after oxygen and
silicon. The amount is about 7.6% of the weight of the earth's crust. Aluminum is easily curved
and made shiny, and dissolves in hydrochloric acid and concentrates sulfuric acid above 10%,
but is not soluble in organic acids. Aluminum was discovered in 1825 by Hans Christian
Oersted. New was certainly recognized by F. Wohler in 1827. This elemental source was not
free, the main seeds were bauxite. The use of aluminum includes the manufacture of cables,
skeletons of aircraft, cars and various household appliances. The compounds can be used as
drugs, water purifiers, photography and as a mixture of paints, coloring agents, emery and
synthetic gems (Sudira and Sato.1992). There are several important properties possessed by
Aluminum so that it is widely used as a Technical Material, including good conductor of
electricity and heat (conductor), easy to fabricate, mild (iron ± 8.1 gr / cm 3). In addition, there are
uses that are most prominent are cans and Aluminum foil(Wikipedia).

In general, aluminum foil has characteristics lighter than steel, easily formed, tasteless,
odorless, non-toxic, can withstand the entry of gas, has good heat conductivity and can be
recycled. Aluminum foil is a packaging material in the form of solid and thin aluminum metal
sheets with a thickness of <0.15 mm. This packaging has a hardness level of 0 which is very soft,
to H-n which means hard. The higher the H-number, the more aluminum foil becomes harder.
Thickness of Aluminum Foil determines its protective properties. If it is less thick, then the gas
and steam can be passed through the foil. At a thickness of 0.0375 mm, the permeability of water
vapor = 0, meaning that the foil cannot be traversed by water vapor. Foils with a size of 0.009
mm are usually used for candy and milk, while foils of 0.05 mm are used as multitrip bottle caps
(Julianti, 2007). foil is also one of the products made from aluminum. The average type of foil
containing aluminum is 92-99%. Aluminum itself is usually made of bauksite material, silicate
and alumina. This aluminum foil can also be called Alloy material. A) Bauxite is an Indonesian
mining product. Bauxite is a heterogeneous material, which has several mineral content such as
Al2O3, SiO2, Fe2O3, TiO2 and H2O. The largest mineral content found in bauxite, Al2O3 or
aluminum oxide, is 45-65%. B) Silica is one of the most important application materials, because
these compounds have a variety of uses, including being a composite base material. Silica is a
chemical compound with the molecular formula SiO 2 (silicon dioxsida) which can be obtained
from mineral silica, vegetable and crystal synthesis. Silica formation is more than 90% of the
earth's crust (including quartz as silicate), so its stability in the sedimentation environment is a
basic factor. C) Aluminum oxide is amphoteric oxide with the chemical formula Al 2O3. This is
generally referred to as alumina in its crystalline form, as well as many other names, reflecting
widespread occurrence in nature and industry. The most significant use is in the production of
aluminum metal, although it is also used as an abrasive due to its hardness and as a refractor
because of the material for its high melting point. . Aluminum foil is often used as an inner layer
of containers to protect products from damage, such as coating the inside of a juice box.
Although it can hold fat, its resistance to acids and bases is still lacking, so it requires additional
layers of wax or other chemical layers. Its resistance to solar heat makes aluminum foil widely
used in health ingredients. The resistance of aluminum foil to heat can reach a temperature of
550 degrees Celsius, so that medical devices can be sterilized by wrapping this material
(Astawan, 2008).

In the world of the national aluminum industry, especially in the aluminum sheet and
aluminum foil industry, it has not yet developed optimally, although production continues to
increase, but production capacity remains stagnant. In terms of production, the national
aluminum industry continues to increase from year to year. Aluminum sheet production
increased to 61.9 thousand tons in 2008 compared to 2004 with 54.4 thousand tons. Likewise,
the production of aluminum foil from 13.2 thousand tons in 2004 increased to 13.6 thousand tons
in 2008. However, on the other hand, since the past five years (2004-2008) the production
capacity of the stagnant aluminum sheet and aluminum foil industry was not experiencing
additional capacity. Aluminum sheet production capacity has not experienced a change of 116
thousand tons per year. Meanwhile, the aluminum foil industry has a production capacity of 20
thousand tons per year. Some national aluminum products have been able to penetrate export
markets such as aluminum ingots, aluminum extrusions and fabrications such as aluminum
billets, aluminum wire, aluminum pipes, sheet aluminum and foil, and downstream aluminum
products or household appliances. In 2008, exports of national aluminum products reached US $
700 million or grew an average of 16.1% per year. Since 1980, Indonesia has been able to
compete with Asian countries in aluminum production. Evidently, besides being cheap, hygienic,
environmentally friendly, Indonesia's aluminum production market share is able to enter the
world-class aircraft industry, Singapore Airlines. According to data from the International
Aluminum Institute, world aluminum production reached 3.03 million tons in January 2009,
down 6.4% compared to the same period of the previous year. China is the largest aluminum
producing country with production reaching 922,000 tons per year, despite its production rate at
January 2009 shrank 13% compared to the same period the previous year. Following North
America, the world ranks second largest aluminum producer with production of 455,000 tons in
January 2009. In some countries the economy is growing, after building its aluminum industry,
such as China, India, Brazil and Russia. Even in developed countries, such as the United States,
Canada, Japan and Italy, aluminum consumption reaches 17 kg / capita. While the world average
is five kilograms per capita, and Indonesia alone consumes only 1 kg / capita. Meanwhile, in the
country in line with the development of the wearer's industry such as the construction sector,
automotive component industry, home appliances industry and so forth. The need for aluminum
is expected to continue to increase. Because its use is very broad and large compared to other
materials(Indonesian Commercial Newsletter).

Aluminum foil packaging can also be used to store food if there is no cooling machine,
here are the tips. Cover the food with aluminum foil before storing it so that the taste and aroma
of the food does not change, place food that has been coated in aluminum foil in a dry, cold, and
not exposed to the sun, at least for the next few hours the food will last. Likewise with the use of
aluminum foil in refrigerators / refrigerators, this package will help each food not be exposed to
the aroma and taste of other food ingredients in the refrigerator. For this reason, it is better for
each food to be wrapped in aluminum foil before entering the refrigerator. Especially meat or
fish that tend to have an unpleasant aroma need to be wrapped in aluminum foil before entering
Frezer, the type of leaf leaves or vegetables is also longer lasting and not easily wrinkled when
entering into Aluminum foil first in the refrigerator. The function of aluminum foil in other foods
is that in roasting food in the oven, professional cooks especially in many restaurants use
wrapping techniques in aluminum foil while baking, the purpose of the packaging is that the food
cooking results do not dry on the surface so that the flavor remains more interesting. Then, as for
the aluminum foil sheets used in the snack industry, it can function more effectively to maintain
the taste and moisture compared to plastic sheets. But when using plastic coated aluminum foil
(for snacks), make sure the Seal (welding) is really tight so that the air cannot enter, so the food
remains durable. The packaging of aluminum foil is not transparent so the food it packs does not
look like when it is wrapped in plastic or the like. When going to consume food in aluminum foil
storage, the best advice is always to pay attention to changes or not in the structure, texture, and
aroma when opened to ensure that the food is truly safe for consumption.

The special advantages that can be drawn from the above statement is by using aluminum
foil packaging for food as one type of packaging material that has properties as a barrier material
that is good for light, oxygen, moisture, odor and taste, and bacteria. Thus the products that are
inside are far from things that can reduce quality, so that nutritious substances contained in it can
still be maintained properly and provide maximum efficacy. Then can maintain moisture, where
humidity is a trigger factor for the proliferation of microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, and
mold. If these microorganisms are to multiply on the product, the product will be damaged. Even
worse, if you get into the digestive system can cause certain diseases such as diarrhea, poisoning,
and so forth. In addition, this aluminum foil (alufoil) packaging can keep the taste and freshness
of a product packaged, because aluminum foil (alufoil) packaging can protect from heat,
moisture, sunlight, and bacteria.

According to the development of aluminum foil, the process of making aluminum foil has three
methods, namely:

1. Revolving round method

The round rolling method is adopting a multilayer rolling block method, it is a method of making
rotten products in a multiple mill period. Luminum foil produced by the lap rolling method is
susceptible to pressure, and the thickness of the bending rolling minimum is 0.01-0.02 mm, and
for roll foil products, the length is short, the production efficiency is low. At present, the lap
rolling method is rarely used.

2. Method of rolling strip types

The method of rolling strip type is the main method of aluminum foil making process, the
amount of aluminum foil produced by this method has reached more than 90%. This uses a plate
after heat rolling or melting the continuous casting and rolling plate as a raw material for
aluminum foil. Aluminum foil raw materials in foil factories are generally rolled 5 or 6 times
into foil products, they do not experience softening in the process, usually at the end of the
rolling path by two or more rolling layers. The main characteristics of the strip type rolling
method are high efficiency (speeds up to 2500 m / min), good surface quality, uniform thickness.
The smallest thickness of aluminum foil produced by this method is 0.005 mm, width of 2000
mm.

3. Deposition

Deposition is the process of making new aluminum foil developed in the past few years. This
method can produce ultra-thin aluminum foil, the minimum thickness is 0.0004 mm. The main
technological process is under vacuum conditions, vapor deposition on plastic films and into
aluminum foil. The advantage of this production method is that it can produce very thin
aluminum foil, this is a method of rolling the strip type unable to reach. However, the efficiency
of deposition is low and with high costs, technically difficult. Currently it is not widely used.

Aside from being used as a food wrap, the remaining aluminum foil can also be used to
help reduce waste and carry out recycling actions. The efforts that can be made are a) processed
as clothes ironing pads which are made of silk, wool, or rayon usually do not hold heat. To get
rid of wrinkles on clothes, place aluminum foil on the ironing board, then place the clothes on it.
First turn off the steam button, then move the iron as high as 7-10 cm above the clothes, then
heat from the foil can help soften the wrinkles. b) used to heat the grill, one of which is too hot
barbeque equipment will make the food overcook, even burn. To concentrate the heat and keep it
from fading, place a piece of foil over the grill for 10 minutes. Remove the foil before starting to
bake, knead it into a ball (the foil will cool quickly). This can be used to clean the ashes or rub
the burnt remains on the grill. c) processed to improve TV signals, where if the DVD player is
located adjacent to the TV (below or above), the image on the TV show is blurred because two
electromagnetic sources will mix the signal. Usually this happens when the player uses a plastic
casing. To improve image quality on a TV, slip a foil between the two devices to separate the
signal. d) can be used to protect equipment from paint splashes, where if you intend to paint the
walls of a house or doors and windows, wrap a doorknob or cooking utensils in the kitchen or
bathroom with foil. Foil will wrap properly according to the shape of any object that is covered,
and protect with all equipment tightly until the work is quickly completed. e) is used to wrap pie
skins, where to prevent the pie skin from burning while cooking stuffing pie, make foil as a
wrapper around the pie skin to fend off heat. Then, take foil about 60 cm long, fold it into one
third of the length, then tighten the edges with a paper clip. When the food is half cooked, install
foil around the pie skin. Foil wrap should not be released until the pie is cooked. f) used for
rubbing plates, where Foil can also be effective for cleaning food debris that sticks to tableware,
such as foods that dry out due to baking. Then, use the squeezed dishwashing and foil soap into a
ball as a polisher (Mary Findley). However, to remove oil from the cutlery, it will require a finer
scourer. g) The last one can be used for gift wrapping, where using foil as wrapping paper and
adding ribbons, flowers, or other trinkets as a sweetener will make the gift more attractive and
can save the cost of gift paper.
 REFERENCE

Anisyah Citra, S.Gz, 2019, Kemasan Tetrapack & Aluminium Foil

Astawan, M, Prof. Dr. 2008. Keunggulan Alumunium Foil & Logam 
Indonesian Commercial Newsletter (Icn), 2009, Perkembangan Industri Aluminium Sheet dan
Aluminium Foil
Shifi Syarifa F, Nur Mei S, Zulfah Ukhti S, Dewi Ikmah, 2017, Aluminium dan Senyawa-
Senyawanya
Rumus Hitung, 2014, Aluminium, Kegunaan dan Cara Memperolehnya