Pharmaceutical Alu Foil

Introduction to pharmaceutical aluminum foil

Pharmaceutical alu foil is a material widely used in the pharmaceutical packaging industry. It is mainly used to protect drugs from light, moisture and air. It is suitable for aluminum used in aluminum-plastic blister packaging (PTP) of solid drugs (tablets, capsules, etc.). Aluminum foil is one of the few aluminum materials that can be used for drug packaging. When aluminum foil is used in pharmaceutical packaging, it not only ensures the stability of the quality of the drugs, but also facilitates the use of patients.

Pharmaceutical foil material

What is pharmaceutical aluminum foil made of? Pharmaceutical aluminum foil is generally made of electrolytic aluminum with a purity of more than 99% and is made by rolling. Aluminum has the advantages of abundant resources, low price, and easy processing.

When used as a pharmaceutical packaging material, aluminum foil is the only metal material in the packaging material. Aluminum foil is non-toxic and odorless, has excellent conductivity and light-shielding properties, has extremely high moisture resistance, gas barrier properties, and taste retention, and can most effectively protect the packaged objects.

It is a packaging material that has not yet been replaced. No matter what kind of vapor-deposited metal film or coated special film, it cannot completely replace aluminum foil.

Pharmaceutical aluminium foil alloy specification

Pharmaceutical aluminum foil has excellent barrier properties, is non-toxic, and can protect products from light, moisture and pollution. It is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry to package drugs. Among the aluminum foil alloys in the 1000-8000 series, the common 1235 aluminum foil, 3003 aluminum foil and 8000 series 8011, 8021, 8079 are metal foils that can be used for pharmaceutical packaging.

Table of Pharmaceutical Aluminum Foil Specifications

Pharmaceutical alu foil packaging type

The medicines we usually take, whether they are bottled or soft-packaged, are sealed with aluminum foil. There are two commonly used pharmaceutical foils on the market, 8011 and 8021 series aluminum foils, which are the main raw materials for production. There are also many types of aluminum foils for pharmaceutical use.

The aluminum foils used for pharmaceutical packaging are mainly the following: PTP aluminum foil, aluminum blister foil, aluminum-plastic composite material, cold-formed aluminum foil,pharmaceutical PVC PVDC, aluminum foil for pharmaceutical bottle caps, etc.

Characteristics of pharmaceutical packaging materials

Details of PTP blister aluminum foil

PTP blister aluminum foil is press-molded. There are two common composite methods. The first structure is OP/Printing/AL/HSL, and the second is Primer/AL/HSL structure.

OP/Printing/AL/HSL	This four-layer structure is commonly used in small-scale pharmaceutical or health care product factories, generally small blister packaging equipment, which does not have printing capabilities;
Primer/AL/HSL	The Primer/AL/HSL structure is used in large pharmaceutical factory customers who have their own printing and packaging integrated equipment;

Medical PVC hard sheet, PVC/PVDC hard sheet

Medicinal PVC hard sheets are used for blister packaging of ordinary capsules and tablets. There are two common types: colored and transparent.
Medicinal PVC/PVDC hard sheets: PVC is coated on ordinary medicinal PVC hard sheets to improve the barrier properties of packaging materials. They are mostly used in high value-added drug packaging, such as some anti-cancer drugs.

Alu Alu Foil: OPA/ Alu/ PVC

Cold-formed aluminum foil, i.e., cold-stamped hard sheet, can be heat-sealed with PTP aluminum foil for pharmaceutical packaging, just like PVC hard sheet for ordinary blister packaging. Unlike ordinary aluminum foil for soft packaging composite, it not only has the function of barrier properties, but also has the functions of strength support, anti-stamping and stretching, etc.

Medicinal packaging easy-tear film

Medicinal tear film: AL/PE structure, also known as soft double aluminum strip foil

Pharmaceutical packaging material PVC/PE composite hard film

Generally used for liquid packaging or powder packaging; PVC PE laminated film for suppository

Advantages of aluminum foil for pharmaceutical packaging

Aluminum foil has many significant advantages as a pharmaceutical packaging material and is the preferred packaging material for many pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The following are the main advantages of aluminum foil for pharmaceutical packaging:

Excellent barrier properties

Moisture and gas resistance: Aluminum foil can effectively block the intrusion of external moisture, oxygen and other gases, thereby preventing the drug from getting damp, oxidized or degraded, ensuring that the drug remains dry, stable and maintains its efficacy during storage and use.
Light protection: Aluminum foil can also effectively block light, especially ultraviolet rays, which is particularly important for drugs that need to be stored away from light, because light may cause the drug to decompose or deteriorate.
Anti-pollution: Aluminum foil as a packaging material can prevent contaminants such as microorganisms and dust from entering, protecting the purity of the product

Durability and good strength

Puncture resistance: Aluminum foil is strong and puncture-resistant, ensuring the safe transportation and storage of drugs.
Chemical resistance: Aluminum foil as a pharmaceutical packaging foil is inert and will not react with most drugs, thereby maintaining the integrity of the product.

Good sealing performance

Aluminium foil for pharmaceutical packaging can fit the drug tightly, forming an effective seal to prevent dust, microorganisms and other contaminants from entering the packaging, ensuring the hygiene and safety of the drug.

Lightweight and cost-effective

Reduce transportation costs: Aluminium foil is lightweight, which can reduce transportation costs.
Efficient material use: Aluminium foil pharmaceutical has a thin thickness, which can minimize material use without compromising its protective properties.

Good thermal stability

Pharmaceutical aluminium foil has good thermal stability and can maintain its physical and chemical properties within a certain temperature range, which is particularly important for drugs that need to be stored under specific temperature conditions.

Compatible with multiple formats

Aluminium foil is suitable for blister packaging, strip packaging and pouches, and can be flexibly applied to different dosage forms such as tablets, capsules and powders.

Good heat sealing performance

Aluminium foil pharmaceutical can be heat-sealed with a variety of materials to ensure a strong and airtight seal.

Pharmaceutical foil production process

Aluminum foil pharmaceutical packaging is an aluminum foil material specially used for pharmaceutical packaging. It has excellent barrier properties and moisturizing properties, which can effectively protect the quality and stability of drugs. The production process of pharmaceutical foil mainly includes raw material selection, surface treatment, rolling, annealing and finished product inspection.

First, raw material selection. The raw materials of aluminum foil for pharmaceutical packaging are made of aluminum alloy materials with high purity and low iron content to ensure the quality and safety of finished products.

Second, surface treatment. The surface treatment of pharmaceutical aluminum foil is mainly achieved by mechanical and chemical methods. Mechanical treatment includes steps such as polishing and deoxidation to remove surface impurities and oxides. Chemical treatment mainly uses methods such as acid washing and alkali washing to further clean the surface to make it smoother and cleaner.

Then, rolling. Rolling is a key link in the production process of aluminum foils packaging for medicine. After preheating, the raw materials enter the rolling mill for continuous rolling. Through multiple rolling passes, the thickness of the aluminum foil is gradually reduced, and its surface roughness is improved to improve its printability and barrier properties.

Next, annealing. The rolled aluminum foil needs to be annealed to eliminate internal stress and improve its mechanical properties. Annealing is usually done by heating the aluminum foil to a certain temperature and then cooling it to make it crystallized and grain refined, thereby improving its strength and ductility.

Finally, finished product inspection. The aluminum foil for pharmaceutical packaging produced needs to undergo strict finished product inspection. It mainly includes appearance inspection, dimensional barrier performance test and physical performance test. Only aluminum foil that passes the inspection can enter the next step of packaging and sales.