Aluminum Blister Foil is a type of aluminum and aluminum alloy foil specifically designed for blister packaging. It is typically laminated with rigid films such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), and used for the blister packaging of solid pharmaceuticals (e.g., tablets, capsules).
This material is also widely used in packaging fields requiring high barrier performance, such as food light-shielding bags and bottle sealing caps. Aluminum blister foil is a key component of PTP (Press Through Packaging) technology, providing excellent protection for the contents.
Aluminum blister foil is mainly used in the following fields:
- Pharmaceutical Packaging: As the main material for blister packaging of medicines, used to package solid pharmaceuticals such as tablets, capsules, and pills
- Food Packaging: Especially for light-, oxygen-, and moisture-sensitive foods such as nuts, chocolate, and powdered food
- Health Supplement Packaging: Protects bioactive ingredients in health products
- Electronic Product Packaging: Used to protect electrostatically sensitive electronic components
Aluminum blister packaging, also known as bubble eye packaging, primarily uses PTP pharmaceutical aluminum foil and plastic rigid films. This packaging method effectively protects pharmaceuticals from environmental influences during storage and transportation.
Blister Aluminum Foil Alloy Materials
- 8011 Aluminum Foil: The most commonly used pharmaceutical aluminum foil alloy, belongs to the Al-Mn-Si alloy series, featuring good formability and surface quality
- 8021 Aluminum Foil: Belongs to the Al-Fe alloy series, has high strength and hardness, suitable for cold-formed blister packaging
- 8079 Aluminum Foil: Features excellent corrosion resistance and surface quality, suitable for high-end pharmaceutical packaging
Specification of blister aluminum foil
| Typical alloy | 8011, 8021, 8079 |
| Temper | O, H14, H18 |
| Thickness(mm) | 0.015-0.08 |
| Width (mm) | 50-1600 |
| Length (mm) | Coil |
| Treatment | mill finish |
| Functions | High obstruction, heat insulation, air tightness, printable, breakable in slightly. |
| Standard | ISO SGS ASTM ENAW |
| Price terms | LC/TT/DA/DP |
| Packaging | Standard seaworthy export packaging. Wooden pallets with plastics protection for the coil and sheet. |
As a large manufacturer of pharmaceutical aluminum foil, Haomei Aluminum provides high-standard 8011, 8021, and 8079 pharmaceutical packaging foils. These foils undergo rigorous pinhole testing, degreasing processes, and gauge control to ensure they achieve exceptional sealing performance during the lamination process, thereby perfectly protecting the quality of the pharmaceutical products.
Blister packaging is an economical, effective, and ideal packaging choice, offering purity, safety, and portability, while protecting product quality throughout the transportation process.
Haomei Blister Aluminum Foil Quality Inspection
As a professional aluminum product manufacturer, Haomei Aluminum implements strict quality control throughout the entire process of aluminum blister foil production, focusing on the following key aspects:
- Pinhole Inspection: Uses industry-leading high-precision online inspection systems to perform 100% full-coverage testing per square meter of foil. The number and size of pinholes are strictly controlled within customer-required standards. A triple quality inspection mechanism (automatic equipment inspection, manual sampling retest, final inspection before shipment) is employed to eliminate the risk of packaging defects caused by pinholes and ensure the safe storage of pharmaceuticals.
- Heat Seal Strength Control: A standardized heat sealing parameter database is established. Customized sealing solutions are formulated based on different foil thicknesses and coatings. Each batch undergoes heat seal strength sampling tests, with testing standards 15% higher than the industry average, ensuring excellent airtightness and individual sealing to prevent moisture, deterioration, and loss of pharmaceuticals.
- Burst Strength Assurance: Strict internal standards are set, increasing the minimum burst strength to 1.2 times the industry standard. Through raw material composition optimization and rolling process improvements, the mechanical properties of the foil are enhanced. Each coil undergoes random burst strength sampling tests before leaving the factory to prevent defects such as foil breaking or rupture.
- Surface Quality Control: A full-process clean production management system is implemented, with all processes from aluminum ingot melting to final slitting conducted in clean workshops. Surface quality inspection combines light inspection with electron microscopy. Defects such as oil stains, crystalline spots, black lines, yellow spots, and wavy edges are strictly prohibited. A surface quality traceability system is established, with immediate machine shutdown and investigation upon detection of abnormalities, ensuring zero surface defects for each batch of products.
Blister Aluminium Foil Common Thickness
| STANDARD SIZE | ||
| Alu Foil Thickess (mm) | 0.025 – 0.028 | 0.02 – 0.023 |
| Tolerance (mm) | +/- 8% of AL foil | |
| Density (GSM/CC) | 2.71 | 2.71 |
| Alu Foil Wt (GSM) | 68 | 54 – 67 |
| Alu Foil Surface | Matt / Bright | |
| Temper | Hard Temper | |
| Primer (GSM) Max | 1 – 1.5 | |
| Heat Seal Lacquer | 3-5 GSM (Standard) | |
| 6-8 GSM (Special) | ||
Structural Characteristics of Blister Aluminum Foil
Basic Structural Composition of Blister Aluminum Foil
Blister aluminum foil usually features a multilayer composite structure, primarily consisting of the following components:
- Aluminum Foil Substrate: Acts as the main structure, providing barrier properties and mechanical strength
- Protective Layer: Usually an optical polyester (OP) layer that protects the foil surface from scratches and contamination
- Adhesive Layer: Usually a vinyl chloride (VC) layer used for heat sealing with PVC or PVDC rigid films
- Printing Layer: Surface treatment layer used for printing product information and patterns
The structure of blister aluminum foil is generally represented as: OP protective layer / AL aluminum foil substrate / VC adhesive layer. This design ensures good printability and heat sealability of the foil.
Surface Characteristics of Blister Aluminum Foil
The surface characteristics of aluminum blister foil are crucial to its performance and applications:
Surface Finish: Typically one matte side and one bright side
Surface Treatment:
- Matte Side: Typically used for printing, offering excellent ink adhesion
- Bright Side: Typically used for heat sealing, offering excellent sealing performance
- Surface Wettability Tension: Not less than 33×10⁻³ N/m to ensure good printing and coating performance
Physical Properties of Blister Aluminum Foil
The main physical properties of aluminum blister foil include:
- Density: Approximately 2.71 g/cm³
- Hardness: Hard temper (H18) or soft temper (O)
- Thickness Uniformity: Very high requirements to ensure consistent performance
- Pinhole Degree: Extremely high requirements; no pinholes that affect usage are allowed
Product Advantages and Performance Benefits of Blister Aluminum Foil
Barrier Properties
- Complete light-blocking ability to protect contents from photo-oxidation
- Highly dense structure that completely blocks water vapor
- Complete barrier to oxygen and other gases
- Effectively retains the flavor and aroma of the contents
Mechanical Properties
- High strength, especially in H18 temper foil
- Good formability, suitable for various blister forming processes
- High burst strength, generally no less than 50 kPa
- Good ductility, with elongation rate up to 0.5–15%
Processing Performance
- Good printability with specially treated surfaces
- Excellent heat sealing performance with seal strength of 3–8 gsm
- Good unwinding performance, no sticking or tearing during unwinding
- Clean surface, odor-free, meeting pharmaceutical packaging standards
Safety Performance
- Good chemical stability, not prone to reactions with drugs
- Non-toxic, complies with food and pharmaceutical packaging standards
- 100% recyclable, environmentally friendly
- High cleanliness, free of oil stains, crystal points, and other defects
Blister Aluminum Foil 8011 8021 8079 Chemical Composition
| Ingredient | Si | Fe | Cu | Mn | Mg | Cr | Zn | Ti | Other | Al |
| Content | 0.5-0.9 | 0.6-1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.05 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 0.08 | 0.15 | Margin |
| 8011 Aluminum Foil | ||||||||||
| Alloy No. | Si | Fe | Cu | Zn | Others | Al |
| 8079 | 0.050 – 0.30 | 0.70 – 1.3 | ≤ 0.050 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.15 | REMAIN |
| 8079 Aluminum Foil | ||||||
| Alloy No. | Si | Fe | Cu | Mn | Mg | Zn | Others | Al |
| 8021 | ≦0.15 | ≦1.7 | ≦0.05 | ≦0.05 | ≦0.05 | ≦0.05 | ≦0.05 | Remain |
| 8021 Aluminum Foil | ||||||||
Blister Aluminium Foil Applications
Blister aluminium foil is widely used for pharmaceutical packaging, especially for capsules, tablets, powder granules, and liquid sachets. It effectively protects medications, ensuring their quality during storage and transportation.
Pharmaceutical Packaging
- Blister packaging of tablets, capsules, pills, and other solid medicines
- Cold-formed micro-blister pharmaceutical packaging
- Pharmaceutical aluminum foil composite film, pouches, and other packaging forms
- Bottle cap sealing gaskets and other pharmaceutical packaging applications
Food Packaging
- Packaging of high-end candies and chocolates
- Packaging of nuts, dried fruits, and other snacks
- Packaging of powdered foods
- Special food packaging requiring high barrier performance
Other Applications
- Anti-static packaging for electronic products
- High-end packaging for cosmetics and health supplements
- Packaging of special chemicals
Blister packaging involves placing medications into blisters or blister packs made from thermoformed plastic sheets, which are then heat-sealed onto aluminium foil coated with protective agents and adhesives. Blister packaging aluminium foil can be used in a single machine to complete printing, coating with protective agents and adhesives, and corresponding drying processes, making it suitable for high-volume production and a primary choice in the pharmaceutical field.
Blister Aluminium Foil effectively protects medications from ultraviolet light, moisture, and contamination. Opaque blisters also protect light-sensitive products from UV damage.
Blister Aluminium Foil Manufacturing Process
- Blister Design: Includes thermoformed plastic blisters (blister film) and aluminium foil seals. Medications are stored in the cavities of the thermoformed blisters and sealed with aluminium foil.
- Sealing Process: Heat seal lacquer is applied to the aluminium foil, which, when combined with the plastic material of the blister through the correct combination of time, pressure, and heat, forms a perfect seal to protect the medication.
Blister Aluminium Foil Types
In pharmaceutical packaging, blister packaging is a highly popular solution. There are two main types of blister packaging based on the materials used: Alu-PVC and Alu-Alu.
- Hard Aluminium Foil: Traditionally used, with lower elongation and easier to rupture, suitable for quick-release medications.
- Soft Aluminium Foil: Higher elongation, requiring more force to puncture, considered to offer better child safety.
Alu-Alu Blister Packaging
- Structure: Multi-layer construction using aluminium-based materials as both the lid and base of the blister packaging.
- Protective Function: The aluminium foil layer plays a crucial role in protecting the contents of the blister cavity. It effectively blocks moisture, air, and UV light, extending the shelf life of medications and enhancing tamper resistance.
- Application: Ideal for packaging sensitive medications due to its excellent protective performance.
Alu-PVC Blister Packaging
- Structure: Composed of a transparent PVC film and an aluminium foil layer. The PVC film serves as the base, and the aluminium foil layer is coated on it to form the blister packaging.
- Protective Function: The PVC film provides a strong and flexible base, while the aluminium foil layer forms a protective barrier against moisture, oxygen, and light, preventing medication degradation.
- Application: This combination of materials is widely used for pharmaceutical packaging, particularly where high protection requirements are needed.
- Alu-Alu blister packaging is suitable for medications with extremely high protection requirements, achieving effective protection through a multi-layer aluminium foil structure.
- Alu-PVC blister packaging combines the sturdiness of the PVC film with the protective capability of the aluminium foil, providing a flexible and effective medication protection solution.
| Alu-Alu Packaging | Alu-PVC Packaging | |
| Composition | Aluminum foil layer sandwiched between plastic film layers | Aluminum foil layer with a layer of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) |
| Barrier Properties | Exceptional shield against humidity, oxygen, and UV rays | Good barrier against moisture and light |
| Visibility | No visibility for the contents inside the blister cavities | Transparent PVC film for excellent product visibility |
| Tamper Resistance | Enhanced tamper resistance with features like blister perforations or tear lines | Can be made tamper-resistant with appropriate blister designs |
| Flexibility | Less flexible, suitable for standard-sized blisters | More flexible, suitable for various blister shapes and sizes |
| Cost | Generally more expensive | Generally more economical |
| Heat Resistance | Aluminum-based materials with good resistance to temperature changes | Plastic-based materials with limited heat resistance |
| Recyclability | Less recyclable due to a combination of materials | More recyclable with separate PVC and aluminum recycling |
| Shelf Life | Extended shelf life due to excellent barrier properties | Good protection but slightly inferior barrier properties |
Blister Aluminium Foil Related Questions
What foil is used in blister packaging?
Blister packaging typically uses aluminium foil, such as 8021 or 8011.
How thick is aluminum foil for blister packaging?
The thickness is approximately 25 microns (μ) for hard aluminium foil blister film. If medication needs to be taken, it can be pushed through the hard aluminium. The film's hardness facilitates what is known as push-through opening.
What material is used for blister packaging?
The materials used for blister packaging are primarily aluminium foil and plastic sheets (such as PVC).
What is the difference between strip foil and blister foil?
Strip foil is used for strip packaging of medications, while blister foil is used for blister packaging, providing higher protection.