Aluminum Foil Bag: The Ultimate Buying Guide

Before you buy aluminum foil bag, read this guide.

It has all information that will help you choose high quality and reliable aluminum foil bags.

Whether you want to know the features, specifications, designs or quality standards, you will find all information right here.

Keep reading to learn more.

What is an Aluminum Foil Bag

Aluminum  foil bag

These are bags that have several films that you will laminate with an adhesive.

This makes them last long and strong thus resistant to punctures.

Besides, they also protect the product from external elements like vapor, oxygen, odor, contaminants, etc.

In most cases, three layers make up an aluminum foil bag.

These bags are making great solutions in the packaging industries.

They come in varying sizes, styles, and additional features depending on the client’s specifications.

Aluminum foil bags are packaging products used to store products.

They are versatile as they are used in different industries from technology to medicine.

Uses of Aluminum Foil Bag

You will find aluminum foil bags are used for storage.

This ensures the packaging process is accurate as this may affect the longevity of the product in the package.

You achieve this by protecting the package from extremes of weather and the product from degrading.

The aluminum foil bag protects the contents from:

• Extreme heat.
• Intense cold.
• Moisture content.
• Oxygen gas.
• Pest infestation.
• Odor filtration.

This is made possible by use of multiple layers of film within the aluminum foil bags.

Also, aluminum foil bags are used to increase the shelf life of food items when you use it in the innermost layer in the package.
The package is of high quality and conforms to Food and Drug Administration [FDA].

This ensures that you will meet the client’s needs and maintain a high hygiene.

Aluminum foil bags can package several products like:

• Chemical
• Food spices
• Plastic granulates
• Automotive parts
• Electronic devices
• Medicines
• Pharmaceuticals
• Optical devices
• Master batches
• Food products

Types of Aluminum Foil Bags in the Market

Aluminum foil bag

You will find the following aluminum foil bags:

Aluminum Foil Stand up Bags with Valves.

These bags offer great protection and an aesthetic appeal.

Also, they preserve freshness, flavor, and the quality of the preservatives on edible products.

They pack snacks like:

1. Fried snacks
2. Cocktail snacks
3. Baked snacks
4. Spicy snacks, etc

Aluminum Foil Stand up Bags without Valves.

They are suitable for products that do not emit gas or steam.

One can include add-on features as well.

Aluminum Stand up Foil Bags with Zipper.

They have a simple design and quality material construction.

One can reseal the bag as the zipper is durable.

The sturdy bottom part enables it to remain upright on shelves.

These stand up bags are suitable for packaging:

1. Coffee
2. Tea
3. Various edible products.

Custom Printed Stand up Foil Bags.

They package various materials and can come with windows.

The client can ask for a custom print which can be embedded on the bag upon delivery.

These include company logo, user manual, product info, graphics, etc.

Clear Foil Stand up Pouches.

These bags will not protect products from UV as they are not opaque.

They allow clients to see the contents within the bag as they are making a purchase.

It is suitable for nuts, snacks, dry fruits, etc.

Aluminum Foil Stand up Pouches with Clear Window.

The windows allow the customers to view the products within the bag.

They offer durable storage solutions for items such as tea, sugar, rice, etc.

Also, the window can come in different shapes and sizes.

Aluminum foil bag with window

Gusseted Aluminum Foil Bags.

These are suitable for packing coffee, snacks, nuts, etc.

They have four gusset sides with a flat bottom to enable it remain upright.

Aluminum foil gusset bags

Gusseted Foil Bags with Valves

They have a degassing vent which enables extra gas to escape the bag thus preventing it from bursting.

It allows the product to remain fresh for a certain time period.

Square Bottom with Gusseted with Foil Bags with E-zip

E-zips allow clients to reseal the bag after opening.

Easy Peel Aluminum Gusseted Bags

They offer convenience to clients as they are easy to open.

This allows one to open it without the need of using items like scissors.

Quad Seal Gusseted Aluminum Foil Bags

Aluminum foil quad seal bag

Quad seal bag offer a great barrier protection against elements.

It contains other materials like PET and LLDPE.

These two materials will assist in keeping off UV light, oxygen, moisture, etc.

Also, they are BPA free and conform to FDA regulations.

Aluminum Foil Spout Pouches

They offer the best practicality when it comes to liquids.

This is because they come with a pouring system known as the spout.

They can package liquids like:

1. Juices
2. Sauces
3. Beverages
4. Cleaning agents, etc.

Aluminum Foil Vacuum Pouches

They contain the best materials that will protect contents from external elements.

The pouches are heat sealed once you suck air out of them.

This creates a vacuum.

Also, you can include add-ons like tear notches, hang holes, etc.

Foil made Retort Pouches

They are also called reportable bags,

The structure of this pouch protects products from the elements.

They are suitable when it comes to packing:

1. Ready-to-eat food
2. Fresh food
3. Organic food
4. Soups
5. Pet food, etc.

Aluminum Foil Flat Bags

They are simple, easy to fill and seal.

Also, they have no folds or gussets and one can have add-ons on them.

Pillow Foil made Bags

They comprise of an upper surface that is mainly saved for opening, the back/front part and sealed bottom part.

Such pouches of foil are also known as T-Seal or Back pouches.

To protect your goods from oxygen, moisture odor, and water vapor, they have strong barrier properties needed.

They are economical and a large print area.

Also, they offer convenience and reliability for add-ons.

Side Sealed Aluminum Foil Bags

These bags have folds on either sides and enlarge once you fill products.

It is suitable for packaging coffee, tea, powder content, pet food, etc.

They are lightweight bags, so you can produce them in any shape you choose.

Some have 4 entirely sealed sides or those with three sealed sides and one open side that was intended for filling purposes.

It has benefits like:

1. A resealable zipper
2. Aesthetic appeal
3. Varying tear notches
4. Round pouches
5. A clear window
6. The possibility of using a matte or gloss finish
7. Availability of hang holes

Three Sided Seal Aluminum Foil Bags

These bags are manufactured from one film of laminated plastic.

They have two enclosed sides, where the top section can either be sealed or left exposed.

Besides, they are light weight and economical.

They are suitable for both food and non-food items like:

1. Cosmetic products
2. Meat
3. Poultry
4. Pharmaceuticals
5. Dried fruits
6. Fish, etc.

Features and Specifications of Aluminum Foil Bags

There are a number of features such as:

• It provides a strong barrier to external elements
• Strong mechanical features that make it resistant to puncture and tear.
• The bag also provides a high anti-blasting achievement.
• It is also resistant to high of up to 121 ° C and low temperature levels of up to -50 ° C.
• Non-absorbency characteristic makes it is resistant to oil, fats, etc.
• It will also retain the perfect aroma of the products in it.
• The bag has no taste and is not toxic.
• Its heat sealing capability is good.
• The bag is soft and provides a high barrier capability.
• It has a low weight.
• Besides, when you deform it, it can retain its shape.
• Also, the thermal conductivity is 235 W/m.K.
• Electrical resistivity is at 2.65 µΩ.cm.
• The electrical conductivity is at 37.67 m/mm2d.
• It has a melting point of 660 ⁰
• The aluminum foil bag reflects 98% of the heat and light.
• It is also not magnetic thus provides suitable electrical shielding.
• The bag is sterile thus cannot support the growth of bacterial or other organisms.

How Aluminum Foil Bag is made

There are two processes that make it possible to extract aluminum from bauxite material.

The first process is to refine the ore.

This will remove contaminants such as:

• Silica
• Water
• Iron oxide
• Titania

After that, you will smelt the remaining aluminum oxide to give pure aluminum.

Thereafter, you will roll the aluminum to produce an aluminum foil.

Here is a step-by-step process of how to manufacture an aluminum foil bag:

Aluminum foil

Refining

First, you will use the Bayer process to refine bauxite.

This involves:

1. Digestion

Here, you will grind bauxite and mix it with sodium hydroxide.

Then, you will pump it into large tanks under pressure, known as digesters.

This mixture breaks down the ore to form saturated sodium aluminate and contaminants that are insoluble.

2. Clarification

In this stage, the mixture passes via several tanks and presses.

A cloth will filter the insoluble contaminants and the remnants go towards the cooling tower.

3. Precipitation

In this step, you will seed the fluid with crystals to enhance the formation of particles.

Aluminum hydrate will start to form in large clumps as seed crystals contact other crystals within the fluid.

Thereafter, you will filter and rinse out these clumps.

4. Calcination

In this stage, you will expose aluminum hydrate to very high temperatures

This will remove water from the material, leaving behind a white powder residue known as aluminum oxide.

Smelting

This process will separate aluminum-oxygen compound from the Bayer process.

It involves dissolving the alumina within a smelting cell.

An electric current will cause crusts to form on the alumina melt.

When alumina dissolves, it decomposes electrically and produces pure and molten alumina.

The molten alumina goes to crucibles and into furnaces.

One can add other elements to provide character to the end product.

Thereafter, pour the liquid in slabs known as reroll stock.

Rolling Foil

This stage will roll the slab to form a thin foil.

Rolling mills will pass over the reroll stock severally making them thin with each squeeze.

During the process, heat the alumina to enhance its workability.

As the sheets emerge through the rollers, the machine trims and slits them.

Bag Formation

Here, the pre-cut alimina sheets will undergo shaping to form the bags.

The shape and size of the bag depends on the packaging needs.

Also, you can coat the material with resins to provide an aesthetic appeal.

Besides, you can laminate the alumina with paper, plastic films, etc.

After formation of the bags, you will ship it to the clients.

Benefits of Aluminum Foil Bag

Aluminum foil bags provide the following advantages.

· Abundance

The material in in plenty and offers no danger of depletion.

· Light Weight

Alumina is not heavy thus makes it possible to shape it easily.

It also lowers the packaging costs.

· Cost-effective

It is easy to acquire and mould into various shapes.

Besides, it is cheap than other packaging materials like plastic, glass, etc.

· Excellent Barrier

Foil bags are made of several layers.

In most cases up to four (4) layers are incorporated when they are being made.

Each of the layer serves a unique function.

· Eco-friendly

Aluminum foil bags are eco-friendly owing to that they are made from bio-degradable materials.

Aluminum foil bags are also recyclable hence good for the environment.

The amount of energy used to make them is little compared to plastic bags.

· Versatile

Aluminum foil bags can be easily be customized.

It can be used in a variety of industries, namely:

Pharmaceutical industries.

Technology.

Food industry.

· Customization

Aluminum foil is customizable to the needs and specification of the user.

· Good Display

Aluminum foil bag come in different finishes that enable the product to be well displayed.

You will notice some are see-through package to enable consumers have a peep at the contents.

· Suitability

Aluminum foil bags are good for storage and package of items.

This is because they are airtight and prevent the contents from moist, pest and foul odor.

Aluminum foil bags can be customized so that they can comfortably fit in fridges and shelves.

Some are also self-standing making them suitable for display on shelves and retail shops.

· Puncture Resistant

Aluminum foil can be designed to be puncture resistant but still be flexible.

This is advantageous because losses are minimized and avoided from factors such as:

• Vandalism
• Pest infestation.
• Odor infiltration.
• Moisture loss.

· Printing

Aluminum foil bags printing are more informative as common imprints can be done on them e.g

• Digital printing done on any part of the foil bag.
• Gravure printing done on sunken surfaces of the bag
• Flexo printing which is done on raised areas.

· Add-ons

It is east to include features like:

Tear notches

Matt finishes

Self-standing bottom feature

A resealable zipper

Material specifications for Aluminum Foil Bag

These include:

• Material that is from PET, AL, and LLDPE.
• A thickness of between 0.045mm and 0.12mm, or as per the client’s requests.
• Certifications like ISO 9001:2000, ISO14001:2004, and QS.
• A material report such as SGS and MSDS.

Benefits of FDA Approval for Aluminum Foil Bags

Food and Drug Administration will protect the public health, making sure the product is safe and efficient.

This ensures that you will meet the health and safety needs of the public while maintaining high hygiene levels.

Here are the benefits of conforming to FDA:

1. Promotes uniform public principles for retail food handling to lessen intricacy and better guarantee consistency.
2. Guarantees sanitation guidelines mirror the most current science accessible.
3. Made through an organized and collective cycle, the Food Code reflects contribution from all partners.
4. Partners can exploit logical and staff assets provided by FDA and different offices to guarantee the FDA Food Code is finished.
5. Gives successful controls as a methods for decreasing the dangers of food-borne diseases.
6. Gives an exhaustive way to deal with sanitation and gives broad supporting records and preparations techniques.
7. Promotes and considers normalization of examinations and assessors.
8. It may bring about savings relating to inspections.
9. Decreases intricacy and trouble for industry and government the same.
10. It improves customers’ comprehension of food handling assumptions.
11. Makes a typical/normalized food handling language that can improve correspondence among controllers and industry administrators.
12. Consistency of utilizing a similar Food Code permits correlation of execution across public chains by providing normal investigation models.
13. State and neighborhood organizations utilization of FDA understandings of Food Code diminishes the responsibility relating to improvement of understandings.
14. Makes a standard language among controllers and industry.
15. Encourages a typical comprehension of danger, risk control, and management between industry and controllers.
16. Diminishes industry food safety preparation costs by permitting the use of training materials across the entire platform.

Types of Aluminum Foil Bag closures

• Peel and seal
• Hot seal
• Zipper top
• Press seal.
• Heat seal tear notch.
• One way valve.
• Slide zipper seal

Aluminum Foil Bag Barrier properties

The barrier of an aluminum foil has 3 or 4 layers that are of varying materials.

Also, the barrier will protect the purity of the application.

The barrier will have the following construction:

· Polyester

The outer layer will provide resistance against high temperatures.

It also has good mechanical strength.

Besides, it waterproofs the materials in the bag.

· Aluminum

This layer is between the polyester and polythene and prevents external elements from entering the bag.

It prevents the products in the bag from deteriorating.

· Polythene

This enables one to heat seal or weld the barrier foil into the shape you prefer.

The performance of the barrier foil is provided by the Water Vapor Transmission Rate (W.V.T.R.).

For the laminate, it is <0.0006 g/100inches²/24hrs and <0.003g/100inches²/24hrs for laminates that you convert.

The aluminum barrier foil has beneficial properties like:

• Corrosion Removal
• Protects hydroscopic products against ingress of moisture and damage.
• Items which are atmospherically sensitive are shielded from the outside world.
• Reduce the use of desiccants and hence the total shipment weight
• Cut out methods of preservation that include washing
• Eliminate the need for items to be re-dried
• Eliminates the movement of odor, into or out of the pack
• Reduces a need to spend in storage with changed atmospheres
• Neatness in Outer Packaging
• Acceptable for applications with Hot-fill
• It has approvals from European pharmacopoeia and FDA
• Appropriate for applications with Anti-Static
• Requires the re-use of outer containers

Available options for Aluminum Foil Bag Color and Finishes

The finish on the bag will provide an aesthetic appeal to clients hence make them purchase these items.

There are two finishes you can apply: glossy or Matte.

Aluminum foil bag

Matte Finish

It will provide a dull look but still looks professional and attractive.

Ensure the prints are visible from a distance.

Glossy Finish

This makes the surface of your aluminum bag look more glossy and well-polished.

Any portrait, logo, graphics or imprint made on these bags would be easily recognizable to customers from far away.

Also, you can have the aluminum foil bag in varying colors depending on your needs and design.

Some colors include:

• Gold
• Silver
• Black
• Red
• Blue
• Green
• White

Aluminum Foil Bag Sizes

Different sizes aluminum foil bags

The size of an aluminum bag can vary from one application to another.

Also, the quantity and nature of product will influence the size of the bag.

Thickness of Aluminum Foil Bag

The thickness of an aluminum foil bag varies from one application to another.

For instance, some snack bags are thin while chemical compound bags are thick.

The quantity and nature of the product affects how thick it can be.

Minimum Order Requirements (MOQ) for Aluminum Foil Bag

MOQ is the lowest amount of aluminum foil bag that the supplier can sell to you.

For instance, if the MOQ is 20000 pieces, the supplier cannot sell you anything less than that.

Products that cost more to produce have a low MOQ than those that cost less to produce.

Here are some factors that affect MOQ:

· Customization

This will affect the MOQ as customization requires more production time and cost more.

For instance, colorful designs are expensive to produce hence lead to a high MOQ.

Type of Aluminum Foil Bag

Aluminum foil bags that are easy to manufacture will require a less MOQ.

For instance, Aluminum foil flat bags are easy to make hence demand a low MOQ.

On the other hand, Aluminum foil spout pouches require extra add-ons thus demand a high MOQ.

Mould Price

When you are customizing your aluminum foil bag, these are some designs that will require the company to open new mould.

This means the company will increase the MOQ to offset the high expenses.

Size of the Company

Large companies with a lot of staff have a high MOQ for aluminum foil bags.

Besides, they have big machinery hence cannot reset the parameters to produce small quantities of the product.

On the other hand, small companies can offer low MOQ.

Size of the Bag

One roll of laminated roll film can make approximately 6000 meters of aluminum foil.

This means the same roll will produce more small bags and less large bags.

Material of Packaging Bag

Combining the laminated film can reduce the MOQ.

Printing Process

The flexographic printing method is more suited for small batch packaging bag printing.

This is due to its small and compact system features, hence, for thousands of MOQs, that is no problem.

On the other hand, the engraving printing process requires a large machine.

The output of 10,000 pcs or less is difficult to carry out, so the MOQ is over 20000 pieces.

Supplier

Some factors will determine if the supplier can sell you small quantities of aluminum foil bags:

1. The supplier and the client must have a bi-directional trust agreement.
2. Cost of producing the products is more and the supplier cannot make profits.
3. The production routine of the supplier.
4. Some clients will not add extra amount when requesting for custom aluminum foil bags meaning manufacturing cost will be high.

Aluminum Foil Bag Printing Options

Printed aluminum foil bag

It is possible to include graphics on the bag as it is resistant to puncture and they are opaque.

This makes it easy to apply prints that are appealing to customers.

One can include prints like:

• Images
• Texts
• Logos
• Instructions
• Nutrient content, etc.

This makes them much more appealing to consumers and informative.

The most common options available for printing aluminum foil bags are:

• Flexo printing.

A printing technique that uses printing plates made of photopolymers.

• Gravure printing.

The image is applied on substrate using a mounted plate cylinder.

• Digital printing.

A methodology that uses digital based images on the bags.

Cost of Aluminum Foil Bag

There are several factors that will affect the cost of an aluminum foil bag and include:

• Quantity of bags you are purchasing
• Type of bag
• Supplier you are purchasing from
• The add on features

This means you can get 10000 pieces with 0.02 US dollars.

Difference between Kraft Paper Bags and Aluminum Foil Bag

The key difference lies in their usage.

Kraft paper bags are specifically food grade type bags.

Aluminum foil bags are packaging items used for various commodities inclusive of food.

Kraft paper bag

Aluminum foil bag

Plastic Bags vs. Aluminum Foil Bag for Food Packaging

You will choose the best alternative from the two depending on the type of food to be packaged.

Each of has its own advantages.

The advantages of plastic bags are:

• Flexible and adaptable.
• Light-weight and does not consume a lot of storage space.
• Are durable in all weather conditions.
• Economical

The advantages of aluminum foil bags are:

• Prevents the contents from oxidation, water and moisture proof.
• It aligns to health safety standards for food storage and packaging.
• It has high resistance to puncture, tear and blasting.

The main disadvantage of plastic bag are:

• It is not airtight, this will impact on the freshness of food and lead to contamination.
• It does not have good consistency due to low resistance.

In summary aluminum foil bags are much more preferable for food storage compared to plastic bags.

Factors to Consider when Choosing Aluminum Foil Bags

You should consider the following factors:

· Temper

This refers to the elasticity of the foil.

They are of two types:

Soft tempered foil.

Hard tempered foil

The material you intend to package will determine your choice.

Soft tempered aluminum foil is the most common.

It is easily malleable.

It is preferable for wrapping three dimensional products e.g. butter and chocolate.

Hard tempered aluminum foil is favorable for packaging rigid and compact products.

· Gauge

This refers to the thickness of the aluminum foil.

It is measured in thousands of inches (Mil) and micrometers (Microns).

It ranges from .235 mil to 2mil.

If you have products that are heavy it is better to go for the one with greater thickness.

· Alloy

This refers to the burst strength and elongation of the aluminum foil.

· Wettability

This is categorized in three grades namely:

Grade A-Best for printing.

Grade B- Only prints on first film.

Grade C- Can only be stamp printed.

Wettability determines the print quality that can be applied on the aluminum foil bag.

Impact of Aluminum Foil Bags on Human health

Aluminum foil bags have been thought to contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.

A neurological disease resulting to loss of brain cells.

The diseases is associated with high levels of aluminum within the body system.

Aluminum foil bags come in handy.

Their benefits that they offer far much outweigh the cons.

However, the exposure on how and when they are used should be taken to account.

Foods that are high in acidity should not be stored in aluminum foil bags to avoid leaching.

The following precautions should be taken:

• Avoid high-heat cooking

Cook your foods at lower temperatures when possible.

• Use less aluminum foil

Reduce your use of aluminum foil for cooking, especially if cooking with acidic foods, like tomatoes or lemons.

• Use non-aluminum utensils:

Use non-aluminum utensils to cook your food, such as glass or porcelain dishes and utensils.

• Avoid mixing aluminum foil and acidic foods

Avoid exposing aluminum foil or cookware to acidic food, such as tomato sauce or rhubarb

At TedPack we offer a range of aluminum foil bas according to your unique requirements and specifications.

Contact us today for any inquiries on aluminum foil bag orders.