ALUMINIUM FOIL

Aluminium foil is a thin sheet of metal. As such it can be an absolute barrier to moisture, gases, odors, bacteria and moulds. The high reflectivity of aluminium ensures good protection against radiant heat, whilst its opacity is important in preventing deterioration of a very large range of foods and drinks which are affected by light. It is used for packaging and non packaging uses. The growth of this industry has been in the recent past, owing to the growing application of foil in a variety of products. India is one of the key producers of aluminium foil in the region. Over 70% of aluminium foil used in India is for packaging applications.

The Foil is a continuous web of aluminium metal rolled to thicknessranging from 0.005 mm to a maximum of 0.15 mm. Foil is available inmany forms, Le., hard, soft (annealed), lubricated, non-lubricated plain, coated, coloured, printed, embossed and laminated to a variety of paper and synthetic films.

The aluminum packaging for pharmaceutical industry is mainly processed by aluminum foil 8011 and 8021 with thickness of 0.02 – 0.75mm. The tempers of pharmaceutical grade aluminum foil are O and H18. The pharmaceutical packaging aluminum foil thickness generally used is 0.02 and 0.022 mm, and the thicker thickness are generally 0.04 – 0.75mm. When used as composite lamination, the base aluminium foil thickness is 0.006 – 0.02mm, after coating, laminating, and printing, the finished pharmaceutical packaging products are manufactured.

When use in pharmaceutical packaging industry, the aluminum foil has many features, the strength is good, the airtightness is good, and the aluminum foil can block the light and sanitation. When compared with other medical packaging material, foil aluminum packaging for pharmaceutical and other raw materials are more excellent than moisture resistance, and aluminum foil has good thermal insulation performance, the most important thing is that aluminum is non-toxic and non-adsorbent, it can minimize bacterial growth.

Aluminum foil for pharmaceutic packaging is mainly used for the packaging of liquid medicine and injection. Aluminum foil for medicine packaging has the advantages of moisture resistance, safety and hygiene, and portability, and is widely used in the international pharmaceutical industry. The main functions of pharmaceutical packaging are protection of drugs (prevention of quality changes); Ease of use; Provide information on drug characteristics and usage matters.

Main features of aluminum packaging for pharmaceutical industry are:

1. Aluminum foil has certain strength and ductility, wear resistance, and can protect the packaged objects most effectively.

2. Aluminum foil has good moisture resistance, gas barrier, shading, isolation, shielding and taste retention properties.

3. Medicinal aluminum foil has good printing performance, and can be printed with various colors on the light and dark sides of the aluminum foil or pattern.

Pharmaceutical Packaging in India The Indian Pharma foil packaging industry is highly fragmented, with the organized sector catering to only about 40 per cent of the market, while the balance 60 per cent requirement for aluminium foil is met through imports. The major players in the organized sector are Ess Dee Aluminium, Indal (a subsidiary of Hindalco which got merged with the parent) and Bilcare, while the unorganized sector is comprised of smaller players, such as PG Foils, Amco Vinyl, and Gujarat Foils etc.

Pharmaceutical packaging occupies a considerable portion of the overall drugs and pharmaceutical market in India and is growing steadily, and at the same pace of the industry. Pharmaceutical packaging consists of various types of glass, pet bottles, strip and blister packs, injectibles, ampoules, bulk packs, etc. Besides an increase in medication consumption, the adoption of stricter regulations and standards governing the production, storage, distribution and labeling of pharmaceuticals will boost global growth opportunities for packaging products and accessories. Historically, pharmaceutical packaging requirements focused exclusively on preserving the quality of enclosed medication. These requirements are now being extended to cover such criteria as the prevention of product tampering and counterfeiting, the assurance of product dispensing accuracy and the promotion of patient compliance with product dosage schedules.

Currently, the demand for blister and strip packaging is around 1,500 tonnes per month (including the demand of 300 tonnes per month for value-added products). Moreover, the demand for packaging is shifting to the organised sector. Thus, with a vertically integrated facility in place and with the huge capacity expansion being carried out, EDAL plans to capitalise on the available domestic market opportunity.