The 12 micron silver foil from HTMM is an incredibly versatile product that has a wide variety of potential applications throughout all the different industries it can be used in. In the flexible packaging industry, 12 micron foil is used as the barrier layer in the laminates of snack pouches, coffee bags, dried fruit wraps, confectionery packaging and pet food bags, where 12 micron foil will provide consumers with the moisture and oxygen protection needed to increase product shelf life, while also giving a brilliant silver finish to enhance consumer product recognition through clear windows or as a printable substrate.

The 12 micron foil is the standard gauge for household foil products used in kitchen rolls, where 12 micron provides consumers with the ideal combination of strength for completing common kitchen tasks — such as wrapping sandwiches; covering bowls; and lining baking sheets — and low cost so that they can be purchased and regularly used in a household. The brilliant silver finish gives the consumer a classic, trusted appearance to use as a kitchen foil. For lidding applications, the 12 micron foil in H18 temper is used as the lid for dairy cups (e.g., yogurt, pudding, sour cream), dessert containers, and portion packs because the combination of stiffness required to seal these types of containers and the brilliant finish for branding on lidding is critical.

The 12 micron foil in the O temper form is used extensively in the confectionery industry as the wrapping material for chocolates and packaging candies because the dead-fold properties of 12 micron foil allow the wrap to remain in place and the non-reactive silver surface helps to preserve the delicate flavor of the confectionery.

All around the world, 12 micron silver foil is the leading foil choice for converters, packagers, distributors and consumers. The largest market for 12 micron foil is North America, which includes the US, Canada, and Mexico; these regions contain large flexible packaging, food processing, and household products markets, with 12 micron foil dominating in each because of its ideal combination of performance and cost effectiveness.

There continues to be strong, consistent demand for 12 micron foil across western Europe (Germany, France, Italy, and the UK), where both quality requirements and environmental regulations require the use of high-quality, certified and high performing materials. China is not only a large producer of packaging using 12 micron foil, but also a growing consumer of 12 micron foil as both an export and domestic packaging material and as a rapidly growing market for household foils.

Japan and South Korea are our quality-driven markets, where our 12 micron silver foil meets the high standards of sophisticated converters and electronics manufacturers because of its incredible consistency, surface quality, and barrier capabilities. Finally, India is an emerging market for 12 micron foil that is growing rapidly due to increasing production of flexible packaging, rising consumer demand for packaged foods, and rising usage of household foils.

By partnering with HTMM to fulfill your 12 Micron Silver Foil needs, you'll benefit from an all-encompassing manufacturing capability, responsive customer service and dedicated technical support that will allow you to source reliably and economically. You can order as few as 2 metric tons of our product, which means we can accommodate trial quantities or development projects, as well as full container loads, with mixed specifications allowed within one order so that you can receive the type of quantity you want for whatever the application is.

In addition to providing factory-direct prices with no intermediary mark-ups, we also provide our customers with exceptional value and competitive advantage by eliminating these types of markup. We provide complete customization services, including precision slitting to size according to your precise width specifications with tight tolerances, high-quality rotogravure printing with up to eight colors using food-safe inks for private label branding, special coatings such as heat-seal or release lacquers, and custom packaging configurations for either retail or industrial distribution.

Our rigorous quality assurance system assures all rolls are produced according to the specifications contained in our published sources. Furthermore, we comprehensively test all rolls for thickness regularity, mechanical properties, surface quality, pinhole density and compliance with food safety standards. Each shipment we send out includes complete certification documentation, including Certificates of Analysis, Certificates of Compliance (FDA, EU), and complete traceability of materials as well as the assurances that quality-oriented customers expect.
 

FAQ

1: What makes 12 micron aluminum foil the most versatile gauge?
The 12 micron thickness represents the "sweet spot" in aluminum foil, providing a substantial amount of strength and puncture resistance compared to ultra-thin foils measuring 6-9 microns, which allows this thickness to be used in a variety of ways. 12 microns is associated with cost-effectiveness and flexibility when compared to heavier weights of aluminum (i.e. 15-20 microns). This balance of price vs performance and excellent barrier properties and aesthetics makes it the ideal choice for applications ranging from high-speed packaging laminates to common household uses.

2: What are the differences between 8011 and 1235 alloys at 12 micron thickness? 
8011 alloy is our standard general purpose alloy with an excellent combination of strength, formability and cost-effectiveness when used in most flexible packaging, lidding types and household applications. 1235 alloy has a higher purity (99.35% aluminum) which results in fewer pinholes/vacuum leaks and better barrier characteristics. Therefore, it is usually specified where the most rigorous barrier integrity is required, such as in pharmaceutical blistering, high quality food packages and specialty technical applications.

3.What is the difference between O temper and H18 temper for 12 micron foil? 
O temper is the softest and most flexible form of foil, providing maximum elongation (15-25%) and excellent dead-fold characteristics. This makes O temper ideal for household foil, confectionery wrapping and flexible package laminations where conformability is essential. H18 temper has been strain-hardened to achieve maximum strength and therefore has much greater tensile strength (160-200 MPa) and stiffness than O temper. The primary application of H18 temper would be as lidding stock, semi-rigid containers, and other applications in which it is important for the foil to maintain its shape and resist bending.

4.Is the “silver foil” surface suitable for food use?
Absolutely. The beautiful silver bright mirror like surface of our high-purity aluminum is produced by our exact precision rolling process without any additional coatings or treatments that may negatively impact food safety. Our 12 micron silver foil is produced in ISO 22000 certified facilities and has been produced to meet all applicable FDA, EU 10/2011 and all other worldwide food safety guidelines relating to direct food contact.

5.Are you able to do custom slitting and printing for private label 12 micron foil? 
Absolutely! We can provide comprehensive customization services including precision slitting to any width within our tolerances (± 0.2 mm), high-quality rotogravure printing using food grade inks with up to 8 colors for private label branding, custom roll lengths, and special packaging arrangements for retail, food service or industrial distributions. Please contact our sales department to discuss your specific needs.