Aluminum is a metal second only to the output value of steel, but the history of aluminum used as packaging material is only more than 30 years. In recent years, aluminum is used more and more in packaging, because it has a series of excellent functions. Its density is small, only 1 / 3 of that of steel, and its weight is light; It has excellent processability and is easy to press into various chaotic shapes; Strong corrosion resistance, no rust; Excellent barrier, shading and fragrance retention, which can effectively maintain the commodity; High thermal conductivity, easy to sterilize aluminum cans; It is silvery white, beautiful in color and luster, and has high reflectivity to light, which is easy to print and has good printing effect; It is non-toxic and tasteless, and will not bring peculiar smell to the food inside due to the escape of aluminum ions; The waste aluminum container can be recovered and remelted without environmental pollution. Its main disadvantages are: the raw material is soft, the strength is low, and it is easy to deform when bumped; Poor welding function, and the joint cannot be welded; It has poor corrosion resistance to acid and alkali, and is not suitable for containing fruit food; The cost is higher.
Aluminum packaging materials mainly include pure aluminum plate, alloy aluminum plate and aluminum foil. Alloy aluminum plate is processed by adding a small amount of magnesium, manganese and copper alloy to aluminum. Aluminum alloys commonly used in packaging include aluminum magnesium alloy and aluminum manganese alloy, also known as antirust aluminum alloy. The strength and hardness of the alloy aluminum plate are significantly improved, the corrosion resistance is strong, the polishing is good, and the surface is still bright after long-term storage.
Alloy aluminum plates are mostly used to make canned containers. When used for canned fish and meat, they will not appear as black after vulcanization like tinned cans; It is more about packaging drinks, which will not make the drinks appear muddy and flavor change.
Aluminum foil is widely used in packaging, which can package goods alone; More of them are made of composite materials with paper, plastic film, etc., which are used for packaging of food, cigarettes, cosmetics, drugs, chemicals, etc., and can be made into cooking bags to package convenient food and cooked food.
In the future, there is a large space for the development of international packaging aluminum foil, especially in food and drug packaging. Consumption upgrading has driven the increase of consumption of high-grade packaged food and drugs. The demand for aluminum foil for food packaging increased by more than 20%, with an annual increase of about 30000 tons. The growth rate of drug packaging demand is about 30%, with an annual increase of about 20000 tons. The annual new demand for cans was 15000 tons, an increase of 9%. It is estimated that the demand for aluminum for packaging will reach 1.58 million tons and 2.43 million tons in 2023 and 2024, with an increase of about 17%.
