What Is Aluminium Tape And What Is It Used For?

Aluminium tape is a combination of aluminium foil and adhesive tape. Boasting a range of useful attributes, aluminium tape has become a popular product that is widely used in a variety of industries including construction, manufacturing, automotive, electronics and more.

If you’re running a business related to these industries, it may benefit you to learn a little more about this product.

In this article, we’re going to delve deeper into the world of aluminium foil tape. We’ll talk about how it came to be and the specific properties that made it such a widely-used product across a number of different industries.

Properties of Aluminium Foil and Its Early Applications

To fully appreciate the utility of aluminium foil tape, it’s important to briefly look at the history of aluminium foil wrapping and how it was used in the commercial industry.

Because of its protective and non-toxic qualities, aluminium foil was originally used to package and preserve foods. In 1911, a Swiss businessman named Theodor Tobler began packaging his triangular-shaped Toblerone chocolate bars in aluminium foil. In 1920’s America, it was also used to package the famous peppermint candy Life Savers. This paved the way for many other American food companies, leading to an increase in aluminium foil packaging in the 1950’s and 60’s.

To this day, aluminium foil is still largely used to package both confectionery and various kinds of hot meals.

In addition, aluminium foil is also waterproof and offers resistance against extreme temperatures. Because of this, a lot of companies use aluminium for various industrial applications such as thermal insulation, vapour barriers, and shielded electrical cables.

It’s important to note that aluminium doesn’t function in the same way as other insulating materials. Instead of preventing the conduction of heat, the shiny surface of aluminium simply reflects the light back to the source. This significantly reduces the amount of heat that travels through the material.

The medical industry also benefits from the electrical conductivity of aluminium. For example, to reduce the effects of electromagnetic interference, aluminium covers are used to shield MRI machines, X-ray machines and other electrical equipment that might be sensitive to electromagnetic waves.

Aluminium Foil Tape

Perhaps one of the more significant downsides of aluminium foil is that it can’t be securely attached to a surface. Unless you’re able to wrap the foil around an object entirely, it’s difficult to keep aluminium foil fixed in place.

To maximise the utility of aluminium, companies began producing aluminium foil tape. Aluminium foil tape is made of a thin piece of aluminium with one side coated with an adhesive. This adhesive is usually designed to be thermally resistant, making it a more reliable alternative to other types of plastic adhesive tape.

Aluminium tape’s temperature resistance makes it perfect for HVAC systems which feature a lot of insulated pipes that are exposed to extreme temperatures. Aluminium adhesive tape is often used to cover pipe joints, adding extra structural support and improving insulation. Similarly, aluminium tape is also used to seal joints and other vulnerable aspects of a vapour barrier.

In electrical engineering, aluminium tape is also used to shield electrical cables and other fragile/sensitive electronic components.

Whatever industry you’re in, you’re bound to find a use for aluminium foil tape. From food packaging to heavy industrial applications, aluminium foil tape offers versatility that not many products provide.

If you want to know more about aluminium tape, don’t be hesitant to get in touch with a local tape importer/supplier near your area.