Foil (metal)

A foil is a very thin sheet of metal, typically made by hammering or rolling.^[1][2] Foils are most easily made with malleable metal, such as aluminium, copper,^[3] tin, and gold. Foils usually bend under their own weight and can be torn easily.^[2] For example, aluminium foil is usually about 1⁄1000 inch (0.025 mm), whereas gold (more malleable than aluminium) can be made into foil only a few atoms thick, called gold leaf. Extremely thin foil is called metal leaf. Leaf tears very easily and must be picked up with special brushes.^{[citation needed]}

A roll of aluminium foil

See also

• Aluminium foil
• Copper foil
• Tin foil
• Gold leaf
• Metal leaf

References

1. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopædia. "foil". Encyclopædia Britannica, 6 Nov. 2008, https://www.britannica.com/technology/foil-metallurgy. Accessed 11 September 2022.
2. "METAL FOILS". Nanoshel. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
3. "A shortage of copper foil will drive up prices for the red metal".