What is Color Coated Aluminum Foil?
Color coated aluminum foil refers to aluminum foil substrate that has been coated with one or more layers of functional and decorative coatings, which are then cured and dried to form a firmly bonded composite material. It combines the inherent advantages of aluminum foil—lightweight, corrosion resistance, formability, barrier properties—with color, patterns, and functional coatings to deliver a “beautiful and practical” solution.
Coating Process
Roll Coating Technology:
Primer is evenly applied and dried before a topcoat is added. Precise control of coating rollers and drive rollers ensures streak-free application.
High-Temperature Curing:
Curing takes place at 200–300 °C to crosslink the coating into a durable, wear-resistant protective layer.
Continuous Coil-to-Coil Coating:
Production is performed in a continuous coil coating line, ensuring consistent color, uniform coating thickness, and high-volume efficiency. Compared to spray coating, roll coating ensures even color with no color difference, a smoother surface, superior abrasion resistance, and better environmental performance (reduced paint waste).
Typical Specifications of Colored Aluminum Foil
| Alloy | 1000, 3000, 8000 series |
| Temper | O-H112 |
| Thickness | 0.007-0.60 mm |
| Width | 20-1560 mm (custom slitting available) |
| Core ID | 76 mm / 152 mm |
| Coating Surface | Single or double-sided |
| Standards | EN, AW, etc. |
| Certification | SGS and others |
| Printing Colors | Gold, silver, red, blue, black, gray, white, green, copper, brown, wood grain, etc.-custom colors available |
| Coating Types | PE, PVDF, FEVE, epoxy, polyester |
| Coating Products | Heat-seal lacquer, printing primers, corrosion-resistant epoxy resin, release coatings, slip lubricants, etc. |
| Coating Thickness | 2 μm-30 μm |
| Slit Width Range | 0.250-56.50 mm |
| Processing Techniques | Embossing, painting, lubricating, slitting, etc. |
| Packaging | Standard export wooden crates |
| Samples | Available |
| MOQ | 1-3 tons |
Multiple Advantages of Colored Aluminum Foil
1. Aesthetic and Decorative Appeal:
Offers a rich selection of colors, gloss levels, and patterns to greatly enhance visual appeal and meet customized design needs.
2. Excellent Protective Properties:
The coating improves aluminum foil’s corrosion resistance, weatherability, and UV resistance, extending product service life.
3. Enhanced Barrier Performance:
Coatings further improve aluminum foil’s barrier properties against water vapor, oxygen, light, and odors, protecting contents more effectively.
4. Abrasion and Scratch Resistance:
The coating increases surface hardness, making it more resistant to wear and reducing scratching during processing and use.
5. Easy Processing:
Color coated aluminum foil retains excellent formability-easy to stamp, deep-draw, or bend without compromising coating adhesion.
6. Environmental Friendliness:
Aluminum is 100% recyclable, and production of color coated foil prioritizes eco-friendly practices, including low-VOC paints.
Production Process of Color Coated Aluminum Foil
Color coated aluminum foil production is a precise, multi-step process-typically using coil coating technology to ensure uniform, well-adhered coatings:
1. Aluminum Foil Substrate Preparation:
High-quality alloys (e.g., 8011, 3003) are selected and rolled to the required thickness, flatness, and surface quality.
2. Surface Pretreatment:
This critical step ensures coating adhesion. The foil undergoes cleaning, degreasing, and chemical treatments (e.g., phosphating, chromating, or chromium-free passivation) to remove impurities, increase surface roughness, and form a conversion layer that promotes adhesion.
3. Coating Application:
Pretreated foil enters the coating line, where liquid paints are evenly applied via roll coating or spray coating. Typical coatings include:
(1) Polyester (PE): Good flexibility, weather resistance, cost-effectiveness—ideal for indoor or moderate conditions.
(2) Fluorocarbon (PVDF): Excellent weatherability, corrosion resistance, UV protection, color retention—ideal for outdoor/high-demand use.
(3) Epoxy: Used as primer or internal lining, with excellent adhesion, corrosion resistance, and food-contact safety.
(4) Other Special Coatings: Hydrophilic coatings, high-temperature coatings, conductive coatings (e.g., carbon for batteries), etc.
4. High-Temperature Curing:
The coated foil immediately enters curing ovens where high temperatures convert liquid paint into a tough, durable, continuous film bonded to the foil surface.
5. Cooling and Rewinding:
The cured foil is cooled and precisely wound into coils, ready for further processing or direct delivery.
Throughout the process, temperature, line speed, and coating thickness are strictly controlled to ensure consistent quality and performance.
Main Applications of Pre-painted Aluminum Foil
1. Food and Pharmaceutical Packaging
Containers: Airline meal trays, cake pans, roast chicken packaging—leveraging excellent barrier, moisture, and corrosion protection to extend shelf life.
Caps and Lids: Olive oil bottle caps, beverage pull tabs—often using 3003 alloy + PE coatings for sealing with liners.
2. Building and Decoration
Curtain Walls / Roofing: Aluminum-magnesium-manganese alloy sheets (e.g., 3004-H24) used in airport/station roofing with strong wind resistance and weather durability.
Interior Decoration: Ceilings, roller shutters (scratch-resistant coatings), blinds—offering thousands of color options.
3. Industrial and Consumer Goods
Electronics & Appliances: Air conditioner/refrigerator panels requiring flat, easy-to-clean surfaces.
Transportation: Truck trailer panels, luggage shells combining lightweight and impact resistance.
MC Aluminum is a large aluminum foil manufacturer. We provide color coated aluminum foil products in a variety of colors and shades. We are committed to providing the highest quality, shortest delivery time and excellent customer service to all our customers. Our products are exported to more than 40 countries and regions overseas. We provide samples, factory direct sales, preferential prices, short delivery time. If you want to get the latest quotes and the best prices, please contact us.