Tin foil

Tin foil, also spelled tinfoil, is a thin foil made of tin. Actual tin foil was superseded after World War II by cheaper and more durablealuminium foil, which is referred to as "tinfoil" in many regions.

Foil made from a thin leaf of tin was commercially available before its aluminium counterpart. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, tin foil was in common use, and some people continue to refer to the new product by the name of the old one. Tin foil is stiffer than aluminium foil. It tends to give a slight tin taste to food wrapped in it, which is a major reason it has largely been replaced by aluminium and other materials for wrapping food.

The first aluminium foil rolling plant, “Dr. Lauber, Neher & Cie., Emmishofen.” was opened in 1910 Kreuzlingen, Switzerland. The plant, owned by aluminium manufacturers J.G. Neher & Sons, was founded in 1886 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, at the foot of the Rhine Falls—capturing the falls' energy to produce aluminium. Neher's sons together with Lauber invented the endless rolling process and the use of aluminium foil as a protective barrier, and tin foil began to be superseded by aluminium foil.

Tin foil was used as a filling for tooth cavities prior to the 20th century.

The first audio recordings on phonograph cylinders were made on tin foil.

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