Foil Laminate Research Articles

The Effect of Applying UV LED-Cured Varnish to Metalized Printing Elements during Cold Foil Lamination

The coating process involves applying a thin material layer to a surface to engender it with specific desirable properties or enhance its performance. In the production of print media (labels, packaging, printed textiles, and promotional materials), the standard functions of the coating process include visual decoration, which involves the addition of appealing colors, textures, and patterns. A pertinent issue in the printing industry is that at present, the predominant coating process uses printing and coating technologies (gravure, flexo, letterset, letterpress, screen printing, inkjet, and electrophotography) and lamination (i.e., attaching decorative layers of materials, such as films or fabrics). In this paper, we present a new method for testing the efficiency with which different-sized metalized printing elements (using gold foil) may be applied to paper substrates; to do so, we gradually vary the amount UV-cured inkjet varnish (or adhesive) that is applied. To test the effectiveness of this method in producing metallic visual effects, we utilize seven different thicknesses of UV-cured varnish with the aid of modular piezo inkjet heads (KM1024 iLHE-30) and three different printing speeds. Our research shows that to achieve optimal production of cold metalized foil, a 21 µm layer should be deposited, and the substrate should move at a speed of 0.30 m/s.

Pre-Lithiation of Silicon-Based Anode Materials: Concepts and Realization

The capacity in lithium ion battery (LIB) relies on active lithium, i.e., lithium-ions and electrons, which separately shuttle between the electrodes during charge and discharge. Given state-of-the art active materials for anodes, loss of active lithium and capacity remains a major challenge during LIB operation, in particular in the first charge/discharge cycle due to electrolyte decomposition and formation of solid electrolyte interphase (SEI).Pre-lithiation, i.e., artificial increase in active lithium amount into the battery is a promising strategy to counteract active lithium loss. Electrochemical(1) and chemical(2,3) methods of pre-lithiation can be distinguished. While electrochemical methods are based on the use of an external power source, the driving force of the chemical reaction is a negative change in the Gibb´s free energy which in the case of pre-lithiation is provided by the use of highly reactive chemical compounds (e.g. lithium-organic complex solutions or lithium metal). The use of lithium metal allows for a wide range of technological processes, including lamination of lithium foil, gas-phase deposition, application of lithium melts or suspensions containing lithium powder. In this contribution, various concepts of pre-lithiation will be discussed from experimental and up-scaling point of view on the example of Si-based anodes.(1) Haneke, L.; Pfeiffer, F.; Bärmann, P.; Wrogemann, J.; Peschel, C.; Neumann, J.; Kux, F.; Nowak, S.; Winter, M.; Placke, T., Insights into Electrolytic Pre‐Lithiation: A Thorough Analysis Using Silicon Thin Film Anodes. Small 2022, 2206092.(2) Adhitama, E.; Bela, M. M.; Demelash, F.; Stan, M. C.; Winter, M.; Gomez‐Martin, A.; Placke, T., On the Practical Applicability of the Li Metal‐Based Thermal Evaporation Prelithiation Technique on Si Anodes for Lithium Ion Batteries. Advanced Energy Materials 2023, 13 (3), 2203256.(3) Bärmann, P.; Mohrhardt, M.; Frerichs, J. E.; Helling, M.; Kolesnikov, A.; Klabunde, S.; Nowak, S.; Hansen, M. R.; Winter, M.; Placke, T., Mechanistic Insights into the Pre‐Lithiation of Silicon/Graphite Negative Electrodes in “Dry State” and After Electrolyte Addition Using Passivated Lithium Metal Powder. Advanced Energy Materials 2021, 11 (25), 2100925.

Simulation Research on Variable Parameter Drilling of Glass Fiber Reinforced Composite / Copper Foil Laminates

Micro-holes play an important role in interconnecting different signal layers of printed circuit boards(PCBs), and their surface quality is critical to signal transmission performance. As an important parameter, drilling force affecting the quality of micro-holes, but its distribution is difficult to obtain because the size of micro-holes is tiny and the drilling process is usually in a semi-closed state. Therefore, simulation of the micro-hole drilling process is studied by Abaqus in this paper. The material of printed circuit board can be regarded as laminated material composed of glass fiber composite and copper foil. The whole simulation process is the simulation of alternating drilling of the two materials. Via simulation, the influence of different drill parameters and processing parameters on the output drilling stress, axial force and drilling quality is obtained, and the results are consistent with the experimental results in the literature. This simulation method can be used as a supplement to the experiment and can provide guidance for the drilling process of printed circuit boards.

Pulsed infrared thermal imaging as inline quality assessment tool

Pulsed infrared thermography (PIRT) is a very fast and non-destructive technique for testing various types of specimens. This makes PIRT interesting for 100 %-inspections in industrial production lines. Especially for the die attach interface inspection of sintered and soldered electronic components and layer-to-layer interfaces in fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), the industry is looking for alternatives to cost intensive X-ray methods and the time-consuming scanning acoustic microscopy (C-SAM). A big challenge to use the PIRT technology for inspections in industrial production lines is the low emissivity of the surface of the device under test (DUT). This work will present a PIRT system including a vacuum foil lamination setup to avoid the necessary spray coating of DUTs with low emissivity surfaces in failure analyses. This system can be used as inline quality assessment tool with an integrated technique to perform reliable component inspections on a wide range of different specimens.

Characteristics of Microstructure Evolution during FAST Joining of the Tungsten Foil Laminate

The tungsten (W) foil laminate is an advanced material concept developed as a solution for the low temperature brittleness of W. However, the deformed W foils inevitably undergo microstructure deterioration (crystallization) during the joining process at a high temperature. In this work, joining of the W foil laminate was carried out in a field-assisted sintering technology (FAST) apparatus. The joining temperature was optimized by varying the temperature from 600 to 1400 °C. The critical current for mitigating the microstructure deterioration of the deformed W foil was evaluated by changing the sample size. It is found that the optimal joining temperature is 1200 °C and the critical current density is below 418 A/cm2. According to an optimized FAST joining process, the W foil laminate with a low microstructure deterioration and good interfacial bonding can be obtained. After analyzing these current profiles, it was evident that the high current density (sharp peak current) is the reason for the significant microstructure deterioration. An effective approach of using an artificial operation mode was proposed to avoid the sharp peak current. This study provides the fundamental knowledge of FAST principal parameters for producing advanced materials.

Effect of foaming and drying conditions on physicochemical properties and moisture kinetics of foam mat dried chili sauce powder during storage

The objectives of this research were to study the effect of concentration of egg white and air temperature on physicochemical properties and the effect of packaging on the moisture during storage of foam mat dried chili sauce powder. Results demonstrated that 6% (wt/wt chili sauce basis) egg white as foaming agent and drying temperature at 80°C to produce chili sauce powder were the optimum condition that led to higher foam expansion, yield percentage, and water solubility, and lower moisture content, Aw, and bulk density. For microbiology test, total viable count, yeast and mold, coliform, and E. coli followed a Thai community product standard of seasoning powder. Plots of moisture content of product in all types of packaging versus time were linear model. The best packaging that could protect moisture permeability was aluminum foil laminate. According to the shelf life prediction, the product in packaging could be stored for 13 months. Practical applications Chili sauce (hot sauce) is one of the most famous products processed from chili and can be added to many kinds of foods. Application of foam mat drying for this product can extend its shelf life and increase product variety for consumers. The optimum condition for production of chili sauce powder is 6% egg white as foaming agent and drying temperature at 80°C. The kinetic modeling can be applied for tracking moisture changes of products. The best packaging that could protect moisture permeability was aluminum foil laminate that can be used to store the product for 13 months. This research can be benefit the industrial sauce production for better distribution of the products.

Design and analysis of Cu circuit for stretchable electronic circuits using finite element analysis

Stretchable electronic devices are desirable for the next application of electronic devices such as stretchable sensors, stretchable energy storage devices, and humanmachine interfaces. Also, stretchable electronic systems require a stretchable metal circuit on the elastomeric substrate for electrical connection to components. The stretchable circuits fabricated by Cu foil lamination on the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film are investigated with various zigzag-patterned circuit designs. The various circuit designs are simulated by finite element analysis (FEA) for fatigue life prediction and the simulation results are compared with experimental results. The 6 types of zigzag-shaped circuit designs with different corner patterns are investigated. The thicknesses of the Cu electrode and TPU substrate are 18 μm and 50 μm, respectively. The stretchability of Cu stretchable circuits is evaluated by the uniaxial tensile test with 10% elongation. Also, the equivalent plastic strain is calculated for fatigue life prediction. The number of stretch cycles to failure increased as decreasing the equivalent plastic strain obtained by FEA. The tendency of crack propagation and fatigue life prediction are well agreed with FEA results. Thus, it is considered that modifying the circuit patterns of the strain concentration area is the most important to enhance the mechanical reliability of stretchable circuits.

Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic-Based Hybrid Laminates with Regard to Layer Structure and Metal Volume Content

Multi layered lightweight material compounds such as hybrid laminates are composed of different layers of materials like metals and unidirectional fibre-reinforced plastics and offer high specific strength. They can be individually tailored for applications like outer cover panels for aircraft and vehicles. Many characteristics especially layer structure, volume contents of the embedded materials as well as layer surface adhesion determine the performance of a hybrid laminate. In this study, the influence of layer structure and metal volume content are evaluated with regard to the mechanical properties of the recyclable hybrid laminate CAPAAL (carbon fibre-reinforced plastics/aluminium foil laminate), which consists of the aluminium alloy AA6082 and a graded structure of glass and carbon fibre-reinforced polyamide 6. Hybrid laminates with different ratios of the fibre-reinforced plastic and numbers of aluminium layers were manufactured by thermal pressing. The consolidation quality of in total four laminate structure variations, including 2/1 and 3/2 metal-to-fibre-reinforced plastic layer structures with fibre orientation variation, were investigated by light microscopy through cross-sections and further on computed tomography. For determination and evaluation of the mechanical properties metrologically instrumented quasi-static tensile and three-point bending tests, as well as tension-tension fatigue tests for the establishment of S-N curves were performed. The results were correlated to the microstructural observations, revealing significant influence by the consolidation quality. The layer structure proved to have a proportional impact on the increase of quasi-static tensile and flexure strength with a decrease in metal volume content. Orienting some of the fibre-reinforced plastic layers in ±45° leads to a more evenly distributed fibre alignment, which results in a higher consolidation quality and less anisotropic bending properties. Fatigue results showed a more complex behaviour where not only the metal volume content seems to determine the fatigue loading capability, but also the number of metal-fibre-reinforced plastic interfaces, hinting at the importance of stress distribution between layers and its longevity over fatigue life.

Laminated composites using potassium doped tungsten

Abstract Highly deformed tungsten (W) thin foils could show excellent low temperature ductility, even at room temperature. A laminated composite using pure W foils has been proposed for the application to the plasma-facing material of divertors, which is a composite material consisting of stacked pure W thin foils and interlayer materials. However, the degradation of low temperature ductility attributed to the recrystallization and neutron irradiation of pure W foils is one of the concerns of the laminated composite using pure W foils. Potassium (K) doping is known as one of the methods to suppress recrystallization and to improve neutron irradiation resistance, in addition to improving the low temperature fracture toughness. Therefore, a laminated composite using K-doped W foils was developed in the present study, which has the possibility to show improved mechanical properties even after the neutron irradiation compared to the pure W foil laminated composite. The K-doped W foil laminates using an interlayer made of pure cupper (Cu) and pure vanadium (V) were fabricated at 900 and 1250 °C in the present study. An enough ductility at room temperature was observed in these laminates, even after the fabrication at 1250 °C.

Formability of Ultrasonically Additive Manufactured Ti-Al Thin Foil Laminates.

This study investigates the effect of strain rates and temperatures on the mechanical behavior of ultrasonically consolidated Titanium–Aluminum thin foils to understand and characterize their formability. To this goal, laminated composite samples with a distinct number of layers were bonded using ultrasonic consolidation. Then, tensile and biaxial hydraulic bulge tests at different strain rates and temperature conditions were conducted. The effect of the sample orientation on the mechanical response was also examined. Tensile and hydraulic bulge tests results were compared to observe differences in ultimate tensile strength and strain levels under uniaxial and biaxial loading conditions. The effects of loading condition, strain rate, and temperature on the material response were analyzed and discussed on the basis of test results. In general, it was concluded that the maximum elongation values attained were higher for the samples subtracted along the sonotrode movement direction compared to those obtained from the normal to sonotrode movement direction. The elongation was obtained as high as 46% for seven bi-layered samples at high-temperature ranges of 200–300 °C. Hydraulic bulge test results showed that elongation improved as the number of bi-layers increased, yet the ultimate strength values did not change significantly indicating an expansion of the formability window.

High-Performance Adhesives Based on Maleic Anhydride-g-EPDM Rubbers and Polybutene for Laminating Cast Polypropylene Film and Aluminum Foil

The adhesion between aluminum (Al) foil and cast polypropylene (CPP) film laminated with mixtures of amorphous- and crystalline-maleic anhydride-grafted ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (MAH-g-EPDM) rubbers and highly reactive polybutene (HRPB) as the adhesives was investigated. Specifically, the HRPB was used as an adhesion promoter of the MAH-g-EPDM rubbers and CPP as well as a compatibilizer of two kinds of MAH-g-EPDM rubbers having limited miscibility. To introduce strong chemical bonds between the MAH-g-EPDM rubbers and Al foil, the surface of Al foil was treated with 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES). The weak adhesion between Al foil and MAH-g-EPDM rubbers was improved by imidization between the amine groups (–NH2) of APTES and the maleic anhydride groups (MAH) of MAH-g-EPDM rubbers. The effects of the composition of adhesives, tempering time and adhesive thickness were also studied to optimize the adhesion of the CPP/Al foil laminates. We concluded that MAH-g-EPDM rubber based adhesives containing HRPB can be applied for the lamination of Al foil and CPP films to satisfy the requirements of high-performance packaging materials for various purposes.

Stability of omega-3 enriched milk powder in different commercial packages stored under accelerated conditions of temperature and relative humidity

The effect of two storage conditions (34 °C/83% relative humidity (RH) and 43 °C/no RH control) on the stability of whole milk powder (WMP) with added omega-3 microcapsules packed in 4 different packages was evaluated. The packages were: flexible metallised polyethylene terephthalate laminated to low density polyethylene (PETmet/LDPE); flexible bioriented polypropylene laminated to polypropylene (BOPP/PP); three-piece metal can and three-piece composite can, whose body was composed of combined materials (lamination of plastic, cellulose and aluminium foil). The results showed that oxygen consumption in the package headspace was directly related to storage conditions. A lactose crystal formation occurred in the product in BOPP/PP stored at 34 °C/83% RH and in products in metal and composite cans stored at 43 °C. After 15 weeks of storage, microencapsulation was effective in maintaining the Brazilian label claim of "source of omega-3″, regardless of the type of packaging and storage condition.

Forming Mechanism and Bonding Properties of Fe-Si-B Amorphous Strip/Al Foil Laminate Composites by Ultrasonic Addictive Manufacturing (UAM)

Iron-based amorphous foils and metallic aluminum foils are stacked in alternating layer and welding as laminate composites by ultrasound consolidation process with high-frequency acoustic vibrations. It makes the material to play their own advantages as the new focus. In the consolidation process, the most important standard parameters of the mechanical properties of the material are mainly controlled by the normal force, amplitude of the ultrasonic vibration and the travel speed of the sonotrode imposed by the forming. Ultrasonic vibrations, typically 20 kHz, are applied to the foil laterally (along its width) through a sonotrode (welding tool) .In this paper, the optimum parameters of 25μm amplitude, 2.5kN static force and 20mm / s traveling speed are obtained. It is well-known that the microstructure is the most intuitive way to measure the mechanical properties of materials, including hardness and so on. In addition, in this paper, the forming mechanism of Al 1080/ amorphous (Fe-Si-B) and the connection performance of ultrasonic bonding technology are described in detail. scanning electron microscopy (SEM) found that there is a mechanical interface mechanism and metallurgical bonding mechanism. And the recrystallization temperature of aluminum was calculated. The kinetics of interfacial growth at the grain boundary was analyzed. The composition of interfacial material was analyzed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) in the metallurgical bonding interface of the recrystallized region. It was preliminarily concluded that the Al-rich FeAl3 phase and the AlB2 phase were inferred. In the exfoliation experiment, it was found by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) that the amorphous did not appear to be crystallized. Finally, the laminated materials were tested for mechanical properties.

Studies on some comminuted meat products prepared from spent chicken during storage at refrigeration and frozen temperatures under aerobic packaging conditions

A study on the development of some chicken products (chicken kofta, frankfurters and chicken sandwiches) from spent chicken meat, their storage stability and public health importance has been undertaken. The study envisaged two different packaging materials i.e. low density polyethylene (LDPE) and aluminum foil laminates and two different storage temperatures (refrigerated (4°C) and frozen (−18°C). Samples were analyzed for pH, 2-thiobarbituric Acid (TBA) value, tyrosine value, moisture content, microbial parameters like Standard Plate Count (SPC), Total Psychrotrophic Count (TPSC) and sensory qualities in different storage intervals. During refrigerated and frozen storage, pH, TBA value, tyrosine value, SPC, TPSC of all the products increased with the progress of the storage period. The moisture content, appearance, flavor, tenderness and overall acceptability scores of the products showed a declining trend up to the end of the storage period. Two types of packaging materials did not affect significantly the product qualities. The shelf life of meat kofta was extended in refrigerated temperature for extra one week and was doubled in the frozen storage under the conditions of aerobic packaging. The aluminium foil showed a marginal advantage over the polyethylene in case of Chicken frankfurter and the shelf life of the chicken frankfurter was 20 days. On the basis of TBA value and flavor score, the chicken sandwiches were acceptable up to 14th day of refrigerated storage. This study also revealed that the freezing temperature extended the storage life of meat kofta almost three times.

Analysis of peel strength of consisting of an aluminum sheet, anodic aluminum oxide and a copper foil laminate composite

Laminate composites consisting of an aluminum sheet, anodic aluminum oxide, and copper foil have been used as heat-spreader materials for high-power light-emitting diodes (LEDs). These composites are comparable to the conventional structure comprising an aluminum sheet, epoxy adhesives, and copper foil. The peel strength between the copper foil and anodic aluminum oxide should be more than 1.0 kgf/cm in order to be applied in high-power LED products. We investigated the effect of the anodic aluminum oxide morphology and heat-treatment conditions on the peel strength of the composites. We formed an anodic aluminum oxide layer on a 99.999% pure aluminum sheet using electrochemical anodization. A Ti/Cu seed layer was formed using the sputtering direct bonding copper process in order to form a copper circuit layer on the anodic aluminum oxide layer by electroplating. The developed heat spreader, composed of an aluminum layer, anodic aluminum oxide, and a copper circuit layer, showed peel strengths ranging from 1.05 to 3.45 kgf/cm, which is very suitable for high-power LED applications.

Effects of differently hardened brass foil laminate on the electromechanical property of externally laminated CC tapes

The mechanical properties of REBCO coated conductor (CC) wires under uniaxial tension are largely determined by the thick component layers in the architecture, namely, the substrate and the stabilizer or even the reinforcement layer. Depending on device applications of the CC tapes, it is necessary to reinforce thin metallic foils externally to one-side or both sides of the CC tapes. Due to the external reinforcement of brass foils, it was found that this could increase the reversible strain limit from the Cu-stabilized CC tapes. In this study, the effects of differently hardened brass foil laminate on the electromechanical property of CC tapes were investigated under uniaxial tension loading. The tensile strain dependence of the critical current (Ic) was measured at 77 K and self-field. Depending on whether the Ic of CC tapes were measured during loading or after unloading, a reversible strain (or stress) limit could be determined, respectively. The both-sides of the Cu-stabilized CC tapes were laminated with brass foils with different hardness, namely 1/4H, 1H and EH. From the obtained results, it showed that the yield strength of the brass laminated CC tapes with EH brass foil laminate was comparable to the one of the Cu-stabilized CC tape due to its large yield strength even though its large volume fraction. It was found that the brass foil with different hardness was mainly sensitive on the stress dependence of Ic, but not on the strain sensitivity due to the residual strain induced in the laminated CC tapes during unloading.

A preliminary environmental assessment of foil and metallized film centered laminates

This study investigated the potential environmental impacts of three industrial used barrier films, namely, aluminum foil, metallized oriented polypropylene (MOPP) and metallized polyethylene terephthalate (MPET). These three materials are the most commonly used barrier materials in flexible packaging applications. But little to no data is available to compare the environment impact between these three high-volume and fast-moving materials. With the use of SimaPro 8, the environmental impacts of three laminates, centered with aluminum foil, MOPP and MPET, were assessed over the raw material, processing, and end of life phases. The use phase was assessed in part to facilitate recommendation and interpretations. Compared to the aluminum foil centered laminate, the metallized polymer centered laminates reduced impact to metal depletion by 71% for the MOPP laminate and 52% for the MPET laminate. Fossil depletion was reduced by 21% for both metallized polymer laminates and global warming potential is half that of the aluminum foil laminate. Non-renewable embodied energy was reduced by 25–26% compared to foil. The findings will help food and flexible packaging companies visualize environment impacts of the three barrier alternatives in addition to performance and cost.

다양한 표면처리에 따른 리튬이온 이차전지용 파우치 필름을 위한 접착성에 관한 연구

Pouch film is manufactured by laminating aluminum foil, polyamide film and polypropylene film with an adhesive or extrusion resin. However, a surface treatment is required for the aluminum because bonding does not occur easily between the aluminum foil and the polymer film. Thus, for this study, surface treatment experiments were performed in order to confirm the effect on adhesion strength. First, a variety of surface treatment solutions were coated on aluminum foil, and contact angle and surface morphology analysis was carried out for the surface-treated aluminum. For lamination of the surface-treated aluminum foil with polyamide film, a polyurethane base adhesive was prepared for the adhesive strength test specimens. The adhesive strength between the aluminum foil and the polyamide film of the resulting specimens was measured (UTM). With such an experiment, it was possible to evaluate the effect on adhesive strength of the various surface treatments.

Effect of Water Activity and Packaging Material on the Quality of Dehydrated Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) Slices during Accelerated Storage.

The quality of dehydrated taro slices in accelerated storage (45°C and 75% RH) was determined as a function of initial water activity (a w) and package type. Color, rehydration capacity, thiamin content, and α-tocopherol content were monitored during 34 weeks of storage in polyethylene and foil laminate packaging at initial storage a w of 0.35 to 0.71. Initial a w at or below 0.54 resulted in less browning and higher rehydration capacity, but not in significantly higher α-tocopherol retention. Foil laminate pouches resulted in a higher rehydration capacity and increased thiamin retention compared to polyethylene bags. Type of packaging had no effect on the color of the samples. Product stability was highest when stored in foil laminate pouches at 0.4a w. Sensory panels were held to determine the acceptability of rehydrated taro slices using samples representative of the taro used in the analytical tests. A hedonic test on rehydrated taro's acceptability was conducted in Fiji, with panelists rating the product an average of 7.2 ± 1.5 on a discrete 9-point scale. Using a modified Weibull analysis (with 50% probability of product failure), it was determined that the shelf life of dehydrated taro stored at 45°C was 38.3 weeks.

The effect of laser engraving on aluminum foil-laminated denim fabric

In this paper, a developed textile design method combining laser engraving and foil lamination was explored. With the foil laminating, the surface of denim fabric shows shinning effect. After that, the foil-laminated denim samples were treated with laser engraving by adjusting the parameters, including resolution (dots per inch, dpi) at 20, 30, 40 and 50 dpi and the pixel time (microsecond, μs) at 120 and 180 μs to melt and evaporate the aluminum foil and some surface fibers. The properties of the laser-engraved foil-laminated denim fabric, including weight, tearing strength, air resistance, surface observation, color appearance, colorfastness and abrasion resistance, and some low-stress mechanical properties, were investigated. The experimental results revealed that the changes in these properties are mainly related to the melted and evaporated surface laminated aluminum foil and different sizes of cracks, wrinkles and pores formed on the fiber surface with the increment of laser energy applied. This study also revealed the potential of pattern creation with different values and reflective appearance for the embellishment of denim fabric combining the aluminum foil laminating method through the laser engraving process. With lower resolutions, engraved vague patterns with small laser beam dots can be achieved. While the treatment resolution increased, clear patterns could be performed. Based on the same resolution, the higher pixel time can export more energy, which makes the pattern look more clearly. This design approach opens up new possibilities for metallic denim fabric design without any chemicals used.