Tin foil

For other uses, see Tin foil (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with aluminium foil.

Tin foil, also spelled tinfoil, is a thin foil made of tin.

History

Tin foil phonograph

Foil made from a thin leaf of tin was commercially available before its aluminum counterpart.^[1] Tin foil was in common use in the late 19th century and early 20th century, but was superseded after World War II by cheaper and more durable aluminium foil.^[2] Some people continue to refer to the new product by the name of the old one, a misnomer.

Properties

Tin foil is stiffer than aluminum foil.^[3] It tends to give a slight tin taste to food wrapped in it, which is a major reason it has largely been replaced by aluminum and other materials for wrapping food.^{[citation needed]}

Uses

Because of its corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, availability, low cost, low toxicity, and slight malleability, tin foil was used as a filling for tooth cavities prior to the 20th century.^[4] Phonograph cylinders originally were made with tin foil for audio recordings.^[5]

Tin foil hat

A tin foil hat is a hat made from one or more sheets of tin foil or aluminium foil, or a piece of conventional headgear lined with foil, often worn in the belief or hope that it shields the brain from threats such as electromagnetic fields, mind control, and mind reading. The notion of wearing homemade headgear for such protection has become a popular stereotype and byword for paranoia, persecutory delusions, and belief in pseudoscience and conspiracy theories. Over time, the term has become associated with paranoia and conspiracy theories.^[6]

See also

• Gold leaf
• Plastic wrap
• Sheet metal
• Wax paper