Tin Foil - 2 sides

imme · 23-05-2016 8:14pm #1

Why does tin foil have 2 sides, a shiny one and a non-shiny one.

kneemos · 23-05-2016 8:17pm

The shiny side deflects satellite beams,the duller side keeps in thought waves.

endacl · 23-05-2016 8:17pm

So you know which is the outside when you're making a hat.

Archeron · 23-05-2016 8:18pm

It's because of hat fashion. Sometimes it's more stylish to have the shiny side facing out, but it really depends on current trends.

Cortina_MK_IV · 23-05-2016 8:19pm

In what is called the Bayer Process, after pure molten aluminum is obtained from aluminum oxide, it is placed in furnaces with a small amount of other elements (typically the final product will be between 99.8% and 99.9% aluminum). This liquid is then poured into “chill casting devices where it cools into large slabs called ‘ingots.'” Next the ingot is treated with heat (annealed), and then rolled between heavy rollers.

This initial foil is sent through still more rollers, several times, until it reaches the desired thinness. For the type of foil that is bright on one side and matte on the other, it is so thin that during some of the last rollings, two sheets of the thin foil must be placed together lest they tear or crimp during the final rolling of the sheets.

One consequence of this is that while the sides that touch the highly polished rollers are burnished to a bright finish, the inner sides that touch the other aluminum foil remain matte.

Ruu · 23-05-2016 8:20pm

Manufactured that way, one side shiny(hand polished by millions of men and women) and the other is dull.

Oohhhh How It's Made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4OTj9yNOak

spurious · 23-05-2016 8:21pm

I used to think it made a difference which side you had closest to the food while cooking it, but apparently it doesn't, or if it does, the difference is so small as to not bother with.

SEPT 23 1989 · 23-05-2016 8:21pm

One side is for cooking the other is for chasing the dragon

It's stated clearly on the box

biko · 23-05-2016 8:33pm

The dull side is for when you have to make your escape from the black helicopters in sunlight. It's not as shiny.

LETHAL LADY · 23-05-2016 8:44pm

spurious wrote: »

I used to think it made a difference which side you had closest to the food while cooking it, but apparently it doesn't, or if it does, the difference is so small as to not bother with.

I find, when baking, that food sticks to the less shiny side easier. Not that I lose any sleep about it or anything.