Medicine Aluminum Blister
Medicine Aluminum Blister is a high-barrier composite material widely used in pharmaceutical packaging. It is mainly composed of aluminum foil laminated with plastic substrates and formed into sealed blisters through cold forming or thermoforming processes, used to protect solid dosage forms such as tablets and capsules.
Medicine Aluminum Blister packaging is a critical solution in the pharmaceutical industry, designed to protect drugs from environmental factors while ensuring patient safety and compliance.
Aluminum blister packaging is the industry standard for unit-dose pharmaceutical packaging. It combines pre-formed plastic cavities with an aluminum foil lidding, offering individual and hygienic protection for tablets and capsules.
Medicine Aluminum Blister mainly comes in two structures – Alu-PVC (plastic substrate with aluminum foil lid) and Alu-Alu (double aluminum) – each offering different barrier properties. Alu-Alu provides superior protection at higher cost. The hardness (hard or soft), thickness (commonly ~25 µm in Europe), and optional lamination layers (paper, PET) of the aluminum foil can be customized to meet puncture resistance, child-resistance, and regional packaging standards. Manufacturing relies on precise heat seal coatings and primers that bond the foil to the cavity under controlled time, temperature, and pressure conditions.
As a leading manufacturer in the pharmaceutical aluminum-plastic blister packaging field, HC Aluminum specializes in providing high-quality aluminum foil blister packaging solutions compliant with GMP standards. Using high-purity aluminum and medical-grade PVC/PVDC materials, we ensure moisture-proofing, light-blocking, and oxidation resistance, thereby extending drug shelf life. We support customized designs to match various tablet sizes and automated production line requirements, helping pharmaceutical companies enhance packaging efficiency and product safety. We offer one-stop services from design and production to quality inspection, strictly following international pharmaceutical packaging standards to ensure global customer compliance and competitiveness.
Medicine Aluminum Blister Components and Materials
- Pharmaceutical blister packaging consists of thermoformed (or cold-formed) polymer substrates (PVC, PVdC, PET, PP or COLD-FORM laminates) and heat-sealable aluminum foil lids.
- Lidding foil typically uses high-purity aluminum alloys, favored for their inertness and barrier properties. In Europe, ~25 μm thick hard temper foil is the standard for push-through packaging. Soft temper foil requires greater rupture force, enhancing child-resistance but can be perforated for user convenience.
- Laminated lidding films may combine aluminum foil with paper (40-50 g/m²) or PET for printable surfaces or peel-push designs, which are particularly popular in the U.S. market.
Medicine Aluminum Blister Structure and Composition
| Component Name | Material/Structure Example | Functional Description |
| Formed Plastic Cavity (Blister) | PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), PVDC (Polyvinylidene Chloride Coated PVC), PP (Polypropylene), etc. | Used for thermoforming to hold individual tablets or capsules, providing mechanical protection and basic barrier performance. |
| Aluminum Lidding Foil | AL20-30μm (Aluminum foil, 20–30 microns thick), with one side heat-seal coating and the other side printing primer | Heat-seal coating bonds with blister plastic; the aluminum layer blocks moisture, oxygen, and light; primer side allows for printed information. |
| Heat-Seal Coating | Acrylics, Epoxy Resins, etc. | Bonds the aluminum lidding foil with the plastic blister, ensuring sealing integrity and peelability. |
| Printing Primer | Polyester or Polyurethane Primers | Enhances ink adhesion for labeling, batch numbers, expiration dates, etc. |
| Optional Laminate Layer | Examples: NY25/AL55/PVC50, PET/AL/PVC, Paper/AL/PE | Enhances barrier performance, anti-counterfeiting, child-resistance (CRSF), or supports sustainable packaging. |
| Adhesive (Laminating Glue) | Two-component Polyurethane Adhesive | Used in multilayer laminates to bond different materials such as Nylon, Aluminum Foil, PVC, etc. |
Aluminum Foil Substrate
- Common alloy grades include 8011, 8021, and 8079 with thickness ranging from 0.02 to 0.075 mm, usually in O-temper or H18 temper, offering both ductility and strength.
- The aluminum foil layer provides core barrier performance, effectively blocking water vapor, oxygen, UV light, and other external factors.
Composite Structures
- Cold Formed Blister: Made by bonding aluminum foil with protective layers (e.g., OP coating) and adhesive layers (e.g., VC), and formed directly by cold stamping.
- Tropical Blister (Alu-Plastic-Alu): Outer layer is cold-formed aluminum foil, inner layer is thermoformed plastic blister; they are bonded via heat sealing to provide dual barrier protection.
- Some premium models include a PA layer to enhance mechanical strength and weather resistance.
Medicine Aluminum Blister Material Specifications
- Alloys: Common aluminum alloys include 8011, 8021, and 8079, favored for their flexibility, tensile strength, and barrier performance.
- Thickness: In Europe, aluminum foil thickness is 20–30 microns (hard temper, easy to push through), while in the U.S., thicker foil (e.g., 140–160 microns) is used for peelable designs.
Coatings:
- Heat-Seal Lacquer: Applied at a density of 3–8 GSM, bonding with blister plastics.
- Primer: Enhances adhesion and supports brand identification or compliance labeling.
Types of Medicine Aluminum Blister
Alu-PVC vs. Alu-Alu
- Alu-PVC uses a plastic base paired with an aluminum cover, offering economical and efficient protection while enhancing product visibility.
- Alu-Alu is composed entirely of aluminum foil, with both the base and lidding made from foil, forming a multi-layer barrier that effectively blocks moisture, oxygen, light, and contaminants—ideal for highly sensitive medications.
Thermoforming vs. Cold Forming
- Thermoforming involves heating a plastic sheet to form cavities, widely used for standard-dose tablets and capsules.
- Cold forming requires no heating. Instead, cavities are formed mechanically in aluminum base material, offering optimal barrier protection for moisture-sensitive or light-sensitive active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
Laminated Composite Materials
Aluminum foil can be laminated with paper or PET to enhance printability, branding flexibility, and child-resistant peel-off functionality. However, a thicker aluminum foil layer is required to maintain structural integrity.
Functional Advantages of Medicine Aluminum Blister
Excellent Barrier Properties
The aluminum foil layer provides moisture-proofing, oxidation resistance, and light shielding, virtually blocking all moisture, oxygen, and UV rays to extend shelf life. Suitable for highly hygroscopic, photosensitive, or long-term storage medications.
Tropical blister structures further compensate for the moisture barrier limitations of traditional Alu-PVC packaging.
Sealing and Stability
High heat-sealing strength and good sealing performance allow for sterilization at high temperatures, suitable for humid or extreme climate conditions.
Chemically stable and non-reactive with pharmaceutical ingredients, meeting pharmaceutical packaging safety standards.
Process Compatibility
Cold forming avoids the impact of high temperatures on drugs, while heat-sealing is compatible with PVC, PVDC, PP, and other substrates.
Supports automated production, such as precise dosing and high-speed packaging lines, improving efficiency and yield.
Child Safety
Soft aluminum foil or laminated designs (e.g., aluminum-paper) require more force to open, preventing accidental access.
Anti-Tampering
Sealed blisters ensure product integrity, which is essential for regulatory compliance.
Production Process of Medicine Aluminum Blister
- Film Preparation: One side of the aluminum foil is coated with a primer to enhance adhesion, followed by a heat-seal lacquer compatible with the plastic substrate.
- Cavity Forming: Polymer sheets (or aluminum foil for cold forming) are shaped into blister cavities via thermoforming or mechanical pressing.
- Filling: Tablets or capsules are precisely inserted into each cavity, usually by an automatic feeder in a cleanroom environment.
- Sealing: The lidding foil is aligned with the cavities; temperature, pressure, and dwell time are controlled to activate the lacquer and form an airtight seal.
- Printing and Finishing: The outer surface of the aluminum foil can be printed with variable data (batch number, expiration date) or branding. The inner surface remains unprinted or receives a primer coating to avoid interaction with the active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
Below are the two main production processes for Medicine Aluminum Blister, presented in a comprehensive table format.
| Process Type | Description of Steps | Key Features and Applications |
| Thermoforming | The plastic film (such as PVC, PVDC, or PP) is heated until softened. It is then shaped into cavities using a mold with vacuum or compressed air. After that, tablets or capsules are placed into the formed cavities. Finally, an aluminum lidding foil with a heat-seal coating is sealed over the cavities using heat and pressure. | Cost-effective and suitable for high-speed production |
| Transparent blister allows visual inspection of the product | ||
| Moderate barrier properties, ideal for drugs with low sensitivity to moisture or oxygen | ||
| Cold Forming (Alu-Alu) | No heating is involved. Instead, a laminate structure (e.g., OPA/AL/PVC) is mechanically pressed into cavities using a mold. The drug is placed into the formed aluminum cavities, and then the lidding foil is sealed on top with heat. | Offers excellent barrier protection against moisture, oxygen, and light |
| Suitable for highly moisture or light-sensitive drugs | ||
| Higher material cost and slower forming speed | ||
| Opaque packaging limits visual inspection |
Printing: Aluminum foil can be pre-printed with dosage information or branding, or coated to allow offline customization.
Barrier Properties and Child Resistance of Medicine Aluminum Blister
Alu-Alu packaging nearly completely blocks moisture and gas, protecting hygroscopic or photolabile compounds. PVC packaging balances protection and transparency, facilitating visual dosage inspection. Hard aluminum foil is easy to push through, while soft aluminum foil (with perforated seals) increases the force required to open, enhancing child resistance. Regional preferences vary: Europe tends to prefer hard foil push-through packaging, while the U.S. often adopts peel-push laminates for added safety.
Advantages and Applications of Medicine Aluminum Blister
Advantages of Medicine Aluminum Blister
- Hygienic unit-dose protection: Each cavity remains sealed until first use, minimizing contamination risk.
- Extended shelf life: Effectively blocks moisture, oxygen, and light to preserve API potency over time.
- Cost-effectiveness: Alu-PVC is economical for high-volume, low-sensitivity formulations. Alu-Alu provides a premium solution for critical therapies (approximately 50% higher per pack).
- Consumer convenience: Tool-free push-through opening with clear display aids patient compliance.
Applications of Medicine Aluminum Blister
- Types of medicines: Tablets, capsules, pills, suppositories, and other high-value or sensitive drugs.
- Special needs: Formulations requiring moisture protection (e.g., traditional Chinese medicine), light protection (e.g., vitamins), or extended shelf life (e.g., export pharmaceuticals).
- Health supplements: Transparent PVC blister packs improve visibility; Alu-Alu packaging meets high barrier requirements.
- Medical devices: Sterile trays for hospital use with Tyvek lids.
- Extended applications: Candy, health supplements, and other consumer products requiring high-protection packaging.
Quality Standards for Medicine Aluminum Blister
- Compliance: Meets FDA, USP, and European Pharmacopoeia standards for direct contact with pharmaceuticals.
- Testing: Includes pinhole detection, degreasing, and adhesion testing to ensure seal integrity.
