Tin foil

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

Contents

History

Tin foil phonograph DSC01266 - A Delicate Balance (29773086657).jpg
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 [1] Tin foil was in common use in the late 19th century and early 20th century, but was superseded after World War II by cheaper and more durable aluminium foil.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 [3] It tends to give a slight tin taste to food wrapped in it, which is a major reason it has largely been replaced by aluminum and other materials for wrapping food.[ citation needed ]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

References

  1. "foil". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  2. A.M. Howatson, P.G. Lund, and J.D. Todd, Engineering Tables and Data, p. 41
  3. "Difference between Aluminum Foil and Tin Foil". DifferenceBetween.info. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  4. "History Of The Use Of Tin Foil Pre 1850". Informational Site Network. Home Dentistry.ca. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  5. The Encyclopedia Americana (Volume 22). Encyclopedia Americana Corporation. 1919. p. 792. Retrieved 8 January 2011.
  6. "Hey Crazy – Get a New Hat". Bostonist. 15 November 2005. Archived from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2007.