Aluminum is the third most common element on earth after oxygen and silicon. However, it is widely used in industry with the electrolysis method found in 1886. Therefore, the year 1886 is considered the beginning of the aluminum industry. Aluminum is also present in nature as compounds such as iron, tin and lead. Electrolysis method is still in use today. Today, aluminum is the second most used metal in the world after iron and steel.

One of the most widely used fields of aluminum today is packaging materials. Aluminum has an important place in many packaging applications from container production to pharmaceutical sector. From toothpaste tubes to countless food products in the markets, from baked dishes wrapped in foil in the kitchen to cold drinks in the refrigerator, aluminum protects a large number of foodstuffs.

Homogeneous structure, airtightness, thin foil production and easy forming of aluminum are effective in such a common packaging material. Aluminum foil protects foodstuffs with their natural colors and tastes since it does not transmit ultraviolet rays besides air.

Aluminum is mostly used in beer and beverage can production. Nearly 80 percent of all beverage cans used in the world are made of aluminum. Being light, easy to open, durable, resistant to impacts, rapid cooling and, above all, being recyclable are important factors in choosing aluminum.

Within the scope of packaging analysis in advanced laboratories, the percentage of aluminum is determined by XRF method in aluminum based packaging materials. The XRF method uses the 1895 beam system, which was found by coincidence by a German physicist and called X-ray in the unknown sense. These rays are actually part of the electromagnetic wave spectrum, which is also present in visible light. These invisible rays passing through the bodies are detected by special films or detectors.