Aluminium foil (known as aluminum foil in North America) is aluminium prepare in thin sheets with a thickness less than 0.2 mm / 0.008 in, although much thinner gauges down to 0.006 mm are commonly used . As a result of this, the foil is extremely pliable, and can be bent or wrapped around objects with ease. However, thin foils are fragile and easily damaged, and are usually laminated to other materials such as plastics or paper to make them useful. It replaced tin foil towards the end of the 20th century.