Which Metal Should I Get Wire Cloth Made From?

The wire cloth you choose for experiments or production can lead to innovation and enhanced product quality, giving your company a sustainable competitive advantage. Your specifications along with your customer requirements dictate the materials to use. Proper selection of wire cloth can make a big difference in the cost and efficiency of the system. Fortunately, Newark Wire Cloth offers a wide range of materials, allowing you to optimize your processes and support your business objectives.

Steel

Steel is the standard material used for wire cloth, and Newark Wire offers a multitude of options. For example, 304 SS is a common type of stainless steel used for wire cloth products and is effective for testing applications or 24/7 continuous production. This material is known for its resistance to corrosion and oxidation. If you have harsh operating conditions that include salt water, 304 SS is designed to deliver results. It is also an alloy containing approximately 18 percent chromium and 8 percent nickel.

Depending on the service, steel may be galvanized, tinned, plated, painted or coated.

Hastelloy

If you’re looking for an alloy that works well in chemicals production and testing, then Hastelloy is an ideal choice. Similar to steel, this material is also resistant to corrosion and comes in different variations that each have advantages and disadvantages.

Titanium

Although titanium is typically used as an alloy and mixed with other metals, it has properties such as durability that make it ideal for wire cloth. It is less dense than steel and can withstand extreme temperatures. It’s ideal for the aerospace industry or in military applications, because of its light weight and versatility. In particular, titanium is resistant to seawater and the corrosion associated with wet environments.

Other Materials

Other metal wire cloth, such as Inconel, Copper, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Tungsten, Molybdenum, Phosphor Bronze, Aluminum, Monel and nickel wire cloth have applications that can improve your operations. Newark Wire representatives are available to answer questions and offer suggestions, based on their experience and your requirements. If a material is not in stock, reps will work with you to source the metal or find a suitable substitute. If you are not sure what metals work best in your situation, you can count on sound guidance.

We offer a wide array of materials for your wire cloth needs. For more details on metals and alloys, please see our wire cloth page here.

Kinds of Weaves

Like ordinary fabrics, wire cloth is produced on looms in a wide variety of weaves. It is made out of practically every gauge of wire, and in innumerable combinations of wire diameter and mesh size for the same sizing ability. For more detailed look on wire cloth weaves, check out our Guide to Wire Cloth Weaves!

Corrosion Resistance vs Cost

When using wire cloth for pollution control, the engineer must select the alloy least susceptible to environmental hazards. In working with water, the stainless steels are most commonly employed since they have the greatest range of corrosion resistance at a practical cost. Certain concentrations of contaminants in liquids may require use of a more exotic material. The table below indicates normal resistance of common wire cloth materials to various contaminants.

Corrosion Resistance of Metals

An important point to remember in reviewing corrosion resistance requirements is that wire cloth by nature is susceptible to corrosion. Instead of attacking one surface, corrosive action will take place all around the wire, so that a corrosion rate which might be considered negligible for metal plate might be excessive for wire cloth. For this reason, it is usually wise to choose material of the highest corrosion resistance consistent with the economics of the application.

Electrolytic Corrosion

In other applications, particularly in filtering or screening seawater, galvanic or electrolytic corrosion will be a consideration in selection of wire cloth material to suit other components of the system. Metals close to each other in the electrolytic galvanic series are less severely affected, and materials are usually chosen so that the more active material forms the major component. The table below gives the galvanic series of metals and alloys in seawater.

Galvanic Series of Metals and Alloys in Sea Water

Physical Strength of Wire Cloth

A major value of wire cloth is its excellent physical strength with relatively lightweight. Actual weight, of course, is based on the specific metal, the diameter of the wire, and the mesh of the cloth. Used as a structural member, wire cloth provides support without impeding flow and without excessive weight. Used as a screen, it resists abrasion, can be cleaned with high-velocity water or chemical cleaners, mechanically scraped or rapped, and even, in some cases, have ice pounded off with a hammer, with little chance of damage. Equally important for applications such as spark arresters, petrochemical pressure filtration, etc., is the high-temperature strength of wire cloth. See the table below for a detailed look at maximum operating temperatures.

Maximum Operating Temperatures of High Temperature Metals

Summary of takeaways:

• Newark Wire offers a wide spectrum of materials to choose from in relation to wire cloth, including the 300 series of stainless steel.
• Stainless steel is resistant to corrosion, strong and can withstand high temperatures.
• Hastelloy is used throughout chemical manufacturing facilities because its resistant to certain acids and salt water.
• Titanium is as strong as steel but weighs less and has applications in the aerospace and military industries.
• Newark Wire reps are available to answer materials questions and place orders for specialty materials.

Your wire cloth needs the strength to withstand the rigors of testing or production, without negatively impacting product quality. Newark Wire offers standard steel materials, or more specialized compounds, depending on your requirements. For additional information regarding wire mesh cloth and available materials, please contact the Newark Wire Cloth today.