This post will give you an idea about copper woven wire mesh first.
Then you’ll know what copper wire mesh (woven | knitted) is and its usages.
We use copper typically as a pure metal, but it will be put into alloys (like brass or phosphor bronze) when better hardness is required. So I’ll also show you something about brass wire mesh and phosphor bronze wire mesh.
What is wire mesh size?
For woven wire mesh, we can specify copper wire mesh size by confirming mesh counts, wire diameter and opening (aperture) size. It’s also ok if two of them are known because we can calculate another one by the following formula.
Mesh counts = 25.4 mm / (wire diameter [mm] + opening size [mm])
- Mesh counts: the number of holes per inch (25.4 mm)
- Wire diameter: the thickness of one wire
- Opening / aperture size: the distance between two adjacent parallel wires
How do you calculate mesh size?
- Firstly, we need to know the size of wire diameter and aperture. It’s better to use micrometer to measure the diameter of wire, and ruler or vernier caliper to measure the aperture size. Let’s assume wire diameter is 0.406 mm and opening size is 0.86 mm.
- Secondly, using the formula to calculate the mesh size. Mesh counts = 25.4 mm / (0.406 mm + 0.86 mm) = 20.06319……
- We can know that mesh number is approximately 20.
Actually, for some coarse mesh, we can specify wire mesh size by counting the number of openings per liner inch (25.4 mm). For example, 5X5 or 10X10 mesh copper mesh. We just need to check the number of openings is 5 or 10 in both lengthwise and crosswise.
For fine mesh (100 120 150 180 200 250 300 350 mesh count or others), it may be difficult to find a tool to measure the aperture size. Moreover, there are too many holes per inch to count. Microscope may help you to figure out the mesh size.
What size is 40 mesh?
For 40 mesh, weave type of mesh is typically plain and has 40 openings (square shape holes) in both lengthwise and crosswise.
40 mesh is mainly short for 40X40 mesh.
According to the mesh screen size chart, we can know that its wire diameter is 0.254 mm and opening size is 0.38 mm.
What does 200 mesh mean?
200 mesh means there are 200 openings in both directions. We can also figure out that the mesh has 0.0533 mm wire diameter and 0.0838 mm opening size.
What is 1 micron in mesh size?
1 micron (0.001 mm) in mesh size is 500*3200. 1 micron means mesh’s nominal opening size is 0.001 mm and its material is typically stainless steel 316L.
- Copper wire mesh can only down to 60 micron (in other words, mesh size can up to 250).
- The smallest micron size of brass wire mesh is 60 (the highest mesh size is 250 till now).
- The finest phosphor bronze wire mesh is 350 mesh, roughly 43 micron.
How thick is mesh?
If weave type is plain, twill, plain dutch or twill dutch, the thickness of mesh is approximately equal to warp wire diameter plus weft wire diameter.
What is copper wire mesh?
Here we mainly introduce woven copper wire mesh and knitted copper mesh.
Copper woven wire cloth is interlaced with two distinct sets of wires (warp wires and weft [is also called woof or filling] wires). Warp and woof wires are both straight and at right angles to each other.
But the wire of knitted copper wire mesh is meandering which makes the mesh can stretch in all directions.
So the elasticity of knitted mesh is better than woven mesh.
Copper woven wire mesh

What is copper wire mesh called?
We also call it copper mesh, copper wire cloth | screen | netting, pure copper mesh, red copper wire mesh.
What are the properties of copper wire mesh?
It is a soft (low hardness), malleable, and ductile metal mesh. Copper wire mesh has high ductility, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity and superior heat dissipation property.
The softness of copper partly explains its high electrical conductivity and high thermal conductivity. That is because the resistivity to electron transport in metals at room temperature originates primarily from scattering of electrons on thermal vibrations of the lattice, which are relatively weak in a soft metal.
What is copper wire mesh used for?
- Copper woven wire mesh is suitable for Faraday cage to block radio frequency interference (RFI) / EMI / electromagnetic.
- Usually, the higher the mesh count of copper mesh screen, the better the shielding ability. So Faraday cages may use fine copper mesh for shielding. Popular mesh counts are 100 120 150 180 200 and 250 mesh. They are suitable for different environments.
- Here is a test about 200 mesh copper screen to block cell phone signal.
- Cell phone signal

- Cell phone signal is blocked by ultra fine copper mesh screen

- Heat dissipation may use woven copper mesh because of its superior heat dissipation properties.
Knitted copper wire mesh
- Knitted copper mesh

- Knitted copper | stainless steel mesh

Copper mesh rodent control
As we all know, mice can go through many kinds of openings (even smaller than itself), and will destroy something. So maybe we all want to fill holes to stop mice from crawling through openings.
Does copper mesh keep rats mice out?
Answer is yes. When we talk about copper mesh for mice (mouse) rats rodents squirrels pest control, it mostly refers to knitted copper wire mesh.
So why knitted copper mesh for mice mouse rat rodent control?
- Copper mouse mesh is a good choice because of its highly flexible and adaptable properties which makes it easy to fill holes, to seal weep holes and around pipes.
- It’s difficult for rodents / mice / rats / squirrels / pest to chew / eat through and destroy knitted copper wire mesh.
How to use copper wire mesh for rats?
- Firstly, you need to estimate how much copper mesh to fill holes to keep mice out.
- Then cut and roll it to create a kind of mesh “plug” or ”roll”.
- Finally, putting the copper mouse mesh into holes.
Or you can stuff copper mesh for rats into openings until cannot fit in anymore, then cut.
Copper mesh slugs control
Knitted copper mesh is suitable for slugs control because it can give them a shock when slugs come in contact with copper.
Copper mesh for distilling
Home distilling may also use knitted copper wire mesh.
Why use copper mesh packing for distillation?
- Copper can react with sulfur compounds, and helps to remove sulfides from the distillate. That is good because sulfur compounds (they are byproducts during fermentation and can also be found in some fruits) will make your final product smells and tastes bad.
How to clean copper mesh?
You can clean knitted copper wire mesh with vinegar, rinse with water and let air dry.
What is brass wire mesh called?
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Brass mesh is also known as brass screen, brass metal mesh, brass wire cloth, brass woven wire mesh.

What is brass wire mesh used for?
- It is suitable for decoration due to its bright gold-like color. For example, we may use decorative brass mesh screen for different kind of doors (for example cabinet doors, kitchen cabinet doors, bookcase doors) and windows.
- Woven brass mesh will screen out inserts bigger than its opening size.
- At the same time, it’s breathable without opening the door / window.
- Brass wire mesh can be cut into round flat disc, and used as smoking pipe screens. Other popular materials are stainless steel and titanium.
- Brass smoking screens

- Stainless steel smoking screens

- Titanium smoking screens

- Other applications may needs brass mesh screen for instance radiator covers, lpg godown, filtering gas and liquid, screening power or in glass.
Denpending on different applications, different shapes of brass wire mesh are required. For example, brass mesh roll, brass mesh sheets, brass rim mesh pipe screens.
- Brass mesh sheets

- Brass | stainless steel rim mesh pipe screens

Phosphor bronze wire mesh
Phosphor bronze is an alloy of copper and tin. It has better corrosion resistance and strength than copper by adding tin, and provides good wear resistance and stiffness due to addition of phosphorus.
Phosphor bronze woven wire mesh can be used for screening various granular powders, porcelain clay, etc.
