This post will give you an idea about different kinds of metal mesh first. Then I’ll show you something about Titanium mesh, Nickel mesh, Nickel Alloy (Monel | Inconel | Nichrome) mesh, FeCrAl mesh and Tungsten mesh.
What are the different types of mesh?
A metal mesh may be woven, knitted, welded, expanded, perforated, photo-chemically etched from steel or other metal materials.
The following are some photos as reference.
- Woven

- Knitted

- Welded

- Expanded

- Perforated

- Photo-chemically etched

Please note: We are a manufacturer of different kinds of metal woven wire meshes and also provide related deep processing products.
So metal mesh refers to woven wire mesh if without any special introductions. But it only applicable to this website.
Hope can get your understand.
What is meaning of wire mesh?
Wire mesh typically refers to woven wire mesh. In addition, it may means knitted wire mesh, welded wire mesh or other types of mesh. See photos of them above.
- Woven mesh is interlaced with warp and weft (woof / filling) wires at right angles. So two distinct sets of wires are both straight and running parallel when woven. Different interlacing of wires, different the weave type. For instance: plain, twill, plain dutch and twill dutch weave type.

- In comparison to woven wire mesh, the wire in knitted wire mesh is meandering. Therefore, the mesh can stretch in all directions. So knitted mesh is more elasticity than woven type.
- Welded wire mesh is a mesh where a series of parallel longitudinal wires welded to cross wires.
What is wire mesh used for?
Wire mesh can be used in a wide range of environments. But requirements of material, mesh sizes, shape and others are typically different for different applications. For example:
- Battery collector may needs fine nickel mesh.

- Fine copper mesh can shield emi / rfi. So Faraday cage often use it.

- 304 SS fine wire mesh is suitable for filtering and screening out something unwanted. For instance:
- Firstly, cold brew coffee filter (popular micron sizes are 100 / 120 / 150)

- Secondly, beer brewing basket (300 / 400 / 800 micron are the common sizes of the mesh)

- Thirdly, coffee filter disc
- Woven
- Thirdly, coffee filter disc

- Etching

- Wire gauze is mostly a round disc or a square sheet. Stainless steel is also its common material. (mainly plain / coarse mesh) Therefore, it can support glassware.

- Stainless steel mesh can also be used for screening out insects in window, just as a wine glass cover, or others.
How do you specify wire mesh size?
We can count how many openings per liner inch to confirm wire mesh size.
But if there are too holes to count, what can we do?
- Firstly, using tools to measure wire diameter and opening size.
- Secondly, calculating the mesh size. So how do you calculate mesh size?
- Using this function: Mesh count = 25.4 mm / (wire diameter [mm] + opening size [mm])
- For instance, let’s assume that wire diameter is 0.45 mm and opening size is 1.13 mm.
- After that, we can use the formula. Mesh count = 25.4 mm / (0.45 mm + 1.13 mm) = 16.07594……
- So we can know that the mesh size is roughly 16.
In addition, you may ask:
What is the meaning of 20 mesh size? | What is 24 mesh screen? | What size is 40 mesh?
20, 24 or 40 mesh size is typically short for 20X20, 24X24 or 40X40 mesh size. That’s because the mesh counts in both lengthwise and crosswise are the same. Moreover, we don’t have to use two identical numbers to represent it.
For example, if there are 20 openings in both two directions, we mostly say its mesh size is 20 instead of 20X20.
Roughly Relationships between Metal Content and Properties
Higher metal content | Better properties |
---|---|
Chromium (can forms a passive film to protect the underlying material from corrosion attack), Nickel, Molybdenum | Rust/corrosion resistance |
Molybdenum | Acid resistance |
Molybdenum, Nitrogen | Pitting corrosion |
Nitrogen | Mechanical strength |
Chromium | Heat resistance |
Silicon, Aluminium (both of them can form very stable oxides) | Sulphur resistance |
Chromium, Silicon, and Aluminium | Oxidation resistance |
Copper | Thermal and electrical conductivity |
Titanium
Titanium is a non-magnetic metal with a metallic-white (silver) color, high strength, low density, quite ductile, relatively high melting point.
Therefore, titanium wire mesh can resistant to corrosion in sea water and aqua regia. Moreover, it can endure environments which contain dilute sulfuric and hydrochloric acids, chloride solutions, and most organic acids.
However, titanium wire cloth isn’t completely corrosion-proof. For example, titanium mesh screen may be corroded by concentrated acids.
What is titanium mesh?
Titanium screen mesh may be woven, knitted, expanded.
- Woven titanium mesh is a fabric / cloth where warp and weft wires pass over one, two or more, and then under the next one, two or more successive wires in both sides. Plain, twill, plain dutch, twill dutch weaves are different because of their different interlacing of two distinct sets of wires.
- Titanium expanded mesh is a metal mesh-like material which has been cut and stretched to form a regular pattern (often diamond-shaped).
- Knitted titanium mesh is the same as knitted stainless steel mesh except with different metal material.
What is titanium mesh used for?
Titanium wire mesh screen is sometimes the material of smoking pipe screen.

Titanium basket (expanded / woven) is suitable for electrode for example anode.
Titanium filter mesh has high strength-to-density / weight ratio property. So it is typically a better choice for applications where the combination of superior strength and light weight is a must.
Titanium screens is suitable for industrial processes. For instance:
- Chemicals and petrochemicals
- Desalination plants
- Pulp and paper
- Other applications: aerospace, military, automotive, agriculture (farming), mobile phones.
Nickel
It is a hard, malleable and ductile metal.
Nickel is slowly oxidized by air at or near room temperature. Therefore, its resistance to corrosion is good.
The electrical and thermal conductivity of Nickel is also good.
Nickel is magnetic at approximately room temperature.
Chemical composition of Nickel by weight (%)
Grade | C (Carbon) | Cu (Copper) | Fe (Iron) | Mn (Manganese) | Ni (Nickel) | S (Sulfur) | Si (Silicon) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nickel 200 | ≤0.15 | ≤0.25 | ≤0.40 | ≤0.35 | ≥99.0 | ≤0.01 | ≤0.35 |
Nickel 201 | ≤0.02 | ≤0.25 | ≤0.40 | ≤0.35 | ≥99.0 | ≤0.01 | ≤0.35 |
Nickel 200 vs 201: In comparison to nickel 200, nickel 201 has almost the same nominal elements. However, its carbon content is low.
What is nickel mesh called?
We also call it nickel mesh screen, nickel wire mesh, nickel woven mesh, pure nickel mesh, pure nickel wire mesh, fine nickel mesh (for meshes with high mesh size), nickel micro mesh.
Mesh count of nickel mesh can up to 400, and popular mesh sizes are 150 200 365 and 400.
What is nickel mesh is used in?
- Pure nickel mesh fits alkaline electrolytes, like zinc-air batteries and alkaline fuel cells. For example, it can be used for gas diffusion electrodes.
- We also use fine nickel mesh for battery current collector and electrode.
- Other applications
What does Monel mean?
Monel is a group of nickel alloy, primarily composed of nickel (from 52% to 67%), copper, and also contains small amounts of iron, manganese, carbon, and silicon.
Its thermal conductivity is better than Inconel. That’s because of the addition of copper.
Monel chemical composition by weight (%)
Alloy | UNS | Cu (Copper) | Al (Aluminum) | Ti (Titanium) | Fe (Iron) | Mn (Manganese) | Si (Silicon) | Ni (Nickel) | S (Sulfur) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Monel 400 | N04400 | 28-34 | <2.5 | <2.0 | <0.5 | >63 | <0.024 | ||
Monel K500 | N05500 | 27-33 | 2.3-3.15 | 0.35-0.85 | <2.0 | <1.5 | <0.5 | >63 | |
Monel 401 | N04401 | 28-34 | <2.5 | <2.0 | >63 | ||||
Monel 405 | N04405 | 28-34 | <2.5 | <2.0 | <0.5 | >63 | 0.025-0.060 |
Can Monel mesh be welded?
Yes, monel screen provides good weldability.
Is Alloy 400 same as Monel?
No.
Monel is a family of nickel alloy. For example, Monel 400, Monel K-500, Monel 401 and Monel 405 belong to Monel.
However, alloy 400 only refers to Monel 400.
So we can say alloy 400 belongs to Monel. But they are not exactly the same as each other.
Is Monel 400 wire mesh corrosion resistant?
Yes, Monel 400 mesh is corrosion resistant in a range of acidic and alkaline environments. Moreover, mesh is suitable for reducing conditions.
Monel mesh screen also has high strength, good ductility and thermal conductivity.
So Monel 400 woven wire mesh is typically used for applications in marine engineering, chemical and hydrocarbon processing, heat exchangers, valves, and pumps.
What is Monel K500?
Monel K500 material is a nickel alloy which chemical composition is copper (between 27% and 33%), aluminum (2.3%-3.15%), titanium (0.35%-0.85%), iron (<2.0%), manganese (<1.5%), silicon (<0.5%), nickel (>63%).
Monel k500 wire mesh provides greater strength and hardness properties than Monel 400 screen mesh. That’s because Alloy k500 material adds aluminum and titanium to the nickel-copper base. In addition, its corrosion resistance is almost the same as Monel 400 wire mesh.
Is Inconel a titanium?
No, Inconel isn’t a titanium, and is a group of austenitic nickel-chromium-based superalloys. But titanium is the main content for Titanium.
Inconel chemical composition by weight (%)
Inconel | Ni (Nickel) | Cr (Chromium) | Fe (Iron) | Mo (Molybdenum) | Nb & Ta (Niobium & Tantalum) | Co (Cobalt) | Mn (Manganese) | Cu (Copper) | Al (Aluminum) | Ti (Titanium) | Si (Silicon) | C (Carbon) | S (Sulfur) | P (Phosphorous) | B (Boron) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
600 | ≥72.0 | 14.0-17.0 | 6.0-10.0 | ≤1.0 | ≤0.5 | ≤0.5 | ≤0.15 | ≤0.015 | |||||||
625 | ≥58.0 | 20.0-23.0 | ≤5.0 | 8.0-10.0 | 3.15-4.15 | ≤1.0 | ≤0.5 | ≤0.4 | ≤0.4 | ≤0.5 | ≤0.1 | ≤0.015 | ≤0.015 | ||
718 | 50.0-55.0 | 17.0-21.0 | 2.8-3.3 | 4.75-5.5 | ≤1.0 | ≤0.35 | ≤0.3 | 0.2-0.8 | 0.65-1.15 | ≤0.35 | ≤0.08 | ≤0.015 | ≤0.015 | ≤0.006 |
What is Inconel 600 material?
Inconel alloy 600 is a material contains Ni (≥72.0%), Cr (14.0%-17.0%), Fe (6.0%-10.0%), Mn (≤1.0%), Cu (≤0.5%), Si (≤0.5%), C (≤0.15%), S (≤0.015%).
What is Inconel 625 made of?
The main chemical composition of Inconel 625 is Nickel (≥58.0%), Chromium (20.0%-23.0%), Iron (≤5.0%), Molybdenum (8.0%-10.0%).
What are the properties of Inconel 625?
Inconel 625 is a high strength metal with good weldability. It also resistant to acid, corrosion, oxidation and elevated temperatures.
So Inconel 625 wire mesh fits a range of industries. For instance, the chemical processing industry.
It’s also suited for furnaces, marine or nuclear applications, and other equipments. For instance: specialized seawater equipment and high pressure equipment.
What is Inconel wire mesh used for?
Inconel screen have good corrosion and heat resistance properties. So it suits for many environments where pressure and heat are required. Moreover, we usually use it as heat resistant mesh fabric and high temperature screen mesh.
In comparison to Monel mesh, Inconel wire cloth provides good resistance to oxidation and heat due to addition of chromium.
Can Inconel mesh be welded?
Some Inconel meshes are difficult to be welded. For example alloy X-750
However, several other meshes (such as Inconel 625 or 718) have good weldability.
Does Inconel screen rust?
It hard to say a metal mesh is completely rust proof (no matter for some grades of stainless steel mesh screens, copper alloys wire meshes or other metal meshes). Because it’s too absolute. For example, it’s possible that there is an environment which Inconel mesh cannot endure or sensitive to corrosion.
Nichrome
It is a family of nickel alloy, and main contents are nickel and chromium.
Therefore, nichrome wire mesh possesses good resistance to oxidation, corrosion, the flow of electrons. Moreover, nichrome wire cloth has high mechanical and creep strength. So nichrome mesh is widely used for heating applications as a heat resistant mesh or high temperature mesh.
FeCrAl
It is a group of iron-chromium-aluminum alloy with high temperature resistance, flexibility, durability, tensile strength and intermediate electric resistance properties.
So FeCrAl wire mesh is frequently used in heating elements. It can also be used in wide range of applications. For instance, gas burners, industry electric furnace, home and industrial heaters, kilns and diffusion heaters.
Different shape and size of fecral mesh can be customized as requirements. So please be rest assured.
What is the symbol of tungsten?
Tungsten’s symbol is W.
At what temperature does tungsten melt?
Tungsten’s melting point at 3,422℃.
Therefore, tungsten wire is suited for incandescent light bulb filaments.
Moreover, tungsten mesh can be used as high temperature screen mesh. In addition, tungsten wire mesh is used for radiation shielding.