5 Must-Have Features in a Epoxy Coated Wire Mesh

The flexibility and durability of wire cloth makes it a versatile product. From the food and beverage production industry to automotive, pharmaceutical, and medical sectors, metal mesh is being increasingly used across multiple industries. 

Jiushen Product Page

As there is a surge in the use of wire cloth, mesh products have grown into various types, standards, and patterns catering to the industry-specific demand. The production has become exceptionally sophisticated with the invention of new molecular diffusion-bonding and lamination technologies. Depending on required materials and pore sizes, one can find the exact wire mesh material they need. 

Each of these wire mesh products varies based on applications, the number of laminated layers, and mechanical properties, in addition to the fabrication process. Technical and metallurgical considerations add to the growing diversity that demands careful and need-specific selection of wire cloth. Here is a guide on different types of metal mesh products, their significance, and how to select the right product for your application. 

Wire Mesh: What and How

Wire mesh refers to a metal net or screen of attached or woven strands formed by intersecting strands of wire. Stainless steel, copper, aluminum, brass, and bronze are the most popular metals used to produce wire mesh filters used for screening, structuring, and shielding. A filter made from sintered wire cloth is the best choice since sintering enables bonding at the molecular level and leads to laminated layers of woven wire. 

There are two major ways of manufacturing metal mesh – weaving and welding. Woven wire mesh is created when metal wires are woven into a web of intersected wires. It follows the pattern of one perpendicular wire woven over and under another wire. This pattern creates a web of mesh wire. Welded wire mesh, on the other hand, is produced when metal wires are put in rows and columns as per the size of the required pores and then are welded at the intersection. 

Wire Mesh: Types, Significance and Use

Whether meant for domestic or industrial use, sintered wire cloth comes with varying types of coarseness, weight, and aperture. Different types of sintered wire cloth have unique features, patterns, qualities, and functionalities.

Stainless Steel Wire Mesh – Prepared from steel or iron-nickel alloy, this type of metal mesh is strong, sturdy, and reliable. Stainless steel wire mesh can have extremely low-variant but very stable pores. It comes in both high-carbon and low-carbon variants and is available in various patterns. Sintered wire cloth of steel is the best suitable for extremely corrosive or high-temperature environments and outdoor applications. Steel wire mesh filters are widely used in separation technology, architecture, and heat conditioning.

Aluminum Wire Mesh – Aluminum wire mesh is often chosen for its relative affordability compared to other metals, as well as for its low weight compared to steel or stainless steel. Aluminum wire mesh is about a third of the weight of a stainless steel mesh with the same specifications, which can make it useful in the creation of items like personal audio headsets where low weight is critical.

Plain Weave Sintered Square Woven Wire Mesh – This type of sintered wire mesh laminate is made by sintering multiple layers of plain weave square woven wire mesh together. Because of the large open area percentages of the square woven wire mesh layers, this type of sintered wire mesh laminate has good permeability characteristics and low resistance to flow. This type of sintered wire mesh laminate is useful for polymer production, as well as a variety of fluid and air filtration applications.

Dutch Woven Sintered Wire Mesh – Wires of different diameters are used and pushed closer to each other to achieve a sintered wire mesh cloth of the highest density. These can be either plain or twill weave wire mesh. When made from sintered metals, the Dutch pattern produces more rigidity and tensile strength. The closer wire placement means a higher particle retention capability up to 10 micrometers. Dutch woven sintered wire mesh is used for very fine filtration applications and the making of protection chassis, enclosures, and boxes. The absence of openings allows this sintered wire cloth type to make the best water, air, fuel, plastic processing, and hydraulic filters.  

5-Layer Sintered Wire Mesh – 5-layer sintered wire mesh is created when a single layer of fine woven wire mesh is placed between two layers of coarser square woven meshes. It is then added to two layers of a strong Dutch woven wire mesh and sintered together to form a strong plate. The single layer of fine woven wire mesh acts as the filtration layer, and can be customized to meet a particular filtration rating, ranging from 1 micron to 200 microns.

Double Weave Wire Mesh – A variant of the pre-crimped weave pattern, double weave wire mesh derives its name from its manufacturing process. Two wrap wires run over and under two weft wires making this type of wire mesh robust to withstand high-intensity tasks. Double weave sintered wire cloth is the top choice for vibrating screens of conveyor belts, mining filters, and crushers. Barbecues also utilize this wire mesh.

Epoxy Coated Wire Mesh – Epoxy coated wire mesh can be used in a variety of filtering applications and as a support or for pleat spacing in filters. Door and insect screens are oftentimes produced using epoxy coated wire mesh.  The epoxy coating can be applied to plain steel, aluminum, or stainless steel wire mesh.

Tips To Select The Best Wire Mesh

While buying metal mesh, one must consider the following points.

• The purpose for which you need wire mesh. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages for various applications.
• The fabrication process is another important area to look at. This impacts the durability, structural rigidity, and tensile strength of a wire mesh.
• Pore size and pattern is important based on industry-specific filtration needs. For example, the Dutch pattern enables much higher precision filtration of particles compared to other variants.
• Sintered metal or alloy plays a role too in selections based on temperature, environment, and nature of the application. Non-corrosive metals are a must if it is mining, oil, or water industry. At locations with extreme temperatures, metals need to be highly resistant to corrosion. 
• The choice of sintered metals should also consider the potential presence of contaminants in the filtering process.

Contact Lawrence Sintered Metals for Wire Mesh

High performance epoxy coatings are used to protect concrete and steel from chemical and mechanical attack in interior, exterior and marine environments. 2K epoxy coating systems consist of two or more components which, when blended and applied as a film, react chemically to form a protective film of high integrity, excellent adhesion, toughness and impact resistance without solvents or water added.

These coatings are applied in films ranging in thickness from several to over 150 mils. Coatings provide a protective impermeable barrier to elements which otherwise may attack the substrate. The chemical formulation and cross-link density of the coating material will determine its resistance to specific chemicals while resistance to mechanical loads, such as abrasion and impact, is a function of the physical properties and the thickness of the coating film.

Want more information on Plain Steel Wire Mesh? Feel free to contact us.

Solvent-born coatings generally have a long pot life and are “thinner” and therefore, easier to apply. The “dry film” thickness or the film remaining after solvent evaporation is proportional to the solids content of the coating material and the applied or “wet film” thickness. ChemCo does not make solvent-born epoxies as we strive to make only 0 VOC coatings.

In order to avoid sag or runs and to allow proper solvent evaporation, solvent-borne coatings are applied as thin films. Application at low temperature or in thick films may cause solvent entrapment, giving rise to blisters or peeling.

Solvent-born coatings are particularly useful as primers, sealers, surface penetrants or where high film thickness is not required. In recent years, epoxy coatings have been developed which use water as the vehicle. Such products contain the coating materials as emulsions or dispersions, which upon application and evaporation of the water coalesce to form the protective film.

Solventless (“100% solids”) coatings contain no volatile ingredients, therefore, the final thickness of the cured coating is the same as the applied thickness. This category of epoxy coatings is manufactured by ChemCo Systems. Advantages of solventless over solvent-borne coating materials are:

• Fewer Coats are Required to Achieve a Desired Film Thickness.
• Low Temperature Cure can be Achieved.
• Air Ventilation Requirements are Reduced During Application and Curing.
• Air Pollution and Fire Risks are Minimized.
• 0 VOC and LEED Credits Including IEQ 4.1 Compliance.
• Components are Non-Flammable.

When used on floors and decks, epoxy coatings can be skid-proofed by imbedding grit into the surface layer or reinforced by incorporating glass cloth. Trowelable coating materials of nonsag or mastic consistency are used for applications of thick layers on vertical and overhead surfaces.

Some high performance epoxy coatings for steel and concrete surfaces may chalk and discolor upon exposure to direct sunlight that causes their finish to turn dull. These features should be considered in exterior architectural coating applications.

Protecting Against Highly Aggressive Chemicals

Most applications requiring a high degree of chemical resistance are found in the manufacturing and chemical processing industries. Properly formulated and applied coating materials can stop the action of chemicals that rapidly deteriorate concrete and steel. Applications requiring high chemical resistance include:

• Refineries, Electroplating Plants, Chemical Processing Plants, Lead Acid Battery Handling Rooms.
• Food Processing Plants, Meat Packing Areas, Tanneries and Dairies.
• High Nuclear Radiation Exposure Areas.
• Manufacturing Plants, Particularly where Cutting Oils are Used.

Protecting Against Moderately Aggressive Chemicals

Epoxy coatings protect concrete and steel which are exposed to mild chemical attack from sources such as acid mist, organic acids and water containing corrosive chemicals. Concrete surfaces are often porous, subject to bacterial growth and difficult to clean. The glossy, tile-like, impervious natures of these coatings provide ideal protection in the following areas:

• Institutional and Commercial Kitchens and Laundries.
• Sewage and Water Treatment Tanks and Digesters.
• Breweries and Winery Facilities.
• Protection of Concrete Columns, Piers and Abutments from Intrusion of De-Icing Salts.
• Protection of Concrete and Steel in Marine Structures Above the Splash Zone.
• Protection of Concrete Against Erosion from High Velocity Water.

Providing Skid Resistance on Traffic Surfaces

The skid resistance of concrete, steel and asphalt surfaces can be improved by the application of a skid resistant coating. This consists of selected aggregate embedded into the coating. The aggregate dramatically increases the coefficient of friction of the otherwise smooth coating.

Areas that receive heavy wear due to high traffic speed and volume require a surface texture that will not be worn away or polished smooth. Skid resistant coatings are used to surface:

• Industrial Floors
• Parking Garage Decks and Ramps
• Loading Docks
• Concrete Bridge Decks
• Toll Plazas

Coating Marine Structures

Epoxy coatings are used to protect concrete and steel marine structures as formulations are available to adhere to wet substrates. Marine coating use can be divided into two areas, splash zone application and underwater application. Both applications require the ability of the coating material to be workable, adhere and cure underwater; in the splash zone the material must resist wave action during application and after cure. Typical applications for the protection of marine structures include: