Woven wire mesh is one of those materials you can customize to fit a wide range of applications. From the spark arrestors in motorcycles to the extruder screens used to create plastic cutlery, the list of possibilities that can be achieved with woven wire mesh is virtually endless.

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Now, while specifications such as wire diameter and mesh opening control what can pass through your wire mesh components, the alloy you use controls how well and how long your wire mesh will perform.

Stainless steel is by far the most widely used alloy used to fabricate wire mesh components. But stainless steel is broken down into dozens of variants, such as 904L and 316L, making selecting the suitable alloy a daunting task.

 That said, how do 904L stainless steel and 316L stainless steel compare?

W.S. Tyler has been a substantial manufacturer of wire mesh components for over 150 years and strives to use the knowledge within our four walls to build your confidence when designing the ideal wire mesh solution.

With that, we wrote the following article to shed light on the difference between 904L and 316L stainless steel. You will learn:

• How 904L stainless steel is defined in the wire mesh industry
• The benefits of using 904L stainless steel wire mesh
• How 316L stainless steel is defined in the wire mesh industry
• The benefits of using 316L stainless steel wire mesh
• Which alloy you should consider when designing your next wire mesh solution

What Is 904L Stainless Steel?

904L stainless steel is an austenitic alloy that shares several similarities to 316L stainless steel. Its chemical composition is made up of nickel (up to 28%), chromium (up to 23%), molybdenum (up to 5%), manganese (up to 2%), silicon (up to 1%), as well as traces of iron and carbon.

Again the "L" means that 904L is a low-carbon variant of standard 904 stainless steel, containing .02% carbon or less.

What Is 904L Stainless Steel Wire Mesh Used For?

Much like 316L, 904L includes molybdenum, allowing it to combat various forms of corrosion. More specifically, 904L stainless steel is exceptionally resistant to pitting, intergranular, and crevice corrosion.

These corrosive resistant qualities work together to make 904L the ideal wire mesh alloy when your wire mesh is subjected to various chlorides. For example, 904L stainless steel is often used to fabricate ballast water filters.

What Is 316L Stainless Steel?

316 stainless steel is one of the most widely used alloys to weave wire mesh. On a chemical level, it consists of chromium (16%), nickel (8%), molybdenum (2%), and traces of carbon.

316L is the low-carbon variant of 316 stainless steel, with carbon making up less than .03% of its chemical composition.

What Is 316L Stainless Steel Wire Mesh Used For?

316L stainless steel, because of its minimal carbon content, works to combat carbide precipitation. It should be noted that the more carbon in a given alloy, the more likely it is to rust or corrode.

As a result, this particular alloy is known for hosting a relatively high resistance to corrosion. This unique resistance to corrosion makes it an ideal alloy to fabricate wire mesh that will be subjected to continuous moisture exposure, such as a sand control screen.

904L vs 316L: Which Is Best?

To best determine whether you should use 904L or 316L to weave your wire mesh, you must look at the needs of the application. What types of materials will your mesh be subjected to? What budgetary restrictions must you adhere to? What characteristics must your mesh have?

These are just some of the questions you must ask yourself when designing the ideal woven wire mesh solution. Having said this, which alloy offers better functionality?

Well, in most cases, the answer is 904L.

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Both alloys include chromium which works to form a protective oxidation layer when oxygen hits the surface. But because 904L contains more chromium than 316L, this protective layer is more prominent when working with 904L wire mesh.

904L outperforms 316L when comparing the alloys' ability to combat corrosion. This is simply because 904L's chemical composition contains more elements that aid an alloy's ability to perform when subjected to various corrosive environments.

Now, when comparing 904L and 316L, it must be noted that both alloys are widely used and relatively easy to obtain. That said, 316L is known for being more budget-friendly than 904L.

So, while 904L provides better functionality, 316L can typically provide satisfactory performance in most cases where more standardized alloys are suitable. This typically restricts 904L to specialty applications.

Fine-Tune the Flow Rate of Your Wire Mesh

904L and 316L are both stainless steel alloys used to weave wire mesh when a minimal presence of carbon is required. As they are both stainless steel, their fundamental functionality is relatively the same; however, 904L features a higher-performing chemical makeup that allows it to outperform 316L at a higher price point.

Once you have identified an alloy that will withstand the material and substances throughout your operation, the next step is to select a weave pattern. Selecting a suitable weave pattern will ensure your wire mesh stops a specific particle size from passing while maintaining an adequate flow rate.

Having been in the woven wire mesh business for over 150 years, W.S. Tyler has the know-how needed to remove the roadblocks you may encounter when designing a wire mesh solution. This, in turn, will allow you to spend more time addressing other concerns in your operation, making for a more efficient process down the road.

To learn more about what weave pattern will work best for you and your organization, read the article linked below:

Wire Mesh: A Guide to the Right Product

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. 

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

Lawrence Sintered Metals makes the best-quality and budget-friendly sintered wire cloth suitable for a range of applications. Contact us to learn more about our wire mesh and the applications it can be used for. 

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