When fine-tuning your filtration proces, selecting a suitable filter medium is critical. The medium you choose will ultimately impact how efficient and cost-effective your operation is.
If you examine the market, you will find that woven wire mesh and fiberglass are some of the most widely used filter mediums today. Both mediums offer pros and cons when applied as filter elements, so understanding how they differ can help elevate your operational success.
For over 150 years, W.S. Tyler has been helping weave wire mesh into everyday life. We are dedicated to sharing in-house knowledge and providing high-quality woven wire mesh solutions. This will empower you to make the informed decision needed to achieve optimal filtration performance.
With that, this article will provide insight into the key differences between woven wire mesh and fiberglass filters. You will learn:
- The definition of woven wire mesh
- The definition of fiberglass
- How woven wire mesh and fiberglass compare when applied as filters
- How woven wire mesh and fiberglass are used
- How the cost of woven wire mesh and fiberglass compare
What Is Woven Wire Mesh?
Woven wire mesh, or simply wire mesh, is a filtration medium particularly known for its versatility. Hundreds of metal wires are interlocked using a centuries-old weaving technique to form precise weave patterns outfitted with uniform pore openings.
Constructed using alloys like stainless steel, woven wire mesh delivers the perfect balance of durability and robustness, able to withstand high pressures and extreme heat.
Woven wire mesh is especially favored because virtually every parameter of the weave can be tailored to accommodate your needs. This includes the wire diameter, alloy, weave pattern, and mesh count.
This ensures effective separation, whether it be from liquids or gases.
What Is Fiber Glass?
Fiberglass is a filter medium constructed from thin, interlaced glass fibers, creating a porous, mat-like structure. It is known for its corrosion resistance despite its lightweight properties and cost-effectiveness.
Fiberglass delivers the perfect balance of flexibility and separation efficiency, making it an ideal medium in applications that require flexibility. Offering peak resistance to various chemicals, it is particularly common in low-pressure applications.
To add to its versatility, the glass fibers' thickness and density can be tailored to your needs.
How Do Woven Wire Mesh and Fiberglass Compare?
When comparing woven wire mesh and fiberglass, examining each medium's unique properties is critical. When analyzing these properties, you should highlight how each can accommodate your filtration requirements.
Woven wire, for example, offers uniform pore openings and peak durability that facilitate highly precise separation, even in high-pressure applications.
Fiberglass, on the other hand, is lightweight, cost-effective, portable, and highly resistant to chemicals. Again, this makes it perfect for low-pressure separation applications that don't require peak accuracy.
The following section compares the structural properties, filtration performance, durability, and chemical compatibility of each medium to best illustrate how well it will perform in your application.
Structural Properties
Woven wire mesh and fiberglass both have distinct structural properties. Depending on your requirements, these properties can prove beneficial.
Woven wire mesh is regarded for its high tensile strength and durability while affording the ability to perform when subjected to extreme temperatures ranging from 1400°F-2000°F (204°C-1093°C). These properties protect the integrity of the pore size uniformity, maintaining peak particle separation performance.
As a result, woven wire mesh is often used in high-pressure filtration applications, which require a medium that can withstand aggressive materials, offer a precise cut point, and be easily cleaned.
Fiberglass is popular because it is lightweight and offers a relatively high resistance to chemical exposure. Additionally, due to its glass fiber composition, fiberglass filters can be formed into various shapes without affecting filtration performance.
With these properties, fiberglass is perfect for low-temperature, low-pressure filtration applications that subject the filter to harsh chemicals.
In short, wire mesh is the ideal filter medium for high-stress applications that need long-term solutions. Fiberglass is perfect for low-stress applications that favor flexibility and cost-effectiveness over accuracy.
Filtration Performance
Woven wire mesh is often used for its precise pore openings and favorable structural integrity. These characteristics work together to achieve precise, consistent particle separation.
Now, as the wires used to weave wire mesh can be drawn to various diameters, the medium can accommodate micron ratings ranging from 5-1000 microns. Its metal construction ensures the pore openings remain accurate in demanding applications, resulting in continuous filtration for extended periods.
When it comes to fiberglass filters, it should first be noted that they are far less accurate than wire mesh filters. This is because the positioning of the interwoven glass fibers results in non-uniform pores.
While the material can accommodate micron ratings ranging from 1-100 microns, this randomized fiber placement ultimately means that filtration performance varies.
This does not stop the medium from delivering desirable results in low-pressure applications, especially when subjected to harsh chemicals. However, its filtration performance will diminish over time as the glass fibers break down and begin to contaminate the system with loose fibers.
This, in turn, renders fiberglass filters disposable.
Durability
Woven wire mesh filters can be constructed using a wide range of alloys. They are incredibly durable and have peak tensile strength.
When filtering various particles, these properties allow the filter to combat wear and tear.
The high durability of wire mesh is also one of the many properties of the medium that helps maintain the integrity of the pore openings. This is a prominent benefit for applications that filter under high-pressure loads, backflush the filter repeatedly, or subject the mesh to high-pressure cleaning methods.
Fiberglass filters, while highly resistant to harsh chemicals, have lower tensile strength. As a result, accelerated wear after physical stress is common.
This limits its practicality, especially for more demanding filtration. It's for this reason that fiberglass is typically used for low-pressure filtration or when the filter must be replaced frequently.
Chemical Compatibility
The chemical compatibility of a woven wire mesh filter depends on the alloy used to weave it. Typically, 304 or 316 stainless steel is used to weave wire mesh.
These stainless steel alloys are relatively resistant to chemicals like mild alkalis and acids. But to ensure your wire mesh best combats corrosion, you must methodically select a suitable wire mesh alloy.
Fiberglass, on the other hand, delivers superior chemical compatibility. This is particularly true when subjected to more corrosive chemicals.
This makes fiberglass the ideal filter medium for filtration processes that utilize harsh chemicals that would cause wire mesh to corrode. However, fiberglass does fall short when subjected to extreme temperatures.
How Are Woven Wire Mesh and Fiberglass Filters Used?
As they are two very different filter mediums, the way in which wire mesh filters and fiberglass filters are used are distinct. As stated above, wire mesh is used for high-pressure applications, whereas fiberglass is used for low-pressure applications.
But let's be more specific.
Woven wire mesh is used in industrial settings that depend on precise cut points. It delivers favorable durability and can be reused over long periods.
As a result, wire mesh filters are often used in water filtration in water treatment plants, sand control in the oil and gas industry, and various food processing applications.
Fiberglass filters are typically used in applications that are low-stress but require heightened resistance to various chemicals. You will often find these filters in applications like air filters in HVAC systems and various form factors in chemical processing applications.
NOTE: Again, because of the delicate nature of the glass fibers that make up fiberglass, it is often utilized as a single-use filter.
How Much Do Woven Wire Mesh and Fiberglass Filters Cost?
As with any filter, cost is a significant deciding factor in what medium you use. Even if a potential solution is a glove fit, it must accommodate your budget.
With that said, how does the cost of woven wire mesh and fiberglass filters compare?
First and foremost, the initial investment of woven wire mesh is typically more expensive. This is because the alloys used are more expensive than glass, and the precise pore openings of the weave demand labor-intensive processes.
To that end, woven wire mesh's durability and reusability facilitate long-term performance, making it more cost-effective in the long run.
Now, there are a few factors of note that determine the cost of a wire mesh filter. These include the alloy, mesh count, order quantity, profile of the filter, and any external processes needed to produce the filter.
For a more in-depth breakdown of how much a woven wire mesh filter costs, read the article below:
Fiberglass filters typically have a lower initial investment, as the glass fibers are much cheaper than the metal wires used in wire mesh. Producing fiberglass filters also requires much less labor and attention to detail.
This low material cost makes them a more budget-friendly option for applications that must frequently switch out the filter medium. As they are often single-use products, this recurring replacement can prove costly.
Much like woven wire mesh, a handful of factors ultimately determine the cost of a fiberglass filter. These include the density of the glass fibers, any necessary chemical treatments, the level of customization needed, and the order quantity.
To sum it up, you can expect hefty price tags when first investing in woven wire; however, over time, its extended lifespan and easy maintenance make it a budget-friendly option. Fiberglass is associated with a lower initial cost, but its use as a disposable product means it must be replaced often and is ultimately more expensive in the long term.
Find the Best Filtration Medium
Both woven wire mesh and fiberglass offer qualities that can be leveraged to deliver peak particle separation. Woven wire mesh benefits high-pressure applications that favor precise cut-points, whereas fiberglass benefits low-pressure applications that require flexible filters that are low cost.
But to ensure you are making the right decision, you must know all the available filter medium options. Metal fiber felt, for example, is similar to fiberglass and must be examined to feel confident that wire mesh suits you.
W.S. Tyler strives to leverage our 150 years of experience to help industries navigate the filter medium market, equipping them with the knowledge needed to pinpoint filter solutions that perfectly accommodate their operation's needs.
Read the article below to gain a better understanding of how woven wire mesh and metal fiber felt compare: