The Role of Woven Wire Filters in Efficient Carbon Capture

As reversing the effects of greenhouse gases grows more vital, carbon capture technology has emerged as an integral player. The carbon capture equipment powering the industry must process high volumes of various gases and particulates, so industry-leading filtration materials must be used.

Woven wire mesh has climbed the ranks as one of the better filter media options. It delivers an unmatched balance of strength, durability, and precision, allowing it to withstand the harsh conditions associated with the carbon capture process, making it perfect for virtually any operation.

But is it right for you?

W.S. Tyler has spent the past 150 years weaving wire mesh solutions designed to deliver highly precise filtration to countless industrial processes, including carbon capture.

To help you gain a better understanding of whether or not you should be investing in woven wire mesh filter solutions, we wrote the following article to highlight the material functions within a carbon capture system: You will learn:

• A brief overview of carbon capture
• The definition of woven wire mesh
• Why filtration is important to carbon capture
• How woven wire mesh functions as a carbon capture filter
• How woven wire mesh can be customized to best serve as a carbon capture filter

What Is Carbon Capture?

Carbon capture is an industrial process in which carbon dioxide (CO₂) is extracted and collected from flue gases emitted from sources like power plants and other industrial operations. It is designed to capture the CO₂ and disperse it into underground geological formations, preventing it from entering the atmosphere.

Often referred to as carbon capture and storage, this process is vital to initiatives to minimize the effects of greenhouse gases, combat climate change, and promote carbon neutrality.

What Is Woven Wire Mesh?

Woven wire mesh is a metallic filter media constructed of hundreds of wires that undergo a centuries-old weaving technique to form various grid-like patterns. This weaving process is methodically calculated and heavily monitored, so each weave is outfitted with precise and uniform pore openings.

Now, what makes woven wire such a desirable filter option in carbon capture is that it grants you complete control over the parameters of the weave. Specifications like mesh count, wire diameter, alloy, and weave pattern can all be customized, ensuring peak strength, durability, and corrosion resistance.

The Importance of Filtration to Carbon Capture

As with most filtration processes, filtration is key to carbon capture as it works to remove unwanted impurities, particles, and contaminants from flue gases before capturing CO₂. A successful filtration setup will boost the efficiency and effectiveness of your equipment.

As a result, the CO₂ you capture will be more pure. Proper filtration can also help reduce operational expenses, prolong the lifespan of your equipment, and optimize your process.

Woven Wire Filters and Carbon Capture

Offering peak strength, precision, and durability, woven wire mesh is proven to deliver notable improvements to carbon capture filtration processes. It can be woven to have pore openings as small as 5 microns, blocking out acid gas, soot, dust, ash, and other debris.

Made from durable, corrosion-resistant materials, it maintains peak performance even under the harshest conditions. Its ability to be customized ensures a glove fit for virtually any setup.

It should be noted that woven wire mesh is an open product because of its pore openings. This helps facilitate high flow rates, which translates to increased gas volumes being filtered with little to no pressure drop.

Curious as to how pressure drop can affect your process? Read the article below:

• How To Calculate the Pressure Drop Coefficient of Wire Mesh Filters

Additionally, its metallic construction makes cleaning producers a breeze. This contributes to the longer lifespan of the mesh, which mitigates costly downtime.

Creating the Perfect Woven Wire Filter

As mentioned throughout this article, customization is possibly woven wire's greatest offering. The atmosphere of carbon capture technologies subjects mesh to extreme temperatures, pressure loads, and corrosive elements, so material selection is key.

While woven wire is typically made from 304 or 316 stainless steel, you should explore other options, such as Inconel, to ensure peak corrosion resistance and durability.

The weave pattern is also essential as it contributes to your system's flow rate, filtration capacity, and pressure drop. Use the following guide to get a better idea of how to weave pattern offerings differ:

• Plain weaves - uniform pore openings
• Twilled weaves - superior strength and finer filtration capabilities
• Dutch weaves - Ultra-fine filtration capabilities

Looking at the wire diameter, the thickness of your wires will contribute to both the strength of your mesh and the filtration capacity of the filter. A good rule of thumb is that the thicker the wire, the stronger the weave, while the thinner the wire, the finer the filtration that can be achieved.

Your wire diameter will also affect the aperture size of the pore openings, so you must find the right balance. Selecting an appropriate aperture size ensures desirable particle separation, further improving the purity of the captured CO₂.

You can also layer different mesh specifications within the same filter. Selecting the proper layer configuration can improve filtration capacity and add structural integrity.

The mesh's surface can also be treated with surface coatings, surface texturizing, surface plating, etc. When the right treatment(s) are applied appropriately, resistance to fouling, corrosion, and scaling increases.

Lastly, woven wire mesh can quickly be stamped, cut, and formed into custom components despite its rigidity. If accurate drawings are provided, your wire mesh components will be a glove fit.

Square or Filter Cloth: What’s Right for Me?

Woven wire mesh is a versatile filter media that effectively removes unwanted impurities, particles, and contaminants from flue gasses. Its open yet accurate properties allow high volumes of these gasses to proceed, ensuring you purify carbon dioxide with industry-leading efficiency.

While using woven wire as a filter media, it's essential to understand that weaves come in two forms: square mesh and filter cloth. While both can be used to filter flue gasses, knowing the difference will ensure you achieve peak performance.

Here at W.S. Tyler, we leverage our 150 years of woven wire experience to help you select the right solution so you can stop worrying about yourself and focus on other aspects of your process.

Read the following article to learn everything you need to know about how square weaves and filter cloth differ:

• Square Wire Mesh vs. MINIMESH® Filter Cloth: Which Is Best for Me?