Wire Cloth Common Metals and Alloys

The metals and alloys listed below are commonly used in woven wire cloth and some types of welded wire mesh. Different alloys and small variations in element content produce a wide range of corrosion, abrasion, and heat resistant characteristics.

PLAIN STEEL -
C .05 - 1.30% Fe Balance
Relatively low cost, high strength metal for many general applications such as window guards, fireplace screens, and shaker screens. Small variations in carbon content create various desirable property variations.
High carbon content increases resistance to abrasion and impact, making it useful for gravel and stone separating in the mining and coal industries. Galvanizing plain steel wire mesh improves durability and corrosion resistance.

STAINLESS STEEL ALLOYS
The inclusion of chromium and nickel allows steel to become resistant to staining and corrosion. Differing amounts of carbon, chromium and nickel affect the secondary characteristics such as welding and forming.

STAINLESS STEEL TYPE 304 - Tie wire, safety lock wire, coffee urns.

STAINLESS STEEL TYPE 304L - (Low carbon) welding wire.

STAINLESS STEEL TYPE 316 - Screen wire for machine atmospheres, chemical equipment, marine use.

STAINLESS STEEL TYPE 316L - (Low carbon) welding wire, cold-headed parts, marine use.

STAINLESS STEEL TYPE 321 - Jet engine parts, furnace and heat treat parts (stabilized with Ti.)

STAINLESS STEEL TYPE 347 - High temperature gaskets, rocket engine parts (stabilized with Cb.)

STAINLESS STEEL TYPE 430 (magnetic alloy) - Decorative trim, cold-headed parts.

COPPER AND COPPER ALLOYS
Cu 99.9% min
Copper is resistant to atmospheric corrosion, but is attacked by oxidizing agents such as Nitric Acid, Ferric Chloride, Cyanides, and Ammonia Acids compounds. Melts at 1981 F .

BRASS
Brass is similar to copper in its resistance to acids, though to a somewhat lesser degree. Like copper, brass is highly susceptible to ammonia and its salts; brass alloys containing zinc in excess of 20% should never be used in their presence because of the resultant de-zincification.

COMMERCIAL BRONZE -
Cu 90.0 % max Zn 10%
This alloy contains 90% Copper and 10% Zinc, and is superior to Low Brass in resistance to corrosion. Its good resistance to atmospheric corrosion makes commercial bronze popular for window screening.

PHOSPHOR BRONZE -
Cu 94 % Zn 4.75% P .25%
Formed of Copper and Tin with a minor addition of phosphorous, this alloy is an auburn color and exhibits physical and anti-corrosive properties slightly superior to those of copper and zinc alloys. Phosphor Bronze can be drawn as fine as 0.0012", has great strength and ductility for weaving and long service, and is resistance to common corrosive agents.

ALUMINUM ALLOYS
These are light metals, with good strength to weight ratios. At ordinary temperatures they resist Nitric and Sulphuric Acids, but corrode quickly in the presence of alkaline solutions and hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids. Melts at 1218 F.

NICKEL ALLOYS
MONEL 400 (® International Nickel Co.) Ni 66.0 min Cu 31.50 Fe 1.35 Mn .90 C .12
A nickel-copper alloy with high strength and excellent corrosion resistance in a range of media including sea water, hydrofluoric acid, sulfuric acid, and alkalies. Used in marine applications, chemical and hydrocarbon processing equipment, valves, pumps, shafts, fittings, fasteners, and heat exchangers.

HASTELLOY
This alloy has outstanding resistance to a wide variety of chemical process environments including strong oxidizers. Hastelloy C- 276 is one of the few materials that withstands the corrosive effects of wet chlorine gas, hypochlorite and chlorine dioxide solutions. It also has excellent resistance to pitting and stress-corrosion cracking.

FeCrAlY
(commonly referred to as Hoskins 875 ® Hoskins Mfg Corp)
C .03 Cr 21-24 Al 5-6 Mn .50 Si .2-1 S .005 P .03 Y .01 B .005 Fe balance
FeCrAlY is a heat resisting alloy with excellent oxidation resistant characteristics. The addition of Yttrium inhibits scaling. This alloy has a maximum service temperature of 2430 F, but exhibits cold brittleness below 750-1200 F after service temperatures above 1000 F. Common uses are high temperature furnaces, radiant heaters, quartz heaters, and heating elements for toasters.

TITANIUM
Despite its very superior resistance to some of the most severely corrosive industrial chemicals, the high cost of even raw Titanium has limited its potentially very wide application. It has a very high strength to weight ratio. The human body has shows little intolerance to titanium, making it suitable for medical applications. Melts at 3034 F.

17-7 PH STAINLESS STEEL
C .09 M 1.0 Ph .04 S .04 Si 1.00 Cr 16-18 Ni 6.5-7.75 Al .75-1.50
This alloy is a precipitation- hardening stainless steel that provides excellent fatigue properties, good corrosion resistance and minimum distortion on heat treatment. Hard drawn 17-7 PH wire is an excellent spring material. When heat treated at 900 F (482C), it exhibits elastic properties like those of music wire and alloy spring steel. Solution treated (annealed) 17 - 7 PH wire can be readily cold formed before heat treating to high tensile strengths and high hardness. At temperatures up to about 600 F (316C), 17-7 PH has higher strength than nickel-chromium, nickel- copper, nickel-aluminum and copper- beryllium alloys.

MOLYBDENUM
Excellent hot-strength, but poor resistance to oxidation above 1100 F. It resists Hydrofluoric and Hydrochloric acids, and is practically inert to cold solutions of Sodium and Potassium Hydroxide. It is attacked slowly by molten alkalis or Sodium Carbonate in the presence of air. While in the presence of oxidizing agents such as KNO2, KNO3, or PbO2, rapid solution occurs. Melts at 4752 F.