4 Advice to Choose a industrial filter mesh

Aug. 04, 2025

Demystifying mesh sizes in mesh filters: what you need to know

Demystifying Mesh Sizes in Mesh Filters: What You Need to Know

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Mesh filters are used across various industries for filtration, separation, and particle sizing. One of the critical factors in choosing the right mesh filter is understanding mesh size. Here's a breakdown of the key concepts.

1. What is Mesh Size?

Mesh size refers to the number of openings per inch in a mesh screen. It is a measurement of the density of the mesh, indicating how tightly the wires are woven. For example:

10 mesh means there are 10 openings per inch.
100 mesh means there are 100 openings per inch.

The larger the mesh number, the finer the filter will be, as there are more openings to pass smaller particles through the screen.

2. How Mesh Size Relates to Particle Size

The size of the openings between the wires determines the size of the particles that can pass through the mesh. For instance:

A 100 mesh filter will allow particles smaller than 149 microns to pass through (since 100 mesh roughly corresponds to 149 microns).
A 20 mesh filter will allow particles smaller than 841 microns to pass.

Mesh sizes and their corresponding particle sizes can vary slightly depending on the material of the mesh and how it is woven.

3. Types of Weave in Mesh Filters

Mesh filters come in different weave types, which affect the strength and filtering precision:

Plain Weave: Most common, where each wire alternates over and under, providing uniform openings.
Twill Weave: Wires pass over two or more wires, offering better strength and finer filtration.
Dutch Weave: More wires are packed together in one direction, creating finer filtering capability for very small particles.

4. Choosing the Right Mesh Size

When selecting the appropriate mesh size for your application, consider:

Desired particle size: For finer filtration, select a higher mesh size.
Flow rate: Finer mesh sizes can reduce flow rates due to smaller openings.
Material compatibility: Ensure that the mesh material (stainless steel, nylon, etc.) can withstand the conditions of your process.

5. Mesh Size and Microns

Mesh size and microns are often used together to specify filtration levels. Here’s a rough guide to some common conversions:

10 mesh: ~ microns
40 mesh: ~400 microns
100 mesh: ~149 microns
200 mesh: ~74 microns

6. Importance of Wire Diameter

The thickness of the wire used to weave the mesh also impacts filtration. A thicker wire will reduce the open area of the mesh, even if the mesh size remains the same, leading to different filtration properties for meshes with the same mesh number.

Final Thoughts

Understanding mesh size is key to choosing the right filter for your application. Consider the particle size, desired flow rate, material compatibility, and mesh weave to make the most informed decision. A higher mesh size is ideal for fine filtration, while lower mesh sizes work well for filtering larger particles.

Choosing a Proper Water Mesh Filter Element - BoshartU

Do you have heavy sediment or large volume of scale, debris, sand, or grit needing to be removed from your water filtration system? Selecting the right mesh filter element for your sediment filter or separator starts with having a good understanding of what is on the market and what they remove from water.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of industrial filter mesh. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Water mesh filter elements are specifically designed to remove large volumes of sediment. In this blog, we will be going over four things to consider when selecting a mesh filter element.

Housing Selection

Part of selecting an element is determining what housing you have or need. If you already have one installed, the size is listed on the inlet and outlet. When installing a new one, knowing the desired flow rate greatly helps! Check out our “What is the Typical Household Water Flow Rate” blog for more on determining flow rates.

Flow rates in sediment filters and separators have a wide flow rate overlap between sizes. For example, a 1” filter housing has a flow rate of 1-25 GPM and a 1-1/2” filter housing has a flow rate of 10-50 GPM. If your flow rate is within the range, it’s best to go with a smaller size to ensure the centrifugal force is adequate to separate the sand from the water. That would mean that if your desired flow rate is 20 GPM a 1” filter housing would be more effective.

Element Type

Elements come in two different styles, filter and separator. They both work the same way, the difference being that separators allow for more sediment to build up before it needs to be purged. Our "Understanding Sediment Filters & Separators" blog goes over the difference in more detail.

Depending on the size of the housing the filter may look different. For 1” housings the filters look the same between filters and separators whereas for a 1-1/2” and 2” housing, the filter has a shorter screened area and a stem holding the filter part up which gives room for the sediment to build up at the bottom. The image shows a filter element on the left and a separator element on the right for a 1-1/2" or 2" housing.

Mesh Material

There are two main mesh materials, polyester and stainless steel. Polyester mesh is manufactured from non-corrosive material and is ultraviolet stabilized / weather resistant. Stainless steel mesh is manufactured from 316 stainless steel and is non-corrosive and durable.

Stainless steel will hold up better to sharp sediment and particles as they won’t rip the material. In the past polyester was the more economical option but that has changed making them both very economical options.

Mesh Size

Selecting the mesh size required is determined by what needs to be removed from the water. When talking about filtration there is different terminology that defines the size of things that will be removed. The equivalency chart below shows the comparison between the different terminologies.

The opening is the size of space between material that water and particles can pass through. The number of openings in one square inch of screen is called the mesh size. The micron rating is the distance between filter media. “Water Filters – The Basics on Micron Ratings” goes over this in more detail.

When using a sediment filter or separator as a pre-filter for other water filtration products, make sure that the mesh size is equivalent to a larger micron rating. For example if your filter is 80 micron you would want to use a mesh size of 140 or smaller.

To give you an idea of some common sizes, scale may be removed by using a 24 mesh element whereas sand is smaller and would require a mesh element with a 100 rating or even higher.

Determining the amount of sand / sediment that needs to be removed will help determine the element that is right for you. No matter which element you choose it can be removed and cleaned with a soft brush. Soaking the element in 50/50 bleach and water solution will help remove stains caused by iron, etc. Be sure to rinse the element thoroughly before it is installed again. Now you have a better understanding of what goes into choosing a water mesh filter element and what the options are.

Want more information on stainless steel square wire mesh? Feel free to contact us.

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