Wire mesh is an ideal material for a plethora of industrial applications. One industry you may not expect to hear included in that list is the pharmaceutical industry. The pharmaceutical industry is related to the discovery, development, and production drugs or pharmaceutical drugs for use as medications. These medications include the widely-popular COVID-19 vaccines. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the applicable uses of wire mesh and metal mesh filters when it comes to the pharmaceutical and chemical industry.

5-Layer Sintered Wire Mesh Used as Nutsche Filters

Nutsche filters are indispensable in pharmaceutical research and development and production operations. Nutsche filtration is a batch filtration technique that uses vacuum or pressure in a closed vessel in combination with a wire mesh filter disc fitted with the appropriate filter to force liquid through the filter to form a solid bed. The Nutsche’s ability to wash, slurry and dry the filter cake and operate at high pressure or vacuum, provides a versatile service. These features, abilities and enhancements often require a rugged filer medium to withstand the harsh dynamic pharmaceutical industry needs. Benefits of using a Nutsche filter include product isolation, reduced product handling, and environmental protection against solvent vaporization. 

5-layer sintered wire mesh is a common material to use for Nutsche filters. Lawrence Sintered Metals 5-layer sintered wire mesh laminate is ideal for this use, due to the filter medium having the ability to operate under a wide variety of temperatures and pressures while maintaining it’s opening size. Both the corrosion resistance and mechanical strength of this type of wire mesh is also beneficial for this process. Layers in our 5-layer stainless steel wire mesh filter generally consist of 316L stainless steel wire mesh, but special alloys such as Hastelloy can be incorporated as well.

Wire Mesh Sieves for Use with Raw Ingredients

A sieve is an essential part of production processes involving pharmaceuticals. The use of a sieve eliminates oversized contamination and ensures quality assurance of ingredients and the finished product. Wire mesh sieves are used to check screening in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Sieves are made from woven wire mesh, and used for either separating wanted elements from unwanted material or for characterizing the particle size distribution of a sample. Pharmaceutical sieves are oftentimes made using stainless steel 316L woven wire mesh. 316L stainless steel is a low-carbon variation of 316 stainless steel. To qualify as 316L stainless steel, the amount of carbon cannot exceed 0.03%, which decreases the risk of carbon precipitation, ensuring maximum corrosion resistance. Wire mesh sieves can also be used to protect the sanitary condition of the end product. Generally speaking, about 40 to 400 sieves are used in the industry, particularly during the milling and sifting of raw materials.

Wire mesh sieves and filters aren’t exclusive to the pharmaceutical industry. The food and beverage industry is also a heavy user of woven and welded stainless steel wire meshes to create products such as fryer baskets, splatter screens, and beverage filters.

Other Mesh Uses in the Medical Field

Besides filtering and handling of pharmaceutical materials, wire mesh is oftentimes used for medical purposes. For instance, hernia or surgical mesh, is a medical device that supports damaged tissue as it heals. Pores in the mesh allow tissue to grow into the device, which may improve a patient’s outcome because the surgery and recovery may take less time compared to other treatment options, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Additionally, small expandable metal mesh tubes known as cardiovascular stents are used to open and support narrowed or weakened arteries when placed inside a coronary artery. First-generation stents were made of bare metal, however, new developments have made reiterations of stents that are all-natural and some that are absorbed by the body.

The medical field also benefits from wire mesh and welded wire mesh uses unrelated to surgery purposes. For instance, stainless steel medical trays, wires, and baskets are used in many doctor offices and hospitals due to the material’s cost-effectiveness, durability, hygienic quality, and both temperature and corrosion resistance. 

Lawrence Sintered Metals Supplies Wire Mesh for All Applications

No matter what industry you’re in, Lawrence Sintered Metals can assist in finding you the right mesh for your application. We make the best-quality and budget-friendly sintered wire mesh suitable for any job. Contact us to learn more about our wire mesh and the applications it can be used for.