Expanded nickel mesh is a versatile metal mesh product engineered to perform in harsh environments and high-performance applications. It is manufactured by precision slitting and stretching a single continuous piece of nickel foil to create a uniform pattern of diamond-shaped openings.
This process produces a one-piece, non-raveling mesh that withstands cutting without fraying. Nickel’s inherent properties – from excellent corrosion resistance and conductivity to high heat tolerance – make expanded nickel mesh ideal for demanding uses in energy, aerospace, chemical processing, and more.
Leading manufacturers in these markets choose CThru Metals, a U.S.-based supplier of standard and custom expanded nickel micro meshes and foils, for our high precision and quality, made in the USA with stringent industry certifications (AS9100D & ISO 9001:2015) to ensure reliability.
Why Choose Nickel for Expanded Metal Mesh?
- Excellent corrosion resistance to neutral and alkaline environments (e.g., carbonates, nitrates, acetates) allowing nickel mesh to withstand caustic chemicals without degrading.
- High thermal and electrical conductivity, enabling efficient heat transfer and electrical current flow.
- Heat resistance – nickel retains its strength at high temperatures, making it suitable for high-temperature industrial use.
- High mechanical strength for structural reliability under load or stress.
- Easy to cut, shape, or weld, thanks to nickel’s ductility and good welding characteristics.
- Fabricators can readily form nickel expanded mesh into custom shapes or assemblies.
- Non-raveling mesh that maintains its structure when cut, unlike woven wire cloth that can fray.
- Expanded metal’s single-piece construction ensures the mesh stays intact.
- Ideal for thin-gauge expansion (nickel foil) – nickel can be expanded even in very thin foils (~25 μm) to create micro‐mesh without sacrificing integrity.
- Sustainability, as nickel is a metal that can be recycled repeatedly without losing performance, supporting eco-friendly design.
Common Applications for Expanded Nickel Mesh
Expanded nickel mesh is used across numerous industries – from energy and battery systems to filtration equipment, electronics components, and high-temperature aerospace and defense applications – thanks to its unique combination of properties. Notable applications include:
- Battery Production: Used as current collector screens and electrode substrates in nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), and various fuel cell designs. The conductivity and formability of expanded nickel mesh improve battery performance and capacity for various industries.
- Filtration Systems: Employed in corrosive fluid and gas filtration, such as oil-water separators, air purifiers, fuel filters, and chemical filters, where its open area allows flow while resisting corrosion. Nickel mesh serves as both filter media and support for filter elements in industrial processes.
- Electronics & EMI Shielding: Used in electronics enclosures and EMI/RFI shielding gaskets to block interference. The conductive nickel mesh can also provide grounding and static dissipation, and its durability offers physical protection for sensitive components.
- Electrochemical Processes – Ideal as an electrode material in electrolyzers (hydrogen production), electrocatalysis systems, and electro-metallurgy, due to nickel’s corrosion resistance in alkaline electrolytes. Expanded nickel mesh electrodes permit fluid flow and provide high surface area for efficient reactions.
- Industrial Uses – Employed as flame arrestors, heat dissipaters, and damping materials. Nickel mesh can absorb vibration and noise, serve as a flame retardant barrier, or provide thermal management in high-heat environments. Its strength and heat resistance make it reliable in harsh industrial conditions.
CThru Mesh™ Standard Nickel Expanded Metal Mesh Specifications
At CThru Metals, we specialize in custom-engineered expanded nickel mesh to meet your exact specifications. We can tailor strand width, open area (LWD/SWD), thickness (from foil-thin to heavy gauge), and mesh pattern to suit advanced applications.
Our proprietary expanding equipment achieves extremely tight tolerances (down to ±0.001″) for precision mesh geometries, even in ultra-thin foils. Thin-gauge expanded nickel foil is one of our core competencies – we produce micro mesh with uniform openings and reliable mechanical strength. CThru works with Nickel 200 and 201 and will work with you to receive the specifications on:
- Raw Material (200 or 201)
- Material Thickness (in thousandths of an inch)
- Strand Width (in thousandths of an inch)
- LWD (in thousandths of an inch)
- Mesh Width (in inches)
- Manufacturing processes (Flattening, Leveling or Stretching)
Below is a typical specification for expanded nickel mesh, with Nickel 201 as a starting point:
| Ni201 | Raw Material |
| 4 | Material Thickness in thousandths of an inch (0.004”) |
| 6 | Strand Width in thousandths of an inch (0.006”) |
| 100 | LWD in thousandths of an inch (0.100”) |
| 12.000 | Mesh Width in inches |
| F | Flattened, (This can also be an “L” for leveled or “S” for stretched) |
CThru Metals has deep experience supplying copper expanded metal for all these applications and can help you select the right mesh for your project.