The U.S. oil and gas industry is growing stronger every day, and petrochemical engineers are more important than ever. They refine crude oil and petroleum into chemical and plastic materials that create more than 6,000 products including:
- Plastics
- Motor oil
- Clothes
- Refrigerant
- Antiseptics
Welded stainless steel wire mesh is often key to the refining process. Mostly, it helps remove impurities from crude oils. Crude oil and raw petroleum come out of the ground tainted with contaminants like gravel, wood, and sand.
Wire mesh, by virtue of its design, filters the crude product, so it's usable. Petrochemical engineers are among the many chemical engineers who rely on wire mesh for filtration and separation. These tasks are at the core of successful chemical engineering.
Stainless Steel Hex Mesh is a Versatile Solution
Choosing the right equipment to separate solids from liquids is a challenge. Many different tools are available, and some industrial suppliers only provide one type, which may be OK but not necessarily the most ideal for the job. Engineers have to weigh a number of factors.
They need to determine if they will perform the process in batches or continuously. Then, they must choose what type of discharge they're looking for—dry or wet solids, or a concentrated slurry. Lastly, they note how much solid material needs to be filtered.
As BHS-Sonthofen, Inc. President Barry A. Perlmutter explains in Processing Magazine, filtration runs on two basic principles:
Wire mesh has a lot to offer in this process. It comes in a variety of grades and weaves to filter different sizes of particles or accomodate different liquid viscosity or flow rates. Stainless steel hexagonal "hex" mesh is strong enough to complete thousands of essential tasks.
The Unlimited Potential of Stainless Steel Hex Mesh
Wire mesh is used for myriad industrial applications. Metal strainers are often the simplest and least expensive application. You can find them in places including pool filters. Mist eliminators are most likely to contain pads made of wire mesh to cut down on moisture in the air. They're efficient, relatively affordable to buy and operate, and offer a modest pressure drop. Biofilters and wire mesh can get paired together to filter wastewater.
Hexmesh comes in varieties including stainless steel, bronze, and aluminum in sheet, piece, or roll form. Galvanized hex mesh resists corrosion, making it perfect for repeated, sustained use over long periods of time.
From crude oil refinement to mist eliminators, wire mesh is available for all your filtration and separation needs. The material is so versatile and durable, it has proven its value in industrial tasks for more than a century.
TWP Inc. supplies wire mesh worldwide. Our company has been the go-to choice for high-quality mesh products and laser cutting services since 1969. Contact us today.
