What I’m Seeing in Dutch Weaves: 904L Mesh for Tough Filtration Jobs

When engineers ask me about dutch woven wire mesh, the conversation almost always drifts to chloride stress, acid duty, and downtime math. 904L—an austenitic stainless with high Ni and Mo—keeps popping up because it hangs in there where 316L quietly gives up. Origin-wise, this one comes out of Anping, Hengshui City, Hebei, China—no surprise; that region has woven expertise in its bones.

Industry pulse

Across refineries, battery slurry plants, and desal pre-treatment, I’m seeing a tilt toward dutch woven wire mesh with tighter ratings (≤25 µm) and higher alloy content. Frankly, supply chains are tighter than they look; mills with EN 10204 3.1 traceability and bubble-point testing are getting booked out weeks in advance.

Why 904L for Dutch weaves?

904L’s Ni≈24–26% and Mo≈4.3–5% translate to a higher pitting resistance number (PREN), which is exactly what you want in chloride and acidic duty. I’ve seen it hold up in sulfuric (yes, carefully), phosphoric, and brine-rich loops where standard grades pit fast. In fact, several buyers told me their maintenance windows stretched from quarterly to annually after switching to dutch woven wire mesh in 904L.

Specs snapshot (real-world use may vary)

Weave	Mesh (warp×weft)	Wire Ø (warp×weft)	Nominal rating	Roll width	Standard
Plain Dutch	200×1400	0.07×0.05 mm	≈25 µm	1.0–1.5 m	ASTM E2016, ISO 9044
Twill Dutch	325×2300	0.035×0.025 mm	≈15 µm	1.0–1.2 m	ASTM E2016, ISO 9044
Reverse Dutch	400×2800	0.03×0.02 mm	≈10 µm	1.0 m	ASTM E2016, ISO 9044

Material: 904L SS wire per ASTM A580/A479; MTC EN 10204 3.1 available on request.

How it’s made (short version)

• Wire: 904L drawn, bright-annealed, XRF-PMI verified.
• Weaving: precision shuttle looms; Plain/Twill/Reverse Dutch depending on flow/DP targets.
• Heat treatment: stress relief where required; flattening passes for uniform caliper.
• Cleaning: ultrasonic degrease; optional passivation.
• QC: visual + caliper, mesh count, bubble-point (ASTM F316 method, where applicable), salt spray (ASTM B117), pore-size sampling.

Service life: around 1–5 years in acidic/chloride duty depending on temperature, DP cycling, and cleaning chemistry (CIP/solvent). Certifications: ISO 9001 plants are standard now; ask for RoHS/REACH if it matters to you.

Where it’s used (a few real cases)

• Refinery acids: dutch woven wire mesh cartridges in sulfuric bleed streams; DP stabilized and changeouts halved, according to one maintenance lead.
• Battery plants: NMP-based cathode slurry pre-screen; 15 µm twill dutch improved yield with fewer agglomerate defects—operator feedback was “less rework, fewer clogs.”
• Desalination: brackish water pre-filtration; 904L resisted crevice attack better than 316L at elevated chlorides.

Vendor landscape (my blunt take)

Vendor type	Lead time	MOQ	Certs	Notes
Anping mill-direct (China)	2–4 weeks	1 roll+	ISO 9001, EN 10204 3.1	Best value; watch for honest tolerances and bubble-point data.
EU/US distributor	Stock–2 weeks	Cut lengths	ISO 9001, material trace	Fast delivery; premium pricing, reliable QA.
Low-cost trader	3–6 weeks	Multiple rolls	Varies	Request PMI, E2016 conformance; specs can drift.

Customization tips

If you’re chasing stability, ask for reverse dutch (higher throughput at the same cut) and specify post-weave leveling. Edge trimming, calendaring, and passivation make more difference than you’d think. And yes—get pore-size verification, not just a mesh count, especially for dutch woven wire mesh below 20 µm.

Citations

1. ASTM E2016 – Standard Specification for Industrial Woven Wire Cloth.
2. ISO 9044 – Industrial wire screening and fine mesh: Tolerances and requirements.
3. ASTM B117 – Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus.
4. ASTM A240/A479 – Specifications for 904L (UNS N08904) stainless steel plate and bar; EN 1.4539.