Inconel Nickel Alloy Wedge Wire Filter Elements & Cylinders

Product Overview

Inconel nickel alloy wedge wire elements are precision-welded, continuous-slot tubular filtration components. Engineered by helically wrapping V-shaped profile wire around internal longitudinal support rods, these finished cylinders are designed for high-stress liquid and gas filtration. They offer highly stable structural integrity and are ideal for deployment in severe corrosive, high-temperature, or high-viscosity industrial environments where standard woven mesh may fail.

Structural Profile & Clog-Resistant Design

The core advantage of our wedge wire cylinder is the V-shaped (or wedge-shaped) profile wire. At every intersection, the wire is resistance-welded to the support rods. Because the slot widens inwardly, particles typically make only two-point contact at the surface. This design significantly reduces the risk of blinding and improves backwashing efficiency compared to square-mesh filters, though actual clogging resistance will depend on fluid viscosity and particle morphology.

Product Specifications

We manufacture custom wedge wire filter cylinders tailored to your specific vessel dimensions and process requirements. (Note: The extreme limits of these parameters cannot always be combined in a single product. Feasibility depends on the selected wire profile, alloy grade, and structural calculations.)

Specification Parameter	Typical Range & Details
Slot Opening	Typically 0.02 mm to 10.0 mm (Achievability depends on wire profile)
Outside Diameter (OD)	25 mm to 1000 mm+
Wall Thickness	Determined by the combination of profile wire and support rod sizes
Length	Up to 6000 mm (Manufactured as a continuous wire wrapping without mid-body splice welds)
Flow Direction	FOTI (Flow-Out-to-In) or FITO (Flow-In-to-Out)
Support Structure	Customized rod count and profile based on required collapse/burst pressure
End Connections	Threaded fittings, Flanges, Welded rings, Plain ends, or Custom OEM designs
Slot Tolerance	Tightly controlled, typically down to ±0.015 mm – ±0.03 mm for fine slots (Subject to engineering confirmation)

Flow Direction Guide (FOTI vs. FITO)

Understanding your process flow is critical for element design:

• FOTI (Flow-Out-to-In): The standard configuration. The flat face of the V-wire is on the exterior, and support rods are on the interior. Fluid flows from the outside of the cylinder to the inside. Ideal for external surface filtration and standard backwashing.
• FITO (Flow-In-to-Out): Configured for internal filtration. This can be achieved by inverting the V-wire (flat face inside, support rods outside) or using a specialized internal axial wire construction. Ideal for rotary drum screens or applications where particulate must be retained inside the cylinder.

Slot Opening vs. Particle Retention

It is important to note that physical slot width does not equal absolute filtration rating. While our manufacturing process strictly controls the physical gap (e.g., a 0.10 mm slot), the actual particle retention capability in your system will be influenced by particle shape (spherical vs. needle-like), particle size distribution, fluid viscosity, operating pressure, and flow velocity.

Nominal Slot Opening (mm)	Nominal Slot Opening (inches)	Approx. Physical Gap (Microns / μm)
0.05 mm	0.002″	50 μm
0.10 mm	0.004″	100 μm
0.25 mm	0.010″	250 μm
0.50 mm	0.020″	500 μm
1.00 mm	0.040″	1000 μm
(Engineers are advised to conduct pilot testing to verify exact retention rates under specific process conditions.)

Available Inconel Grades for Tubular Filtration

We select high-performance alloys based on the corrosive media and operating temperatures of your filtration system:

• Inconel 600: Recommended for high-temperature chemical liquid filtration and catalyst recovery systems.
• Inconel 601: Suited for high-temperature gas filtration and processes involving oxidizing atmospheres.
• Inconel 625: The premium choice for handling aggressive corrosive fluids, including seawater intake and acidic slurries, due to its outstanding resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion.
• Inconel 690: Specialized for demanding high-temperature water environments in nuclear applications.
  (Other corrosion-resistant alloys, such as C-276, can be evaluated for extremely aggressive environments.)

Industrial Applications

• Petrochemical & Refining: Reactor internal filtration, hydrocracker support grids, and catalyst recovery cylinders.
• Chemical Processing: Pre-filtration of chemical wastewater and high-viscosity polymer straining.
• Energy & Power: High-temperature flue gas filter cartridges and turbine protection filters.
• Water Treatment: Deep-well screens and harsh-environment intake strainers.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)