Choosing the right Nitex mesh can be quite confusing. The aim of this article is to define the main concepts of Nitex and how to use them to choose the right Nitex for your application.
The main feature most people will choose is the mesh size in microns. This size will determine the maximum size of organisms that can pass through the net. So, if you choose a 100 um Nitex mesh, anything larger than 100 microns will be caught in the net, and anything smaller than 100 um will pass through. Simple enough, isn't it?
Now, there's a secondary characteristic to consider when choosing your Nitex and that's the material's opening percentage. This specification defines what ratio of the fabric is actually open and is based on 100 %. So, a mesh with an opening of 55 % means that 55 % of the fabric is open mesh with the same mesh size. This means that 45% of the fabric is "closed" fabric.
This information is very important when measuring the amount of water that can pass through the net as you spin. For example, if you're planning a fast spin, you may want to choose a high opening percentage to allow more water to pass through the net at any one time.
