Single Layer Sintered Mesh
Sintered Titanium Fiber Felt | High-Porosity Titanium Filter Media for PEM Electrolyzers & Corrosive Environments
Sintered titanium fiber felt is a three-dimensional porous metal medium produced from micron-scale titanium fibers (commercially pure grades such as GR1 / TA1 / TA2). The fibers are formed into a non-woven mat, laminated to the required thickness, then diffusion-bonded by high-temperature vacuum sintering to create an interconnected network of fused nodes and open pores. The result is a lightweight, high-porosity (typically 60–80%) structure combining good permeability, large specific surface area, corrosion resistance and mechanical support — properties that make it especially suitable for hydrogen technologies (PEM electrolyzers / PEMFC gas diffusion layers), seawater and chemical service, and high-temperature filtration.
Advantages of Sintered Titanium Fiber Felt
- Excellent corrosion resistance: Titanium’s passive oxide film gives outstanding resistance in seawater, chloride-bearing environments and many chemical media — superior to stainless steels in such settings. This makes titanium felt ideal for electrolyzers and marine filtration.
- High porosity with controlled permeability: Typical porosity ranges of ~60%–80% provide a balance between gas/liquid flow and filtration or diffusion control, enabling effective drainage and gas transport in gas diffusion layers.
- Large specific surface area & depth structure: The felt’s 3D network supports depth filtration, catalyst loading (platinization) and strong interfacial contact in electrochemical cells.
- Mechanical strength & formability: After sintering, the felt has sufficient strength to be cut, stamped, pleated, or formed into discs, rings, and bipolar plate inserts while retaining porosity.
- Lightweight & thermally stable: Low density combined with a service temperature window wider than many polymers enables use in elevated temperature processes and thermal cycling environments.
Specification of Sintered Titanium Fiber Felt
Values shown are typical production ranges — final specs depend on fiber diameter, packing density and sintering schedule.
- Material: Commercially pure Titanium (GR1 / TA1 / TA2) — other alloys on request.
- Porosity: ~60% – 80% (commonly specified 65% / 70% / 75%).
- Thickness (standard): 0.2 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm — custom from 0.1 mm up to several mm.
- Fiber diameter: micron-range (typical fiber diameters vary depending on required micron rating).
- Pore/micron rating: tunable via fiber diameter and pack density; commonly used for gas diffusion and drainage rather than absolute particulate removal.
- Shapes: sheets, discs, rings, gaskets, tubes, pleated cartridges, bipolar plate inserts — cut and formed to customer drawing.
Handling, Cleaning & Lifecycle Notes
- Cleaning / regeneration: titanium felt is washable and can be cleaned by back-flush, ultrasonic cleaning or chemical cleaning depending on contaminant type. Avoid aggressive mechanical abrasion that may deform thin parts.
- Passivation: although titanium forms a stable passive film, for certain corrosive environments or after machining, a controlled passivation step can reduce leachable ions and improve surface stability.
- Lifecycle: compared with polymeric or some stainless steel felts in chloride environments, titanium felt typically offers longer in-service life and less frequent replacement when correctly specified.
Applications of Sintered Titanium Fiber Felt
1. Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL) & Electrolyzer / PEMFC Components
Titanium sintered felt is widely used as the primary material for GDLs and as porous support/electrode backing in proton exchange membrane electrolyzers and fuel cells. Its combination of conductivity, corrosion resistance in pure water/electrolyte environments, and controllable hydrophilic/hydrophobic behavior makes it ideal for managing gas transport, liquid water drainage and electron conduction between catalyst layer and bipolar plate. Platinized titanium felt can function as an anode/cathode support in electrolysis cells.
2. Seawater / Marine Filtration & Offshore Systems
Titanium’s resistance to biofouling and chloride corrosion supports long service life in seawater filters, intake strainers and desalination pre-treatment modules.
3. Chemical Process Filtration & Catalyst Carriers
High chemical stability and surface area enable use as catalyst supports, pre-filters in corrosive streams and media for VOC removal or gas purification.
4. High-Temperature & Furnace Filtration
Where polymer or ceramic media fail, titanium felt can operate at elevated temperatures and in oxidative atmospheres when selected appropriately.
5. Specialty Medical / Biomedical Scaffolds (where biocompatibility is needed)
Commercially pure titanium meets many biocompatibility requirements; sintered felt structures are explored for filtration and implantable scaffold research (subject to regulatory and testing pathways).
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