Knitted nickel mesh - single jersey knit pattern, porous transport layer

Single jersey / Interlock double-knit

Knitted Nickel Mesh

The standard PTL between bipolar plate and electrode in alkaline stacks. Single jersey (660-850 g/m², 90-98% porosity) for small-area stacks under 10 bar clamping , elastic enough to follow plate surface irregularities. Interlock (850-1,150 g/m², 85-92% porosity) for stacks over 0.8 m² where crush resistance matters. In 2019, a German field trial returned six stacks with PTL compression-set failure , single jersey had work-hardened after 5 years of thermal cycling, losing 40% thickness. We switched that customer to interlock. No failures since. Wire is always Ni201 , the knit has ~12,000 contact points per m², each a potential corrosion site with standard Ni200. Every roll ships with compression-recovery data at 5/10/15 bar, EN 10204 3.1 cert, ISO 9044 and ASTM B456.

ISO 9001:2015ASTM B456ISO 9044REACHRoHS

Technical specifications

Rev. 2026-Q3 - compression recovery data available on request

Alloy gradesNi200 (UNS N02200), Ni201 (UNS N02201), N6 (Chinese GB)
Knit structureSingle jersey (single-bed) / Interlock (double-bed)
Wire diameter0.16 - 0.19 mm
Packing density660 - 1150 g/m² (customizable to target compression)
Porosity85 - 98 % volumetric (tunable via wire diameter and knit tension)
Corrugation depthUp to 8 mm (enhances electrolyte mixing)
Compression recoveryElastic spring-back; detailed recovery data on request
Roll widthStandard 1000; max 2700; custom slitting available mm
Nickel purityMin 99.5% (Ni200/N6), min 99.0% (Ni201 low-carbon)
Applicable standardsASTM B456, ISO 9044, ISO 4783

Related products

Need compression recovery data?

Compression set and elastic recovery curves for single jersey and interlock knit structures under 5-15 bar clamping pressure are available in our detailed technical report. Contact our applications team with your target compression force and active area for a customized PTL recommendation.

Frequently asked questions

What knitted nickel mesh specification works as a porous transport layer (PTL)?

Single jersey at 660-850 g/m² with 90-98% porosity suits small-area stacks under 10 bar clamping. For stacks above 0.8 m², specify interlock at 850-1,150 g/m² with 85-92% porosity for crush resistance. Wire is always Ni201, 0.16-0.19 mm diameter.

Woven or knitted nickel mesh for my electrolyzer - which one?

Use woven mesh where a rigid, uniform-aperture substrate is needed, such as catalyst coating support. Use knitted mesh as the compressible PTL between bipolar plate and electrode: its 3D loop structure acts as an elastic spring under 5-15 bar clamping force and recovers when released.

How do you prevent compression-set failure in PTL mesh?

Single jersey can work-harden after years of thermal cycling - in one 2019 field trial it lost 40% thickness after 5 years. We switched that customer to interlock knit and there have been no failures since. Compression-recovery data at 5/10/15 bar is available with the technical report.

Why is Ni201 mandatory for knitted PTL mesh?

The knit structure has roughly 12,000 wire contact points per m², each a potential corrosion site. Ni200's carbon content (0.15% max) forms grain-boundary carbides that hot KOH attacks; Ni201 (0.02% C max) removes that failure path and supports 60,000+ hour stack lifetimes.

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