What are Demister Pads and How Can They Be Tailored to Your Needs?

Demister pads, also known as mist eliminators, are integral pieces of separation and filtration equipment. They are adept at extracting liquid droplets from vapor streams, ensuring the protection of downstream equipment in the system.  They are also very effective at removing solid particles from either vapor or liquid streams.  

Demister Pads find their most prevalent applications in vapor-liquid separators and distillation towers, notably within the oil and gas industry. Here, they play a critical role in the extraction of even the most microscopic liquid droplets from gas streams. This separation ensures the progression of the gas stream to downstream equipment as dry gas.  

Moreover, the significance of liquid removal from gas and vapor streams cannot be overstated. Unremoved liquids can potentially harm the equipment and contribute to corrosion.  Large amounts in the form of a liquid slug will cause serious damage, one such example would be a compressor.   

What are Demister Pads Made of?  

Constructed from knitted wire mesh, demister pads offer very high filtering efficiency. Knitted wire mesh is made from fine wire, which is then crimped to optimize the mesh density and ensure the collected liquids drain freely from the mesh. The fine wire diameter and mesh density will establish which micron-sized liquid droplets or solid particles are captured by the Knitted wire mesh.  

There is a broad spectrum of alloys used in creating knitted wire mesh, including stainless steel, specialty high nickel, and copper. The choice of alloy largely depends on the application and environment. For instance, in a desalination plant where saltwater separation occurs, a Monel® alloy knitted wire mesh may be preferred. For HVAC systems, copper alloys exhibit antimicrobial properties that make them ideal for applications requiring exceptional cleanliness.  

How are Demister Pads Manufactured?  

Demister pads are made from knitted wire mesh. The fine wire used is typically 0.011” or 0.006” in diameter. The fine wire is knitted and crimped to create a uniform density pad. A higher density or “tighter” mesh will be more effective at capturing smaller particles and liquid droplets.  

Though the mesh pad can be solely the knitted mesh, it often benefits from a support frame. As knitted wire mesh lacks inherent structural integrity, incorporating it with a support frame ensures the pad maintains its shape and structure over its lifespan.  

Furthermore, demister pads are precisely manufactured to meet individual customer specifications. Whether a demister pad with a support frame or one without is needed, the details are tailored to your specific needs.  

At Central Wire, we take great pride in delivering the exact demister pad your application demands. Our wide-ranging capabilities allow us to customize the shape, thickness, mesh density, alloy, and other details, resulting in a product perfectly suited to your application.