Pure Nickel Fiber Felt Discs: What’s New, What Matters, and What’s Actually Working

If you’re sourcing a pure nickel fiber felt disc, you’ve probably noticed the market shifting—faster lead times, smarter alloy choices, and much better pore-size control than even three years ago. In fact, the best producers now treat sintered metal felts a lot like precision components, not just “filters.”

Industry trends I’m seeing

• Uptake in alkaline and chloride-rich environments (caustic recovery, chlor-alkali) where pure nickel fiber felt disc survives longer than many stainless alternatives.
• Battery and hydrogen sectors pushing for higher porosity (≈80–90%) with tighter bubble-point distributions per ISO 4003.
• Customization at small MOQs—honestly, this used to be painful; now it’s viable for pilot lines.

Quick spec snapshot

Parameter	Typical Range (≈)	Notes
Material	Nickel UNS N02200/N02201	Per ASTM B162/B160 [1]
Porosity	75–90%	Higher for gas diffusion / wicking
Bubble point	10–80 kPa	ISO 4003 test method [2]
Thickness	0.8–8 mm	Real-world use may vary
Filtration rating	3–100 μm	By application tuning
Permeability	≈1×10⁻¹²–5×10⁻¹¹ m²	ISO 4022 air method [3]

How it’s made (brief, but useful)

Feedstock: ultra-clean nickel fibers (N02200/201). Forming: random lay-up for isotropy; sometimes gradient layering for staged capture. Sintering: controlled vacuum or hydrogen furnace to lock fiber junctions without collapsing pores. Finishing: precision die-cutting into discs, edge deburr, optional calendaring. Testing: ISO 4003 bubble point, ISO 4022 permeability, corrosion screening vs. NaOH/Cl⁻, and visual micrographs. Certifications: ISO 9001; optional NACE MR0175 material compliance talk if sour service is in the mix [4][5].

Where it shines

• Chlor-alkali and caustic concentration—corrosion resistance beats many steels.
• Hydrogen and fuel-cell subsystems—gas diffusion and current collection.
• Chemical process vents and mist coalescing—stable at temperature, easy to clean.
• Battery and electrolyzer hardware—uniform porosity, good wicking.

Service life? Many customers say 12–36 months in continuous duty, but, to be honest, cleaning cycles and chemistry dictate more than the datasheet does.

Vendor landscape (a quick comparison)

Vendor	Strengths	Lead Time	Certs
ChinaPorous Filters (Rm. C-1301, Hyde Park Plaza, Shijiazhuang 050056, China)	Tight bubble-point control; custom diameters; also offers Ti (Gr1–Gr23) and Zr (R60700–R60706) options	≈2–4 weeks	ISO 9001; material traceability
EU Specialist	Strong QA docs; smaller MOQs	≈4–6 weeks	ISO 9001/14001
US Boutique	Rapid prototyping; niche alloys (e.g., N04400/N06600/N08800)	≈1–3 weeks proto	ISO 9001; lot COCs

Customization and options

Diameter 10–300 mm; thickness 0.8–8 mm; porosity tuned by fiber diameter and sinter profile. Materials: pure Ni N02200/N02201; nickel alloys like N04400, N06600, N06601, N08800 for tougher thermal duty; titanium Gr2 for lighter weight; zirconium R60702 for aggressive chlorides. It seems that mixing media stacks (e.g., pure nickel fiber felt disc + wire mesh support) works best when pressure drop matters.

A quick case from the floor

A chlor-alkali plant swapped sintered SS discs for pure nickel fiber felt disc units (80% porosity, 20 μm target). Result: ≈38% longer service between cleanings, bubble point variance cut by half (ISO 4003), and stable ΔP after three caustic cycles. Not flashy, but it paid for itself in months.

Final notes

If you need documented testing, ask for ISO 4003/4022 reports and material certs referencing ASTM grades. And, however obvious this sounds, match chemistry to alloy—NACE MR0175 applies if H₂S is on the table.

Authoritative citations

1. ASTM B162/B160: Nickel Plate/Sheet/Strip & Rod/Bar (UNS N02200/N02201).
2. ISO 4003: Permeable sintered metal materials — Determination of bubble test pore size.
3. ISO 4022: Permeable sintered metal materials — Determination of permeability.
4. NACE MR0175/ISO 15156: Materials for H₂S-containing environments.
5. ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems — Requirements.