Developing the Perfect Gauze Mat at Westlab

Developing the Perfect Gauze Mat at Westlab

Developing the Perfect Gauze Mat at Westlab

Posted on the 13th of Feb 2019 by Westlab

The primary purpose of a wire gauze mat is to support a container (such as a beaker or an Erlenmeyer flask) while it is being heated. The gauze mat also helps with an even distribution of heat as the bunsen burner flame passes through the gauze to the container.

Gauze mats can vary in size, shape, and form depending on the supplier. Westlab has been working together with our customers to perfect a gauze mat that is safe, strong, and suitable for the purpose. In this post, we look at some of the key aspects of the design to give you an insight into the involvement and consideration of the design process.

[Go to Westlab’s Gauze Mat Product Page]

Size


It is important that a gauze mat fits onto a tripod, so size is an important factor. Our core challenge was to develop a gauze mat that could fit comfortably on 98% of the tripods in the Australian and North American markets. Our research found that a 130mm diameter gauze mat was the most suitable size for a gauze mat.

Shape


Gauze mats are designed to sit on top of a tripod. Tripods, depending on the manufacturer, can vary vastly from one to another in size and shape. The two most common shapes in today’s market are circular and triangular. Westlab decided that a circular gauze mat would safely fit over both tripod shapes.

Strength


The average gauze mat today has no safety or supportive edging around the circumference of the gauze. To enhance protection, our creative team developed a stainless alloy safety edge. This edge seals the gauze around the outside of the mat ensuring that the stainless gauze is pulled tight and secure while supporting weight and tolerating heat simultaneously. The gauge of the stainless wire used also plays a key part in both the heat distribution and weight capacity of the gauze mat.

Safety


Due to recent safety concerns of a potentially harmful substance called Tremolite being found in the ceramic centre of traditional gauze mats, Westlab sought to completely rethink the design to remove the ceramic centre. Although Westlab’s traditional gauze mats had no detection of tremolite when tested through X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and a polarised light microscope (PLM), we felt it was best to move away from the ceramic centre. Many of our customers have gauze mats from different suppliers making it difficult to determine which mats are from which suppliers. The new design will allow customers to know definitely that the mats do not contain any potentially harmful substances.

Material


The new Westlab gauze mat is made of a stainless alloy. There is substantial research comparing carbon steel, aluminium, and galvanized steel to stainless steel. The conclusion is that stainless steel alloys outweigh these other metals in corrosion resistance, durability, life-cycle cost savings, and even fire prevention. The economic benefits and fire safety aspects are unmatched.

Westlab Gauze Mat Nominal Composition

 

C: 0.07 max
Mn: 2.0 max
P: 0.045 max
S: 0.030 max
Si: 0.75 max
Cr: 17.5 – 19.5
Ni: 8.0 – 10.5
N: 0.10 max
Fe: BAL

 

Physical properties of the Westlab Gauze Mat at 70°F (At 20°C)

 

  • Density 0.29 lb./in³ / (8.03 g/cm³)
  • Modulus of Elasticity (E) 28.0 x 10³ ksi / (193 x 10³MPa)
  • Coefficient of Expansion 9.4 x 10-6 micro-inches/in.-°F (70-600°F) / (16.9 μm/m-°C) (20-300°C)
  • Electrical Resistivity 28.4 μ ohm.in / (72 μ ohm.cm)
  • Thermal Conductivity 9.4 Btu-in./ft.2hr.-°F / (16.2 W/m-K)
  • Condition Annealed
  • Tensile Strength (UTS) 95 ksi (655 MPa)
  • 0.2% YS Min 42 ksi (290 MPa)
  • Elongation% in 2” Min (50.8 mm) 55%
  • Hardness Rockwell 84 HRBW
2019-02-13 23:51:00
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