Gold is a soft metal with a characteristic yellow colour. Pure soft gold is the most malleable and ductile metal and is used as a conductor of heat and electricity. It is unaffected by air, water, and resists corrosion from alkalis and acids, except for “Aqua Regia”, a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. It is a good thermal and electrical conductor and has excellent reflective properties to both light and infrared. Due to these properties, it is used to coat other metals to protect them from oxidation.
Most gold is reserved for use as bullion reserves, but some is used within the electronics and jewellery industries, where it is normally alloyed with other elements improving their mechanical properties. Metals it is frequently mixed with are copper and silver. Other uses for the metal are as a heat reflecting coating for glass as well as a decorative medium.
A gold mesh can be made in a plain weave, or it can be electro formed. The advantage of an electro formed mesh is that the aperture dimensions are exact and consistent therefore conforming efficient filtration capabilities. It is important that the very precise apertures are burr and stress free, with sharp edge definition, and smooth walls. The mesh may also be customizable with a range of shape options for the apertures (square, round, slotted, hexagonal…) as well as a choice of thicknesses. Electroformed gold meshes are ideal for filtering light and sound or for conductivity. They have high transmission rates of up to 98% making them ideal for exceptional light transmission.