Heads up: on the older Tyler scale, 16 mesh means 1,000 µm (equal to ASTM No. 18). If a spec just says "16 mesh", confirm which standard it uses.
On the older Tyler scale, 16 mesh = 1,000 µm. Check which standard your spec uses.
Magnified schematic — the wire-to-opening ratio is true to scale; very thin lines are drawn at a minimum visible width.
A US standard No. 16 test sieve (ASTM E11) has a nominal opening of 1,180 µm.
| Opening (microns) | 1,180 µm |
| Opening (millimeters) | 1.18 mm |
| Opening (inches) | 0.0465 in |
| US standard sieve | No. 16 |
| Tyler equivalent | 14 mesh |
| Pitch (wire center to center) | 1,810 µm |
| Typical wire diameter | 0.63 mm |
| Approx. open area | 43% |
A 1,180 µm opening falls within the very coarse sand (1 mm–2 mm) class of the Wentworth grain-size scale. Comparing grain size with the nominal opening only: coarse sand and finer would pass; granules and coarser would be retained; very coarse sand is split at about 1,180 µm. Real sieving also depends on particle shape, sieving time and the opening tolerance of the cloth.
These applications commonly use a 16 mesh count or an opening near 1,180 µm:
No. 4, 8, 16, 30, 50, 100 sieves
ASTM C33/C33M-23 grades fine aggregate on the No. 4 to No. 100 sieves: 95–100% passing No. 4 (4.75 mm) and 0–10% passing No. 100 (150 µm).
Sieves from 200 to 1600 µm
Coffee sifters stack interchangeable sieves between 200 and 1600 µm to isolate a target grind range.
Ranges show common practice with sources on the mesh size by application page — always check your equipment maker's recommendation.
The name "16 mesh" suggests 16 openings per inch, i.e. a pitch of 25,400 ÷ 16 = 1,587.5 µm. Standard test sieves, however, are defined by their opening, not by the count: a 1,180 µm opening woven with the typical 0.63 mm wire gives a real pitch of 1,180 + 630 = 1,810 µm, which is about 14 wires per inch. That is why mesh numbers and micron values never line up perfectly — and why this site uses the ASTM E11 opening as the answer.
| Mesh | Microns (µm) | Millimeters | Inches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 mesh | 2,000 | 2 | 0.0787 |
| 12 mesh | 1,700 | 1.7 | 0.0669 |
| 14 mesh | 1,400 | 1.4 | 0.0551 |
| 16 mesh | 1,180 | 1.18 | 0.0465 |
| 18 mesh | 1,000 | 1 | 0.0394 |
| 20 mesh | 850 | 0.85 | 0.0335 |
| 25 mesh | 710 | 0.71 | 0.028 |
Values are ASTM E11 nominal openings (Tyler equivalents for 150 and 250 mesh). Italic ≈ values are estimates for non-standard mesh counts, calculated from the mesh count and an assumed wire diameter (interpolated between ASTM E11 sieves, or extrapolated beyond No. 635). Wire values are ASTM E11 typical wire for standard sizes.
16 mesh is 1,180 µm, which is 1.18 mm or 0.0465 inches.
In a simplified comparison with the nominal opening, particles smaller than about 1,180 µm can pass a 16 mesh screen. A 1,180 µm opening falls within the very coarse sand (1 mm–2 mm) class of the Wentworth grain-size scale. Comparing grain size with the nominal opening only: coarse sand and finer would pass; granules and coarser would be retained; very coarse sand is split at about 1,180 µm. Real sieving also depends on particle shape, sieving time and the opening tolerance of the cloth.
With a typical 0.63 mm wire, 16 mesh has roughly 43% open area. Thicker wire lowers the open area and the opening size.
Those charts use the older Tyler scale, where 16 mesh corresponds to 1,000 µm (ASTM No. 18). In the US standard (ASTM E11) series, No. 16 is 1,180 µm.