Phosphor bronze typically has a material chemical composition of: 85-90% copper, 5.0-15.0% tin, and 0.03-0.35% phosphorous. Phosphor bronze, as it is commonly referred to within the industry, exhibits physical and anti-corrosive properties slightly superior to copper and brass.

Phosphor Bronze woven wire mesh is superior to brass wire mesh in resistance to atmospheric corrosion, which is a major reason why bronze mesh usage spans from various marine and military applications to commercial and residential insect screen. For the industrial user of wire cloth, bronze wire mesh is harder and less malleable compared to a similar copper woven wire mesh, and as a result, it is commonly used in separation and filtration applications.