A metal fibre based on one or more elements from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium and iridium together with from 0 to 30% by weight of one or more additional alloying elements from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, gold, rhenium, molybdenum and tungsten has, according to the invention, from 1 to 500 ppm by weight of boron or phosphorus. A nonwoven or mesh according to the invention, in particular for producing nitrogen oxide or for producing hydrocyanic acid, comprises such fibres. To produce fibres based on noble metals together with up to 30% by weight of additional alloying metals, the melting point of the metal is reduced by at least 400°C by addition of boron or phosphorus as alloying constituent before drawing of the fibres from a melt and the boron or the phosphorus is removed again from the fibres.