What is borosilicate glass and why should you choose it?
Drinking coffee, tea, or making a casserole in the oven, we often do not realize how and what a given vessel is made of. Meanwhile, borosilicate material is used for the production of household and specialist vessels , valued for its exceptional resistance to temperature changes, mechanical loads, and chemical indifference.
How does borosilicate glass differ from traditional glass? What is borosilicate glass? What are its properties and why is it so often used not only in homes, but also in scientific institutions and industry? Check it out!
Who created borosilicate glass?
This material was created in 1887 by German chemist and glass technologist Otto Schott , working in laboratories in Jena, Germany, and experimenting with glass components. He focused primarily on adding boron oxide to silica, which gave the material exceptional thermal and chemical resistance. This significantly expanded its application possibilities.
Today, Schott's invention is known all over the world under various trade names and is used even in home kitchens.
Borosilicate glass properties
It is distinguished by its exceptional durability, resistance to damage and longevity. It is a universal material, safe in contact with food and chemicals. What other features have influenced its popularity and high usability?
Borosilicate glass - temperature
One of its most important features is its extraordinary resistance to high and low temperatures. Thanks to its chemical composition, i.e. silica enriched with boron oxide, this glass withstands an extremely wide range of temperatures - from about -50°C to even 500°C. Cooled or heated, it retains its properties and does not crack with sudden thermal changes.
borosilicate glass dishes or items can be safely used in conditions where traditional glass would quickly crack. You can move borosilicate glass dishes directly from the oven to the fridge, and also use them on hotplates, gas burners, and in microwaves – all without the risk of damaging them.
Such excellent temperature resistance makes borosilicate glass a material used in laboratories and industry, i.e. where reliability and safety in extreme thermal conditions count. This makes it a material that is not only practical, but also versatile and irreplaceable in many industries.
Borosilicate glass - durability
Its strength definitely exceeds the parameters of traditional soda-lime glass. The chemical structure with the addition of boron has high mechanical resistance, especially to scratches, cracks and impacts. It is also resistant to acids, alkalis and most chemical substances, which is why it is widely used in laboratories, pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
How is borosilicate glass used?
The applications of this material can be divided into two main groups: home and professional, i.e. laboratory and industrial.
Application at home
In our homes, we encounter this type of glass much more often than it might seem at first glance. Its properties, such as resistance to high and low temperatures, as well as mechanical strength, are particularly appreciated in the kitchen. Borosilicate glass dishes are primarily baking tins, heat-resistant pots, jugs, cups, mugs, bowls, even kettles. They can safely undergo rapid temperature changes - for example, when transferred from the refrigerator to the oven, or poured with boiling water without the risk of cracking.
It is also worth noting that borosilicate glass does not change the taste of food or drinks, it is completely chemically neutral. That is why it is an ideal material for food storage containers, especially sour or spicy food (pickles, soups, pickles, sauces or even bigos, popular in our country). Unlike plastic and some metals, it does not negatively affect the quality of food or drinks and extends their freshness.
Applications in science and industry
In professional applications, such as chemical and pharmaceutical laboratories and various branches of industry, this glass plays an extremely important role due to its high chemical and thermal resistance. It is a material for the production of laboratory equipment: flasks, measuring cylinders, test tubes, burettes, distillers, heat exchangers, thanks to which chemists can safely conduct reactions requiring extreme temperature conditions and aggressive chemicals.
In the pharmaceutical industry, it is a basic material for the production of vials, ampoules and bottles for medicines. Since it does not react chemically with the stored substances, it protects them from contamination and loss of medicinal properties.
Borosilicate tubes, rods, capillaries – precise technical solutions
Pipes, rods and capillaries made of borosilicate glass are a specialist group of products - exceptionally precisely made and very resistant to heat and chemicals. These products are essential in many branches of industry, science and technology, i.e. where durability and precision must be emphasized. Thanks to the possibility of shaping them, they can have different diameters, lengths and wall thicknesses, thus they can be perfectly adapted to the needs of a given project or application.
Borosilicate tubes are used, among others, in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, as well as in research laboratories, where they are used as elements of distillation apparatus, chemical reactors or heat exchangers. In turn, borosilicate glass rods are commonly used in optical technologies, the production of lighting elements or as parts of specialist measuring equipment.
Borosilicate capillaries, very thin tubes with precise internal diameters, are used primarily in medicine, chemical analysis, pharmacy and biotechnology. Their precision allows for precise dosing of fluids, sampling, micro-chemical reactions and capillary chromatography.
The high quality and versatility of borosilicate tubes, rods and capillaries make them a popular choice for professionals looking for durable and safe solutions for specialized technical and scientific applications. Check out our range of borosilicate glass .
Lamps and reflectors
Outside the home and laboratories, this type of product is also used in lighting – as covers for halogen lamps or reflectors, because its high temperature resistance allows it to survive long-term exposure to intense heat sources without the risk of damage.
In addition, we also find it in the technical and electronics industries, and even in astronautics, where the stability of the material under extreme temperature changes is extremely important. To sum up, borosilicate glass is a material with an exceptionally wide range of applications, valued by both home users and specialists in many branches of industry and science. It is thanks to its versatility and safety that this glass has gained such great popularity.
Borosilicate glass - price
One of the aspects that interests every buyer is, of course, price. Products resistant to temperature and chemistry are more expensive than those made of ordinary glass, but the difference in price is fully justified: higher quality, durability and safety cost money.
The price of kitchen utensils made of heat-resistant glass starts from a few dozen zlotys, but more specialized products, such as laboratory equipment or large industrial vessels, can cost from several hundred to even several thousand zlotys.
However, in the long run, choosing such glass is more economical due to its longevity and resistance to damage. When you buy products made of this material, you are investing in something that will last for years.
How to care for borosilicate glass?
Although the glass in question is exceptionally durable and resistant, remember the basic rules of care that can extend its life. The most important thing is to avoid extreme thermal shocks. For example, if a very hot borosilicate vessel taken straight from the oven is immediately immersed in ice water, it may crack. A temperature difference exceeding several hundred degrees in a fraction of a second is a load that even such resistant glass cannot withstand. In laboratory conditions, on the other hand, long-term, local heating of one point of the glass with a burner without evenly distributing the heat can lead to its excessive stress and then damage.
When it comes to care, these dishes should be washed in warm water with a mild detergent, although most of them can also be safely cleaned in the dishwasher.
Is it worth choosing borosilicate glass?
If you care about safety, comfort of use and durability, then glass will be an excellent option. It is stable, aesthetic and can be used without any problems for years. It is worth choosing products made of this type of glass.