What is Borosilicate Glass and How is it Used? - Thomasnet

Borosilicate glass is a specialized form of glass that uses boric acid as a component in its fabrication. The result of the addition of the element boron is ... Xometry(NASDAQ:XMTR),theglobalmarketplaceforon-demandmanufacturing,announcestheacquisitionofThomas ico-arrow-default-right Guides EdEdwards Share: Borosilicateglassisaspecializedformofglassthatusesboricacidasacomponentinitsfabrication.Theresultoftheadditionoftheelementboronisatypeofglassthatisveryresistanttothermalshockandexhibitsamuchlowercoefficientofthermalexpansionthanthatofcommonsilicateglass.Inthisarticle,areviewofborosilicateglasswillbepresented,includingitsdevelopment,properties,anduses. Tolearnmoreaboutothertypesofglass,reviewourtopicarticleonunderstandingglass. DevelopmentofBorosilicateGlass Backin1882,aGermanchemistnamedOttoSchottwasinterestedinexperimentingwithwaystocreateglassthathadtheabilitytowithstandsuddenchangesintemperatureorexposuretouneventemperatureswithoutshattering.Inthatyear,hemadethediscoverythatusheredinthecreationofborosilicateglass.SchottdiscoveredthattheadditionoftheelementBorontotheglassfabricationprocessresultedinaheat-resistantformofglass. LaterworkbychemistsW.C.TaylorandEugeneSullivanatCorningGlassrefinedtheeffortsofOttoSchottandexpandedthetemperatureresistantpropertiesofborosilicateglass.Asaresultoftheseinnovations,customizedglassfabricationgrew,wherethereisnowoveramilliondifferentformulationsofglassthatcanbecustomizedforspecificproductneedsbyenhancingthedesiredphysicalandmechanicalpropertiesofglass. Perhapsthemostwell-knownapplicationforborosilicateglassgrewfromfurtherresearchatCorningGlass.Afterjoiningthecompanyin1914,physicistJesseLittletonwasgiventhetaskoftestingandevaluatingthephysicalpropertiesofthenewlycreatedglassformulation.Afterhiswife’sceramiccasseroledishaccidentallybroke,shesuggestedthatperhapsthisnewlydevelopedheatresistantglassmightprovetobeausefulproductforbaking.AftershetestedthenotionbybakingacakeinasampleglasscontainerthatLittletonhadbroughthome,anewuseforborosilicateglasswasborn–glasscookware.CorningGlassintroducedalineofproductknownasPyrex®[1],whichwasformanyyearsofitsmanufacturingrunproducedusingborosilicateglass. PropertiesofBorosilicateGlass Borosilicateglassisgenerallychemicallyresistant,butperhapsitsmostremarkablephysicalpropertyisitslowcoefficientofthermalexpansion,whichexplainswhytheglasscanresistshatteringundersuddenrapidchangesintemperature.Glassgenerallyisapoorconductorofheat,sowhenyoutakehotglassandimmerseitincoldwater,theexterioroftheglasscoolsrapidlywhiletheinteriordoesnot.Thestressescausedbythetemperaturedifferentialcausetheglasstoshatter. Withborosilicateglass,theadditionofboricacid(H3BO3)totheformulationresultsinaglassthathasalowcoefficientofthermalexpansion,whichmeansthatwhentheglassisheatedorcooled,itdoesnotexpandorcontractverymuch.Thisdimensionalstabilityiswhatenablesborosilicateglasstobecapableofwithstandingrapidandextremetemperaturechangeswithoutcracking. Thechemicalcompositionofborosilicateglasstypicallyconsistsofaround81%silicondioxide(SiO2)and13%borontrioxide(B2O3)withlesserconcentrationsofsodiumoxideandaluminumoxide.(Notethattheconcentrationsofboricoxidecanvary,5-13%istypical).TheelementBoroniswhatprovidestheglasswithitsdimensionalstabilitysothatthematerialdoesn’tshrinkorgrowasthetemperaturetowhichitisexposedchanges. Table1belowsummarizesthetypicalpropertiesofborosilicateglass.NotefromthetablethevaluefortheCoefficientofLinearThermalExpansion(3.3x10-6)andthetemperaturerangeoverwhichthatvalueapplies20oC,300oC.Thisvalueisabout1/3thatoftraditionalsoda-limeglass. Table1-PropertiesofBorosilicateGlass   MaterialProperty Value General Density(@25oC) 2.23g/cm3 Mechanical Young’sModulus 64GPa   Poisson’sratio(μ) 0.20 Thermal Maximumratedusetemperature 500oC   Transformationtemperature 525oC   ThermalConductivity(@90oC) 1.2W/(moK)   Coefficientofmeanlinearthermalexpansion(@20oC,300oC) 3.3x10-6/oK Electrical Volumeresistance 1015Ωcm   DielectricConstant 4.6   DielectricStrength 30kV/mm Optical RefractiveIndex(@λ=587.6nm) 1.473   Stress-opticalcoefficient 4.0x10-6mm2/N ApplicationsofBorosilicateGlass TheinitialproblemthatwasattemptingtobesolvedatthetimethatOttoSchottbeganexperimentingwithglassformulationswastocreateaglassthatcouldstandupagainstextremetemperatureexposure.Forexample,theglassthatwasusedinlanternsatthattimewouldendupshatteringorcrackinginrainyconditionsbecausethecoldrainontheexteriorsurfaceoftheglasscausedalargetemperaturegradientwhencomparedwiththetemperatureofthehotinteriorface. Onceborosilicateglassbecameavailable,itsapplicationsbecameimmediatelyapparent.Someofthecommonusesforborosilicateglassinclude: Laboratoryglassware Scientificlensesandhotmirrors Bakewareandcookware Thermalinsulation High-intensitylightingproducts Sightglass Aircraftexteriorlenses Aquariumheaters Electronics Rapidprototyping Laboratoryglassware Thehighdimensionalstabilityandabilitytotolerateexposuretodifferenttemperaturesatthesametimemakeborosilicateglassanaturalmaterialchoicefromwhichtocreatelaboratoryglassware,alsocalledlabware.Petridishes,microscopeslides,bottles,beakers,flasks,testtubes,funnels,andmeasuringinstrumentssuchasgraduatedcylindersareallcommonexamples.Besidesthefavorablethermalproperties,borosilicateglassisveryresistantandnon-reactivetomostchemicals. Scientificlensesandhotmirrors Borosilicateglasscanbemoldedintohighprecisionopticalcomponentssuchaslensesforuseintelescopesandotherprecisionopticaldevices.Thelowcoefficientofthermalexpansionforborosilicateglassmeansthattheopticalpropertiesofthelenseswillbestableoverchangesintemperatureastheglasslenswillnotsignificantlychangeitsdimensions.Theglassisalsoidealforuseinhotmirrorsthatreflectinfraredlight. Bakewareandcookware Amongitsfirstandmostcommonusesisinthecreationofhouseholdcookwareandbakeware.Thethermalpropertiesofborosilicatecookwareallowittobetransportedfromahotoventoacoolcountertopwithoutfearofcrackingorshattering.Itisalsousedinproductssuchasmeasuringcupsandissafeforuseinmicrowaveovensanddishwashers. Thermalinsulation Thethermalpropertiesofborosilicateglasswereusedtofabricatethethermaltilesthatprotectedthespaceshuttlefromtheheatofreentryintoearth’satmosphere. High-intensitylightingproducts Stagelightsandlightingproductsusedinthefilmindustrymakeuseofborosilicateglasslenses,astheselightscanreachhightemperatureswhenoperatedcontinuouslyforhoursonend.Otherlampproductsthatusehigh-intensitydischarge(HID),suchasmercuryvaporlampsormetalhalidelamps,willmakeuseofborosilicatelensesorouterenvelopes. Sightglass Inindustrialprocesses,tanksmakeuseofsightglassesthatareoftenfabricatedfromborosilicateglass.Thesesightglassesallowforthevisualmonitoringofsubstancesandprocesseswithouttheneedtoopenthetankorstoragevessel,andwithoutinterruptingtheprocess. Aircraftexteriorlenses Theexteriorlampsonanaircraftuseborosilicateglasslensesduetotheclearopticalproperties(transmissibility)andtheabilitytowithstandthetemperaturedifferentialexperiencedduringhighaltitudeflight.Figure1belowshowsanexampleoftheopticaltransmissioncharacteristicsofonetypeofborosilicateglass.Notetheveryflatperformanceacrossthefullspectrumofwavelengthfrom300–1200nm. Figure1-Opticaltransmissioncurveofatypeofborosilicateglass Imagecredit:https://www.schott.com/d/tubing/9a0f5126-6e35-43bd-bf2a-349912caf9f2/schott-algae-brochure-borosilicate.pdf Aquariumheaters Aquariumheatersareaverycommonapplicationforborosilicateglass,wheretheheatertubeisexposedtoathermalgradientfromtheinteriornichromeheatingelementandthemuchcolderwaterinthetank. Electronics Borosilicateglassisusedinthesemiconductorfabricationindustryformodernelectronicswheresiliconwafersmaybebondedtoetchedborosilicateglass. Rapidprototyping Infuseddepositionmodeling,aformof3Dprintingoradditivemanufacturing,borosilicateglassisanidealmaterialforuseuponwhichtheheatedandextrudedplasticmaterialsaredepositedduringthebuildprocess. Summary Thisarticleprovidedabriefreviewofwhatborosilicateglassis,itsdevelopment,thematerialpropertiesthatmakethismaterialuseful,andsomeofthemorecommonapplicationsthatutilizeit.Forinformationonotherproducts,consultouradditionalguidesorvisittheThomasSupplierDiscoveryPlatformtolocatepotentialsourcesofsupplyorviewdetailsonspecificproducts.  Sources: http://www.qorpak.com/pages/whatisborosilicateglass https://www.cmog.org/article/finding-right-recipe-borosilicate-glass https://shopkablo.com/blogs/the-reformist/what-is-borosilicate-glass https://books.google.com/books?id=HCwa62SivTIC&pg=PA258&lpg=PA258 https://www.goodfellow-ceramics.com/corporate/pdf/borosilicate-glass.pdf https://www.schott.com/d/tubing/9a0f5126-6e35-43bd-bf2a-349912caf9f2/schott-algae-brochure-borosilicate.pdf https://www.schott.com https://www.swiftglass.com/blog/borosilicate-material-focus http://www.koppglass.com/blog/3-common-glass-types-properties-applications/ CopyrightNotice: [1]Pyrex®isaregisteredtrademarkofCorningIncorporated. OtherGlassArticles LaboratoryGlassware:TypesofLaboratoryTubes UnderstandingGlass IsBorosilicateGlassSafe? SodaLimeGlassvs.BorosilicateGlass-What'stheDifference? TypesofGlassBottles TopGlassManufacturingCompaniesandSuppliersintheUSA TopSuppliersofAutomotiveGlass AllAboutAluminosilicateGlass-WhatYouNeedtoKnow HowGlassBottlesAreMade LaboratoryGlassware:TypesofLaboratoryFlasks TopSuppliersofBorosilicateGlass AllAboutSodaLimeGlass-CompositionandProperties WhatisBorosilicateGlassandHowisitUsed? LaminatedGlassvs.TemperedGlass-What'stheDifference? TopBulletProofGlassManufacturersandSuppliers Share MorefromCustomManufacturing&Fabricating CustomManufacturing&Fabricating TypesofSewingMachinesandtheirUses CustomManufacturing&Fabricating UnderstandingPowderCoating CustomManufacturing&Fabricating WhatisPlasticThermoforming:Types,Examples,Applications CustomManufacturing&Fabricating UnderstandingLaserCutting CustomManufacturing&Fabricating TheBestLargeFormat3DPrinter,Accordingto1,500+CustomerReviews CustomManufacturing&Fabricating AluminumExtrusionProcessandApplications RelatedResources DailyBite Happy(Belated)Birthday,AlbertEinstein Business&Industry WaterTreatmentFirmtoAcquireIceMachineMakerfor$1.6Billion ThomasIndex WhatDoesthePaperShortageMeanforAmericanManufacturers? Business&Industry ElectricVehicleMakerInvests$80MillioninFirstU.S.Factory IndustryTrends 7IndustryUpdatesYouNeedtoKnowThisWeek[60-secondRead] ico-categoriesBrowsebyCategory Adhesives&Sealants Automation&Electronics Calculators Chemicals CustomManufacturing&Fabricating DailyBite Electrical&PowerGeneration Engineering Engineering&Consulting Hardware Instruments&Controls Machinery,Tools&Supplies MaterialsHandling Metals&MetalProducts Other Plant&FacilityEquipment Plastics&Rubber ProcessEquipment Procurement Pumps,Valves&Accessories RecentGuides Services TopSuppliers ico-openViewMore SelectFromOver500,000IndustrialSuppliers FindandevaluateOEMs,CustomManufacturers,ServiceCompaniesandDistributors. ReceiveDailyIndustryUpdates Stayuptodateonindustrynewsandtrends,productannouncementsandthelatestinnovations. SearchOver6MillionProducts Findmaterials,components,equipment,MROsuppliesandmore. Download2D&3DCADModels 10+millionmodelsfromleadingOEMs,compatiblewithallmajorCADsoftwaresystems. StartSourcingSuppliers ClaimYourCompanyProfile ico-arrow-default-right Thomasusescookiestoensurethatwegiveyouthebestexperienceonourwebsite.Byusingthissite,youagreetoourPrivacyStatementandourTermsofUse. ico-close RegisterorSign-IntoContinue × ico-supplier 500,000+DetailedSupplierProfiles ico-white-paper-case-study 300,000+Articles&Whitepapers ico-product 6Million+IndustrialProducts ico-cad 10Million+2D&3DCADDrawings Close