What is Borosilicate and why is it important?

Borosilicate glass is a glass that is used in heat-resistant glassware. Silica and boron trioxide are used as the main glass-forming constituent in Borosilicate formation. They have very low coefficients of thermal expansion (≈3 × 10−6 K−1 at 20 °C). This makes them resistant to thermal shock.

They are more resistant to thermal shock than any other common glass. They can withstand the temperature differentials without fracturing at about 165 °C (297 °F). It has many names such as including Borosil, Duran, Pyrex, Supertek, Suprax, Simax, Bellco, Marinex, Heatex, Endural, Schott, Reflex, etc.

History:

German glassmaker Otto Schott developed it the first time. It was known as Jena glass. After this Pyrex was introduced by Corning Glass Works in 1915. The Pyrex became synonymous with borosilicate glass in the English-speaking world

Borosilicate glass is the name of a glass family with various members tailored to completely different purposes. borosilicate 3.3 or 5.0x glass is the most common today. Its examples are Duran, Corning33, Corning51-V (clear), Corning51-L (amber), International Cookware's NIPRO BSA 60, and BSC 51.

Uses of Borosilicate glass:

Borosilicate glass has many beneficial uses such as:

·         It is commonly is used in chemistry experiments as it has great strength and resistance to chemical changes.

·         They can also be used in kitchenware like premium wine glasses.

·         They are also used in making Water Jugs and Bottles.

Material properties of the glass:

Some material properties of Borosilicate glass are:

·         melting point: 1252°C

·         softening temperature: 821°C

·         thermal conductivity: 1.15 W

·         shock resistance: 300°C

·         density: 2.23 g/cm3

·         max working temperature: 300 – 400°C

·         volume resistivity  >10^15 Ω·m

·         refractive index: 1.471 nm

·         relative magnetic permeability: diamagnetic <-1

·         hardness: Mohs 6 Knoop 420 – 520

·        Composition of Borosilicate glass:

It is composed of: SiO2 65-85%, B2O3 8-15%, Na2O 3-9%, Al2O3 1-5%, K2O max 2%

Borosilicate tube:

A Borosilicate tube is a tube made of Borosilicate. A Borosilicate tube Is used in the chemistry lab to perform certain experiments. It is used to important as is it used commonly. A Borosilicate tube has great strength and can resist chemical change, so it is important in chemistry.

Importance and benefits of Borosilicate:

·         Borosilicate is very important as they are environmentally friendly. They are a good replacement for plastics, as plastics are very dangerous for the environment.

·         They are important as they are made from naturally abundant materials.

·         They make things taste better. As compared to plastics and stainless bottles, Borosilicate glass makes drinks taste better. Plastic and metal seep inside the drink.

·         They are less dangerous as compared to steel and plastics. When we use glass, it does not seep inside the drink.

·         It does not contaminate the beverage. So, it is always safe to use.

·         It can also be used to contain a dishwasher.

·         It can be microwaved.

·         Due to its heat resistance, it can store liquids.

Borosilicate glass is better:

When we talk about soda-lime glass, its coefficient is more than double that of borosilicate glass. This means that it is exposed to heat and will break very quickly.

·         It is very less susceptible to fractures. It has a higher proportion of silicon dioxide in comparison to regular soda-lime glass.

·         When we talk about temperature, the maximum thermal shock range (the difference in temperatures it can withstand) of borosilicate glass is 170°C, which is about 340° Fahrenheit.

·         We can use it in the microwave and freely pour cold water in it.

·         It is s so resistant to chemicals, that it is even used to store nuclear waste.