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Borosilicate Glass vs Tempered Glass

August 21, 2021

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Glass bottle makers come in a variety of designs in the glassmaking business. Those that are often used in the kitchen nowadays are among the produced items. The need for oven glassware has increased over time as the industry has progressed.

Consequently, there have been other numerous uses of glasses that have also been in the industry from time immemorial. Tempered glass, for instance, has been used for decades and was among the first glasses to be invented and commercially used.

Therefore, in this article, we are going to look at the difference between borosilicate and tempered glass, how they are made and their application. Read on!

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What is Borosilicate Glass?

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Borosilicate glass is a kind of glass that contains boron trioxide, a low-coefficient-of-thermal-expansion material. This means that, unlike ordinary glass, it will not shatter when subjected to extreme temperature changes. Its durability has made it the preferred glass in high-end restaurants, laboratories, and vineyards.

Most people aren’t aware that not all glass is created equal. Consider Roetel’s high-quality borosilicate bottles.

Borosilicate glass includes around 15% boron trioxide, a unique ingredient that changes the nature of glass and makes it resistant to thermal stress. The rate at which the glass expands when exposed to heat, or the correlation of thermal conduction expansion, is used to evaluate how robust the glass is too significant temperature variations.

Because of its chemical resistance, borosilicate glass is also employed to store hazardous waste. Because boron makes the glass less dissolvable, it prevents unwanted elements from leaking into it or vice versa. Borosilicate glass beats conventional glass by a considerable margin in terms of overall functioning.

How is it Made?

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The following components are melted to create this one-of-a-kind glass: silica sand, boric oxide, potassium oxide, zinc oxide, and trace amounts of calcium oxide and aluminium oxide. Other variants, such as the use of borosilicate glass as cookware, can raise the silica concentration to as high as 81 percent, according to the objectified purpose.

The melting method demands significantly higher temperatures than conventional glass production due to the material’s high transition temp of up to 560°F.

Once the groundwork has been laid, borosilicate glass can be cleaned in a variety of ways depending on the goal. This glass may be molded or drawn into tubes, which can then be treated to create custom shapes and sizes.

Application of Borosilicate

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● Glassware for the Laboratory

Borosilicate glass is extensively utilized as a raft foundation for scientific glassware due to its chemical and thermal resistance. Borosilicate glass makes up the bulk of modern lab beakers, flasks, and other glass jars.

● Experiments in the Kitchen and Cookware

Due to its exceptional heat resistance, this glass material has found its way into cookware, particularly for frying and baking. Many cookware firms use borosilicate glass for baking dishes and glass cooking pots.

Because of its low thermal expansion, this glass is also used for measuring cups and other similar containers. The graduations marked on the glass containers stay precise since the material does not deform when exposed to high temperatures.

● Optical Instruments

Because of its durability, borosilicate glass is a good choice for producing slides and lenses for microscopes, telescopes, and other optical instruments. Doping chemicals can change the characteristics of glass, such as the absorption spectrum.

● Lighting Controls

Heat-resistant glass bottles and membranes are required for lighting equipment, which is where borosilicate glass comes in useful. This sort of glass is used in HID lamps, modern high-powered torches, and studio flashlights.

● Aircraft External Lenses

Borosilicate glass lenses are employed in aircraft exterior lighting because of their clear optical qualities, transmission capabilities, and ability to withstand the temperature differential experienced during high altitude flight.

What is Tempered Glass?

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This is the most common glass used in balustrades and other structural applications. The annealed glass is heated to about 188 degrees Celsius via conductivity, convection, and radiation. The cooling process is accelerated by a uniform and immediate blast of air on both sides.

Various cooling speeds produce various physical properties in the glass’s surface and core, resulting in compression stresses in the surface offset by tensile compressive forces in the glass’s body.

How Is Tempered Glass Made?

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Rather than chemically converting annealed glass to toughened glass by immersing it in a potassium salt solution at 300°C, the glass bottle manufacturer prefers to use the heat toughening process to produce the finest quality tempered glass. This project’s glass bottle designs are incredible! Because it still fractures, synthetically toughened glass is weaker than heat hardened glass and cannot be termed safety glass without lamination.

Roetell has a state-of-the-art toughening furnace, which comprises ceramic bearings that move the glass forward and back, heats the ordinary annealed glass to 670°C. The glass is heated for a brief time before being cooled to 15 degrees Celsius. The surface of the glass becomes almost molten during the tempering procedure, and it is subsequently cooled outside using jets of cold air produced by industrial coolants.

Application of Tempered Glass

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Toughened glass is utilized in a number of classic ornamental and architectural uses because it is both amazingly strong and insanely secure. These might happen at home or at work, such as in the automotive, technical, or recreational industries. Shower doors and refrigerator trays, as well as mobile screen covers and diving masks, are all examples of possible applications.

Tempered glass is also heat and water-resistant by nature. This makes it an excellent choice for glass kitchen splashbacks where high humidity is a common phenomenon, as well as glass bathroom work surfaces where severe temperatures are a potential.

Glass is also appropriate for frameless glass doors and wall separators inside the home, as well as glass entryways and windows outside the home, which must give additional weather protection and may be exposed to stress from excessive hammering and shocks.

Difference Between Borosilicate and Tempered Glass

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In as much as both are great at resisting heat and severe temperatures, Borosilicate is highly resistant to extreme temperatures, most preferably heat. It can be subjected to both high and low temperatures and not clutter.

Tempered glass, on the other hand, is also subjective to heat but its application is rather simple. Being utilized in areas such as indoor wall separators and bathroom doors.

Borosilicate glass has higher thermal shock resistance and a lower thermal expansion factor, making it ideal for certain optical applications like instrument lenses. Tempered glass is preferable for passenger automobiles because its physical properties make it less likely to shatter into fragments when broken; it also cannot be cut or physically altered once hardened.

In the Processes, Tempered glass is a physical function, whereas borosilicate glass is a chemical.

Tempered glass is generally thicker than regular glass. Glass with a high borosilicate content is often thinner and lighter. The baking pan will be more substantial. This is a result of the chemical makeup differences.

Tempered glass is more costly than high borosilicate glass. This is different in terms of the procedure; the cost of raw materials is higher, and varied, as well as the application.

Conclusion

Both Tempered and Borosilicate glass have one major aspect in common, and that is their durability and thermal resistance. They are designed to serve different industries and thrive entirely, just as Roetel. We have established both trust and proficiency profiles with our esteemed customers. Contact us and join the long list of satisfied clients and you get to enjoy free glass bottle samples, in every stage of your working with us. Best of luck!

Borosilicate Glass vs Tempered Glass