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If you are sick of your glassware cracking, you should try borosilicate glass. This type of glass is superior to other glasses. We have researched whether or not you can heat it, as well as other things you might be wondering about.
Borosilicate glass is highly heat and cold resistant. During regular use, the glass can be heated up to 392 degrees Fahrenheit to 446 degrees Fahrenheit. For short-term use, it can survive up to 752 degrees Fahrenheit. Some types may even be able to withstand up to 932 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now that we have answered your first question, continue reading to deepen your understanding of borosilicate glass. We will also discuss the composition of the glass and its many uses.
Borosilicate glass is made of silica and boron trioxide. Manufacturers make it by combining boric oxide, silica sand, soda ash, and alumina. About 15% of the glass is boron trioxide, which is the ingredient that sets this glass apart from the others.
There are three different kinds of borosilicate glass: Non-alkaline-earth borosilicate glass (borosilicate glass 3.3), alkaline-earth-containing (aluminoborosilicate glasses), and high-borate borosilicate glasses. The glasses all have slightly different compositions. The composition, or the amount of oxide they have in them, determines their class.
Non-alkaline-earth borosilicate glass contains 12-13% boron, while aluminoborosilicate glasses only have 8-12%. Aluminoborosilicate glasses tend to be softer than non-alkaline-earth glass, which makes them less durable.
High-borate borosilicate glasses are made with 15-25% boron. The high amount of boron lowers the glass's rate of chemical resistance. Their most distinguishing factor is their sealability to other metals and high electrical insulation.
The most versatile and widely used type of borosilicate glass is borosilicate glass 3.3. The reason for this is that high-borate borosilicate glasses aren't as resistant to chemicals, and aluminoborosilicate glasses are too soft.
Borosilicate glass has ingredients that cause it to have a low coefficient of thermal expansion. Put simply; it doesn't expand the way soda-lime glass will when exposed to volatile conditions. As a result, it won't crack as easily and can be put directly from the oven into the freezer with no repercussions.
Soda-lime glass can only survive about 100 degrees Fahrenheit temperature change, whereas borosilicate can survive a temperature differential of about 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Regular glass is denser than borosilicate glass, so it cracks easier. Borosilicate's lower density allows it to be made into complex shapes. In addition to all of that, it is also more resistant to corrosion than regular glass is.
Due to the special properties of the glass, borosilicate can be used in extreme conditions. For instance, lab equipment subjected to extremely high or low temperatures is often made of this material. However, you probably won't be using lab equipment in your kitchen.
Its low thermal expansion coefficient and resistance to shattering make it the perfect material for high-quality glassware, measuring cups, bakeware, and cookware.
Some other interesting uses of this type of glass are telescope lenses, thermal insulation in space shuttles, and sight-glasses on tanks. This material truly is multipurpose!
After reading this article, you probably already know the answer. However, we will still let you know that it is safe to use on the stovetop.
Yes, you can microwave borosilicate glass.
In addition to being extremely durable, borosilicate glass is also really good for your health and the environment. To start with, because of its acid-resistant properties, it won't leach chemicals into your food as some plastics do. As a result, the food will taste better than if you were using a plastic container.
Borosilicate glass is non-toxic, meaning it doesn't contain BPA or lead, and it's reusable. When you use borosilicate glass, you can know you prevent plastic buildup in landfills and protect your health.
No, while borosilicate glass is temperature and acid-resistant, it will break when dropped. However, it tends to be more durable than other kinds of glass and won't break easily.
However, when it does break, it breaks into chunks and not shards. This makes it easier to clean up if it does happen to break.
At this point, you might be asking yourself why soda-lime glass is the most common if borosilicate is far superior. The reason for this is that borosilicate tends to be more expensive and is harder to manufacture.
It takes a much higher temperature to make borosilicate glass and higher amounts of energy to make it. For this reason, a lot of companies have moved away from making it.
As a result of the expensive manufacturing process, anyone who wants borosilicate products must pay quite a bit to obtain them.
Pyrex is not the same as borosilicate glass. There is a common misconception that all Pyrex is borosilicate. The reason for this is because it used to be. Pyrex containers containing borosilicate glass were made from 1915 until the 1980s. In the 1980s, the manufacturer started using soda-lime glass because of clean air regulations and cut expenses.
Europe still uses borosilicate to make a lot of its glassware because of its superiority to other glass types. However, most manufacturers in the United States have moved to tempered soda-lime glass to save money.
The most common glass used in the United States is soda-lime glass. As a result, borosilicate glass can be challenging to find. Even though US brands Pyrex and Anchor Hocking use to be associated with borosilicate glass, they no longer make their products with this material.
However, online you can order from foreign brands like International Cookware from France and Simax Glassware. Many European brands also use this superior glass in their product formulas.
In addition to those brands, Mueller Austria and FineDine also make borosilicate products. We have included a couple of examples of products in this post.
Click here to check out this Mueller Premium tea kettle on Amazon!
Click here to check out these FineDine Borosilicate containers on Amazon!
Borosilicate glass is far superior to regular glass. Despite being more expensive and harder to make, it is incredibly versatile. The most common use for it is kitchenware and laboratory equipment. However, it has many uses beyond that, such as telescope lenses and thermal insulation on space shuttles.
One of its key features is that it can withstand extreme temperatures and is acid and chemical resistant. This is the main reason it is superior to other glasses.
Anyone who wants to get high-quality cookware needs to look to European and other foreign companies as most companies in the United States don't make their products with this material.
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