Borosilicate Glass

At Lighting Glass, we specialize in providing high-quality borosilicate glass solutions for our clients. Borosilicate glass is a type of glass with excellent thermal stability and chemical resistance, making it ideal for use in various industrial and commercial applications. Due to its outstanding mechanical and thermal properties, borosilicate glass is the preferred material for laboratory glassware, optical components, lighting fixtures, and more.

What is Borosilicate Glass?

Borosilicate glass is made from silica and boron trioxide in specific proportions. This unique composition gives it a very low coefficient of thermal expansion and excellent resistance to thermal shock. Borosilicate glass can withstand rapid temperature changes without cracking or deforming, making it suitable for use in high-temperature environments.

Advantages of Borosilicate Glass

Compared to other types of glass, borosilicate glass offers several key advantages:

Excellent Thermal Stability: Borosilicate glass has a low thermal expansion coefficient, allowing it to handle extreme temperature fluctuations without breaking, making it ideal for high-temperature applications such as laboratory equipment and glass containers.
Thermal Shock Resistance: With its superior resistance to thermal shock, borosilicate glass can withstand sudden temperature changes without fracturing, making it a safer choice for high-heat industrial applications.
Chemical Resistance: Borosilicate glass offers excellent resistance to chemical corrosion, making it suitable for use in environments exposed to acids, alkalis, and other chemicals.
High Optical Clarity: This glass offers excellent optical properties, making it ideal for optical components such as lenses and protective glass for displays.
Environmental Friendliness: Borosilicate glass is made from abundant, naturally occurring materials, and it is fully recyclable, making it an eco-friendly choice.

Borosilicate Glass vs. Soda-Lime Glass

Soda-lime glass is the most commonly used glass type, but borosilicate glass provides superior performance in certain areas:

Thermal Stability: Borosilicate glass can endure extreme temperature variations, unlike soda-lime glass, which is more prone to cracking from rapid temperature changes.
Chemical Resistance: Borosilicate glass is more resistant to chemical corrosion compared to soda-lime glass, making it better suited for use in chemical laboratories and industrial environments.
Strength and Durability: Borosilicate glass is stronger and more durable, which makes it suitable for more complex and intricate shapes.
Cost: While borosilicate glass is generally more expensive than soda-lime glass, its superior performance in heat tolerance, chemical resistance, and durability often justifies the cost, especially in applications where these properties are crucial for product performance and safety.

Applications of Borosilicate Glass

Borosilicate glass is used in a wide variety of industries due to its strength and durability:

Laboratory Glassware: Its thermal shock resistance and chemical resistance make borosilicate glass ideal for laboratory equipment such as beakers, test tubes, and distillation flasks.
Optical Components: Due to its excellent optical clarity, borosilicate glass is used in precision optical components like lenses, mirrors, and windows, providing superior performance across a range of temperatures.
Lighting Fixtures: Borosilicate glass is commonly used in high-intensity lighting systems, such as HID lamps and stage lighting, as it can withstand the intense heat generated during prolonged operation.
High-Temperature Applications: Borosilicate glass is used in industrial systems that require visibility under extreme temperature conditions, such as sight glasses in boilers, reactors, and high-heat machinery.
Solar Applications: It is also used in solar energy products such as solar collectors and photovoltaic systems, offering protection while resisting environmental stress.

Our Borosilicate Glass Offerings

At Lighting Glass, we provide a variety of borosilicate glass options for different applications. Our selection includes:

CORNING® EAGLE 2000®: This lightweight glass features a low thermal expansion coefficient, high optical transmission, and excellent surface quality, making it suitable for precision applications.
SCHOTT BOROFLOAT® 33: Known for its excellent optical transmission and chemical/thermal resistance, this borosilicate glass is used in high-temperature, high-chemical environments.
SCHOTT D263®: This thin borosilicate glass has low alkali content, providing excellent chemical resistance and optical clarity, ideal for high-precision optical parts.
SCHOTT SUPREMAX®: This glass offers the same excellent optical transmission, chemical, and thermal resistance as SCHOTT BOROFLOAT® 33. It is ideal for high-temperature and high-chemical environments and is 12% lighter than soda-lime glass.
CORNING EAGLE XG®：Known for its excellent surface quality, low density, and outstanding thermal and chemical properties, this environmentally friendly glass is widely used in precision optical and industrial applications.

Our Fabrication Services

At Lighting Glass, we offer a range of borosilicate glass fabrication services to meet our clients’ specific needs:

Edge Grinding and Polishing: We provide precision edge grinding and polishing to achieve high tolerances and smooth surfaces for a wide range of glass parts.
Waterjet Cutting and CNC Machining: We use waterjet cutting and CNC machining to deliver accurate, custom shapes and sizes for borosilicate glass parts.
Surface Lapping and Polishing: Our manual and CNC lapping and polishing services ensure a high degree of surface precision, with the ability to process both sides for optical-grade parts.
Glass Wafer Fabrication: We offer precision shaping, detailing, and polishing to produce borosilicate glass wafers that meet the high standards of various technical and industrial applications.

Borosilicate glass is an essential material for many industrial, scientific, and commercial applications due to its superior mechanical and thermal properties. At Lighting Glass, we specialize in providing custom borosilicate glass solutions that meet the diverse needs of our clients. With decades of experience in glass fabrication, we are committed to helping you leverage the unique properties of borosilicate glass for your next project.

To learn more about our borosilicate glass offerings or discuss your custom fabrication needs, contact us today. Let Lighting Glass be your trusted partner in delivering high-performance glass solutions for your business.