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Why is borosilicate glass used for chemical glassware and cookware?
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Examining a superhydrophobic glass surface that resists fog and glare and is self-cleaning.
Borosilicate glass is widely used for chemical glassware and cookware primarily due to its high chemical durability and superior resistance to thermal shock.
The key properties that make it suitable for these applications include:
- Thermal Shock Resistance: Borosilicate glass has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion—approximately one-third that of typical soda-lime-silica glass. This allows the glass to withstand sudden temperature changes without fracturing, which is essential for laboratory equipment and kitchen cookware.12
- Chemical Stability: By incorporating boric oxide into the silica network and substituting some alkali with alumina, the glass achieves high chemical resistance. This stability prevents the glass from reacting with or leaching into the substances it contains, making it ideal for storing or heating chemicals and food.134
These characteristics are achieved by replacing much of the sodium oxide found in ordinary glass with boric oxide, resulting in a robust material capable of enduring demanding environments.13