WHAT IS BOROSILICATE GLASS?
Borosilicate glass is a type of glass that contains boron trioxide which allows for a very low coefficient of thermal expansion. This means it will not crack under extreme temperature changes like regular glass. Its durability has made it the glass of choice for high-end restaurants, laboratories and wineries.
What most people don't realize is that not all glass is created equally. Take our high-grade borosilicate for example.
Borosilicate glass is made up of about 15% boron trioxide, which is that magical ingredient that completely changes the behavior of glass and makes it thermal shock resistant. This allows the glass to resist extreme changes in temperature and is measured by the “Coefficient of Thermal Expansion,” the rate at which the glass expands when it is exposed to heat. Thanks to this, borosilicate glass has the ability to go straight from a freezer to an oven rack without cracking. For you, this means you can pour boiling hot water into borosilicate glass if you wanted to say, steep tea or coffee, without worrying about shattering or cracking the glass.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BOROSILICATE GLASS AND SODA-LIME GLASS?
Many companies choose to use soda-lime glass for their glass products because it is less expensive and readily available. It accounts for 90% of manufactured glass worldwide and is used for items like furniture, vases, beverage glasses and windows. Soda lime glass is susceptible to shock and does not handle extreme changes in heat. It’s chemical composition is 69% silica (silicone dioxide), 15% soda (sodium oxide) and 9% lime (calcium oxide). This is where the name soda-lime glass comes from. It is relatively durable at only normal temperatures.