Borates have been used for many years in borosilicate glass such as in
cookware, laboratory ware, pharmaceutical glass, and LCD-TFT glass. The
reasons for the use of borates are to decrease the coefficient of thermal
expansion and increase the chemical resistance and mechanical strength of the glass. By reducing the thermal expansion of the glass, the glass can be
heated or cooled which allows for use in cookware or laboratory use where
sterilization is important. The resistance to chemicals is important in
laboratories or pharmaceutical applications. The thermal expansion and
chemical resistance of the glass is regulated by the ratio of sodium (Na2O)
to borates (B2O3) in the formulation.
Borosilicate Glass
