All our re-usable, sustainable glass bottles are made from Borosilicate glass

Everything You Need to Know About Borosilicate Glass

Borosilicate glass might sound like something out of a science lab but you probably have something made of it sitting in your kitchen right now. It’s commonly used by some of the biggest names in kitchenware for its non-toxic composition and durable design. But what exactly is borosilicate glass and how is it used?

Borosilicate glass is made by melting sand with boron trioxide to limit the material’s ability to expand when exposed to heat. This makes it the ideal material for making glass cookware, containers, and even scientific tools. You’ve likely used it before without even realizing it. 

In this overview, we’ll explain everything you need to know about borosilicate glass. Get ready to learn how it’s made, what sets it apart from standard glass, where you’ve likely seen it before, and how safe it is for your family and friends.

What is Borosilicate Glass?

Bo-ro-sil-i-cate  | ˌbôrəˈsiləkət 

A low-melting-point glass made from a mixture of silica and boric oxide

Borosilicate glass is a special type of glass made by mixing 70-80% silica sand with boron trioxide. At first glance, you likely wouldn’t be able to tell the two-component materials apart but, when heated, boron trioxide absorbs massive amounts of heat before crystallizing into a glass. Once the two fuses into the glass, boron trioxide slows the annealing process, producing a harder, more durable material.

Thanks to its ability to absorb such high temperatures, boron trioxide also makes the glass less susceptible to thermal exposure, thus guaranteeing that the final product can withstand a lot of heat without melting, warping, or cracking. For this reason, borosilicate glass is a popular choice for chefs and scientists alike.

What is Borosilicate Glass Used For?

Just about everyone who’s gone through the public school system has used borosilicate glass at least once in their life. Since it’s able to withstand incredibly high temperatures without melting or cracking, borosilicate glass is the material de jour for making scientific equipment such as test tubes, beakers, and stirring rods. If you’ve ever heated a beaker over a Bunsen burner, you’ve used borosilicate glass.

What is the Difference Between Regular Glass and Borosilicate Glass?

Besides the added boron trioxides, borosilicate glass stands out from regular glass for a few important reasons:

1) Durability – First and foremost, borosilicate glass is more durable than standard glass. Most objects made from borosilicate glass can survive a knock or two without chipping, cracking, or shattering.

2) Heat Resistance – As we’ve mentioned above, borosilicate glass is prized for its ability to withstand incredibly high temperatures without cracking or melting.

3) Stability – Borosilicate glass is highly stable, meaning it won’t leach chemicals or toxins. In fact, it’s so stable that it’s used in nuclear reactors to transport nuclear waste without leaching radiation.

Is Borosilicate Glass Safe for Health?

Remember when we said that borosilicate glass is made from boron trioxide?

In its raw form, boron is unsafe for human or animal consumption. It’s such a powerful toxin that it’s commonly used as a pesticide. In dry seasons, it sometimes washes into drinking water supplies, leading to widespread boron poisoning. So, if it’s so dangerous, why are we making glass from boron?

The trick is to bind boron with silica glass. When boron trioxide is melted and fused with silica sands, it becomes inert and highly stable. Even if exposed to chemical reactants, the boron cannot escape its glassy prison, keeping you safe from its toxicity. It’s so stable that borosilicate glass is even used in nuclear reactors to prevent radiation from leaching from waste.

Is Borosilicate Glass Better for the Environment?

Stop to consider your daily habits. Do you buy a plastic water bottle every day? Do you use plastic containers at home? If so, you’re actively contributing to the ongoing plastic crisis affecting the world’s oceans and waste management systems. Every year, it’s estimated that 91% of the world’s plastic production goes unrecycled, left to be thrown in landfills and onto garbage barges.

Switching to borosilicate glass can help reduce your dependency on plastics by eliminating your daily use of plastic bottles and replacing your warped plastic food containers. Borosilicate glass lasts far longer than plastics and can be reused every day for years on end. Best of all, a borosilicate thermos or water bottle can keep your beverages hot or cold far longer than a standard plastic bottle.

Consider switching from plastic to borosilicate glass and we’ll help you do your part to save the planet. It’s stylish, durable, and cheaper in the long run than buying plastic bottle after plastic bottle.