What is the disadvantage of borosilicate?

Author: Dr. Kaitlyn Effertz I  |  Last update: Saturday, December 20, 2025

Borosilicate glass is more expensive to produce than ordinary glass due to the inclusion of boron trioxide, which adds to its thermal and chemical resistance. This increased production cost is often passed on to consumers, making borosilicate glass products more expensive.

Is borosilicate good or bad for you?

Is Borosilicate Glass Safe? Borosilicate glass is completely safe and non toxic. Like our Glassware, it's made without heavy metals like lead or cadmium, both of which can occasionally be found in vintage drinking glasses and stemware.

Why did Pyrex stop using borosilicate?

This change was justified by stating that soda–lime glass has higher mechanical strength than borosilicate—making it more resistant to physical damage when dropped, which is believed to be the most common cause of breakage in glass bakeware. The glass is also cheaper to produce and more environmentally friendly.

Does borosilicate glass break easily?

Is borosilicate glass fragile? Borosilicate glass is known for its low coefficient of thermal expansion and high resistance to thermal shock, which makes it less likely to crack or break when exposed to changes in temperature.

Does borosilicate glass leach chemicals when heated?

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.

The Story of Borosilicate Glass: Why Pyrex was Special

Can we drink water in borosilicate glass?

Since borosilicate glass resists chemicals and acid degradation, you don't need to worry about stuff seeping into your water. It's always safe to drink from.

Which is better, pyrex or borosilicate?

This difference means that Borosilicate glass does not expand as much on heating, so it is less likely to break when heated. Pyrex is one particular blend of Borosilicate glass, with a particularly high heating tolerance.

Can you put boiling water in borosilicate glass?

High thermal resistance: Borosilicate glass can withstand temperature changes without cracking, making it perfect for boiling water. Chemical stability: It is resistant to chemical corrosion, ensuring that it does not leach chemicals into the water when heated.

What is borosilicate glass's weakness?

While borosilicate glass is resistant to many chemicals, it can still react with strong alkalis and hydrofluoric acid. This reactivity can limit its use in certain chemical applications where these substances are prevalent.

What brands use borosilicate glass?

Borosilicate glass is sold under various trade names, including Borosil, Duran, Pyrex, Glassco, Supertek, Suprax, Simax, Bellco, Marinex (Brazil), BSA 60, BSC 51 (by NIPRO), Heatex, Endural, Schott, Refmex, Kimax, Gemstone Well, United Scientific, and MG (India).

Why isn't Pyrex safe anymore?

Pyrex eventually switched to tempered glass most likely because boron is toxic and expensive to dispose of. Although tempered glass can better withstand thermal shock than regular soda-lime glass can, it's not as resilient as borosilicate. This is what causes the shattering reaction people are talking about.

How to tell if glass is borosilicate?

How to identify if an unknown glass is borosilicate glass, without leaving the Lab!
  1. Borosilicate glass can be readily identified by its' refractive index, 1.474.
  2. By immersing the glass in a container of a liquid of similar refractive index, the glass will disappear.
  3. Such liquids are: Mineral oil,

Is Corningware a borosilicate?

Corning used borosilicate to produce all Pyrex products. However, the company that purchased the cookware products switched to soda-lime glass, adopting the name pyrex (spelled with all lowercase letters).

Can you microwave borosilicate glass?

Borosilicate glass is designed to handle high heat and is known for its durability. It is used in glass cookware like Pyrex. Although it's ideal for microwaving, never put it straight from cold temperatures to avoid stress on the glass surface.

Is there BPA in borosilicate glass?

Borosilicate glass itself is BPA-free. However, some products which use borosilicate may have other components made from BPA plastic. When choosing borosilicate products, check to see the chemical composition of any plastic products. All pure borosilicate glass products (like baking dishes) are 100 per cent BPA-free.

Does borosilicate glass leach aluminum?

It's fine. People use borosilicate glass for food all the time, nothing is leaching out.

What is the toxicity of borosilicate glass?

Safe or toxic? A similarity between regular and borosilicate glass is that they are all completely non-toxic. You may have often observed that food and beverages from a glass container taste better than others. This is purely because ingredients cannot leach into the glass and do not absorb any stains or odours.

Is it safe to drink from borosilicate glass?

“Borosilicate glass is also lead and BPA-free, making it perfectly safe for use as drinking glasses. True borosilicate glass is actually safer than tempered soda-lime glass, which is what many companies currently use to make kitchenware.”

Can borosilicate glass be heated on the stove?

In the case of borosilicate glass teapots, most are safe to use directly on a stovetop or for heating water in a microwave.

Can you put coffee in borosilicate glass?

Borosilicate glass is known for its durability, heat resistance, and clarity. It is a type of glass that contains boron trioxide, which gives it unique properties that make it suitable for a variety of applications, including coffee carafes.

What is the safest glass to drink from?

Borosilicate is the safest material for water bottles and glass cookware. It's made with boron trioxide which means it won't break under major temperature shifts like tempered glass.

Can you put borosilicate glass on fire?

Inertness: Borosilicate glass is inert, non-combustible, and poses no environmental risk. Temperature Range: Borosilicate glass can withstand high temperatures, ranging from around -196 °C to 450 °C.

What are the cons of borosilicate glass?

However, it should be noted that borosilicate glass can still crack if subjected to sudden temperature changes or other stresses which are too extreme for it.

Is anchor hocking made of borosilicate glass?

Anchor Hocking has been manufacturing tempered soda-lime-silicate bakeware for nearly 40 years. Prior to that time, annealed borosilicate glass bakeware was the standard.

Why is borosilicate glass so expensive?

Borosilicate Glass is typically more expensive than soda-lime glass, the most commonly used glass for production. The increased cost of borosilicate glass can be attributed to several factors. First, the raw materials used in its production, including boron, are more expensive than those used in soda-lime glass.

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