Glass is a non-crystalline, or amorphous, solid material. Glass, in general, is optically transparent and brittle. In a scientific context, glass is everything that is solid and has a non-crystalline structure, as well as a glass transition stage that takes place when heated to a liquid. Glass can be made of aqueous solutions, ionic melts, metallic alloys, molecular liquids, and various polymers. The most common material used for the production of glass is silica (SiO2), which is found in sand and is also the same compound found in quartz. Various additives such as sodium carbonate (soda), lime and various oxides are used to produce more durable glass known as soda-lime glass, the most dominant industry glass produced. Glass is used as a thermal insulator, reinforcement material, container material for environmental protection, aesthetic and functional building material, and optoelectronic materials for optical device systems. Glass products are supplied to value-added industries in semiconductor device manufacturing, photovoltaic (PV) product manufacturing, other solar products and equipment, consumer electronics, building materials manufacturing, construction, consumer products, ophthalmological product manufacturing, automotive and vehicle manufacturing, and mirrors.
The current global glass industry is led by Nippon Sheet glass (NSG)/Pilkington (Japan/United Kingdom), Saint-Gobain (France), Guardian Industries Corp. (US), and Asahi Glass Co., Ltd. These companies use the commercialized float glass method, where sheets of glass are produced or floated on molten metals such as tin and lead. Float glass is usually soda-lime glass. Value-added and specialty glass manufacturers include optical product and lens manufacturer Carl Zeiss (Germany) and its subsidiary Schott AG (Germany).
In the Indian context, Borosil is one of the leaders in manufacturing the
Scientific Glassware as well as Industrial glassware. Laboratory work requires that the apparatus for handling chemicals/media offer maximum inertness when in contact with the widest range of chemical substances. Moreover such apparatus needs to withstand thermal shock without fracture, high temperatures without deformity and mechanical shocks from daily washing and sterilization.
Lab Glass Ware includes almost all items required in general lab usage. Borosil expertise in melting and forming low expansion, chemically inert borosilicate glass for over 40 years has made the products preferred globally.
