What is Borosilicate glass ?
Have you ever wondered Is Borosilicate glass safe for health? Let’s solve this issue. Borosilicate glass was first created in the late 19th century. It is made from silica and boron dioxide, which are known for chemical and thermal resistance. It also has a higher resistance to acids and hence, ideal for holding acidic and alkaline solutions. Unlike ordinary soda-lime glass, which tends to shatter when suddenly heated or cold, Borosilicate is stable enough to handle it. Borosilicate glass is often used for scientific and medical laboratories since it offers excellent chemical resistance in addition to its other useful qualities.
Uses of Borosilicate glass
- Bakeware and cookware
- Water jugs/bottles
- Wine glasses
- In research and chemistry labs
- High-intensity lighting products
- Sight glass
Health Benefits
Borosilicate glass is actually safer than tempered soda-lime glass. It has enough strength to compete with plastic, but it does not contain any of the harming toxins, like phthalates or BPA.
BPA has serious health consequences when ingested, especially for children and babies. It can affect hormone levels, brain function, and prostate function.
As borosilicate glass resists chemicals and acid degradation it is always safe to drink/eat from. Food and drink from borosilicate containers often taste better because the material does not leach out, as it does in plastic bottles and another BPA-containing packaging. We don’t need to worry about releasing harmful toxins into our food or drink. It is both harmful to our health and unpleasant as we get the taste of plastic or metallic flavour.
Borosilicate glass helps us to improve sustainability and keep plastic waste out of the landfill, which is good news for the environment. Plastic Pollution is a very real and growing threat to human health, so using a reusable jug or bottle made of borosilicate glass is an environmentally friendly solution.
More Benefits of Borosilicate Glass
Durability
As Borosilicate has such a low coefficient for thermal expansion, it doesn’t expand and contract like regular glass, it doesn’t experience the same cracking and breaking under intense heat. In fact, it is durable.
Transparency
One of the most apparent benefits of borosilicate glass compared to plastics, metals, silicon and painted glass, borosilicate glass has a smooth surface and unobstructed view so that we can have the visual appeal.
Easier to Clean
Some materials are not easy to clean. However, the anti-stick, nonporous surface of borosilicate glass makes the process much easier.
Microwave Heating
Is it safe to use a borosilicate glass container in a microwave oven? Yes! It is 100% microwavable, and you can safely use it in the oven.
Multifunctionality
Borosilicate glass performs safely at different temperatures, so we can store food and heat it in the same container. It goes from freezer to oven to table without any trouble. We can serve food in the same container that’s been stored and heated.
Making borosilicate glass requires much higher temperatures than those necessary for the production of regular glass. It makes the process more difficult to manufacture, and uses more energy, making it more expensive. This could be the reason behind some companies have moved away from using borosilicate glass for kitchenware. Instead of they are using tempered soda-lime glass, which is cheaper to manufacture.
Coming back to our question, Is Borosilicate glass safe for health? The answer is Yes. Borosilicate glass containers are free from any leakage and safe for use over and over again. These have more benefits than other containers, which makes them a better choice for food storing purposes. If you are trying to improve your health and make positive lifestyle changes, switching to Borosilicate glass containers is worth spending the extra money even though they are usually more expensive, save you money in the long run.
