Home > Products | Main Glass Types Handled

Main Glass Types Handled

Fused Silica Materials

Distributor for products from: Tosoh Quartz Corp.
Fused silica materials
Main features

Fused silica glass (N, OP, HR grades)
Obtained by fusing crystalline silica powder using an oxyhydrogen flame or electric furnace
Excellent water resistance, used in jig tools for semiconductor products
OP-1 and -3 provide a superior thermal barrier and darkness due to opaque fused silica contained within fine bubbles
Ultrahigh purity fused silica glass (S grade)
Ultrahigh purity fused silica glass produced using high purity materials and oxyhydrogen or electric fusion
Essentially bubble-less, ultraviolet transmittance equivalent to synthetic fused silica
Synthetic fused silica (ES, ED grades)
Obtained by hydrolysis of synthetic materials, so contains almost no impurities
Direct and VAD methods of manufacture that produce glass containing different amounts of hydroxyl (OH)
ES grade exhibits superior laser resistance, while ED grade provides superior heat resistance and optical transmission


Click here for more details on the characteristics and purity of the fused silica (Excel data: toso.xls)

PageTop

Pyrex®

Distributor for products from: Corning International K.K.
Pyrex® (Code: 7740)
Main features

Pyrex is borosilicate glass, so it is resistant to corrosion by all acids apart from hydrogen fluoride and hot phosphoric acid. When placed in a heated solution of alkali metal hydroxides, the surface can cloud and corrode. Pyrex has a low thermal expansion coefficient, so it is more resistant than standard glass to high temperatures and thermal cycles.
Annealed glass is designed to tolerate thermal stress up to 70kg/cm2 (1000psi). Tempered glass is designed to tolerate thermal stress of 140–210kg/cm2 (2000–3000 psi) and can provide stronger thermal shock resistance. Once glass is tempered, it is not possible to make any further changes or rebuild the glass.
Pyrex glass has a broader spectral band than soda lime glass, featuring higher transmittance of both infrared and ultraviolent light.
As Pyrex contains boron, it is used as a neutron-absorbing material in such atomic energy products as control rods and Raschig rings. MIL-G-47033 (MI) meets all borosilicate glass requirements for glass apparatus.


Click here for more details on the glass characteristics (Excel data: corning.xls)

PageTop

Vycor®

Distributor for products from: Corning International K.K.
Vycor® (Code: 7913)
Main features

Vycor products exhibit properties and performance equivalent to fused silica or quartz. Because of the high-temperature characteristics of Vycor, it can withstand continuous use at 900ºC and be used at up to 1200ºC.
96% silica exhibits excellent thermal shock resistance because of its extremely low thermal expansion coefficient. For example, a 1/8-inch Vycor glass sheet is not damaged if heated to 1200ºC and then cooled in ice water.
Compared with other glass products, Vycor is more resistant to acids, water, and steam at both high and low temperatures. Vycor’s alkali resistance is equivalent to that of other glass products.
Corning’s 96% silica provides high electrical insulation and low dielectric loss. Vycor glass code 7913 transmits at least 90% of ultraviolet light (365nm) at a thickness of 1.97mm and at least 90% of infrared light (2.4µm or above) at a thickness of 1.9mm.


Click here for more details on the glass characteristics (Excel data: corning.xls)

PageTop

Tempax Float® borosilicate glass 3.3

Distributor for products from: SCHOTT Nippon K.K.
Tempax Float® borosilicate glass 3.3
Main features

Tempax Float has a lower thermal expansion coefficient than general soda-lime glass and exhibits superior heat resistance and thermal shock resistance in all applications. Moreover, both sides of the glass have evenly smooth surfaces because of the float manufacturing method, producing superior optical quality with no optical distortions and high optical transparency.
Tempax Float is produced from materials that are not readily soluble and that easily form heterogeneities (bubbles or fine cords) in order to lower the thermal expansion coefficient. However, rigorous quality control procedures are put into place to eliminate these heterogeneities as much as possible.


Click here for more details on the sheet glass dimensions (Word data: tenpax.doc)

PageTop

Ultra Low Expansion (ULE®) glass

Distributor for products from: Corning International K.K.
Ultra Low Expansion (ULE®) glass
ULE glass, which is used in the primary mirror of the Subaru Telescope, can be easily formed into any shape required (see picture to right).
Main applications

  • Various substrates, surface plates
  • Various optical components
  • Mirrors in large reflecting telescopes
  • (Lightweight) mirrors in space telescopes
  • EUV applications
  • Other

Main features

Zero expansion (5–35ºC)
ULE glass has a material design that in effect achieves a zero thermal expansion coefficient. The maximum change between manufacturing lots has been kept to ±30×10-9/ºC. (We are pleased to discuss any requests for an even lower value.)
CTE non-destructive testing
By measuring the speed of ultrasonic waves through the glass, the thermal expansion coefficient of the product itself-not just a sample-can be measured to an accuracy of 2×10-9/ºC without destroying the glass.
Cord free
ULE glass (Mil-G-174, Grade A) is a colorless and transparent glass with no cords along the optical axis as, like synthetic quartz, it is manufactured using a CVD method.
Hysteresis
ULE glass is isotropic glass that does not exhibit thermal hysteresis.
Specific gravity
The specific gravity is similar to that of quartz (2,205g/cm3)
Shapes supplied
The product is cut from a large boule of raw materials, so we can respond to requests for any shape. Utilizing the zero-expansion characteristic of the glass, ULE glass can be supplied as large-scale glass materials (approx. 10m) through welding, a honeycomb-structured ultra-lightweight mirror using frit seals (approx. 90% reduction in weight possible), or a mirror with a curvature produced through sagging. Moreover, using thermal fusion, ULE glass can be processed into shapes for complex components.


Click here for more details on the glass characteristics (Excel data: corning.xls)

PageTop