How to find the right Industrial Glass Tubing AI guide
Written by an AI model from its trained knowledge.
What the AI looks for in Industrial Glass Tubing
- Glass type
- Use borosilicate 3.3 for heat, lab and chemical work. Soda-lime is only for low-stress or decorative use. Fused quartz is for temperatures beyond borosilicate's range. Borosilicate's low thermal expansion is what lets it survive heating and thermal shock.
- COE matching
- Only join or fuse glasses with the same coefficient of expansion, for example COE 33 with COE 33. Mismatched expansion leaves stress that cracks the joint as it cools.
- Wall thickness
- Choose standard or heavy wall based on pressure, vacuum and handling. Specify OD, wall and length. Thin wall flame-works easily but breaks under vacuum or impact.
- Dimensional tolerance
- For tubing that must fit seals, ferrules or ground joints, buy from a source that states OD tolerance. Out-of-round or off-size tube will not seal reliably in fittings.
Brands that matter
- Schott: Duran and Fiolax borosilicate tubing are industry-standard specifications.
- Corning (Pyrex): Long-established borosilicate glass for lab use.
- DWK Life Sciences (Kimble): Lab-grade borosilicate glassware and tubing.
What to avoid
- Soda-lime tubing for anything that will be heated or flame-worked with borosilicate
- Unspecified 'glass tubing' with no glass type or COE listed
- Scratched or chipped tubing for pressure or vacuum use, since surface flaws start fractures
Questions
Can I fuse borosilicate tubing to colored art glass?
Only if the colored glass is made to the same COE (for example COE 33). Soft glasses such as COE 90 or 104 will crack when fused to borosilicate.