Industrial Insight: Key Differences Between Quartz and High Borosilicate Glass Tubes

Industrial Insight: Key Differences Between Quartz and High Borosilicate Glass Tubes

Industrial News — Glass tubes are essential tubular materials widely adopted in chemical experiments, industrial pipelines, optical equipment and electronic manufacturing. Among diverse glass products, quartz glass tubes and high borosilicate glass tubes are the most commonly used types. Despite their similar transparent appearance, the two tubes differ greatly in raw material composition, physical and chemical properties, as well as industrial application ranges.

The fundamental gap lies in material composition. Quartz glass tubes are synthesized from high-purity silica, with a SiO₂ purity of up to 99.99%. The raw materials are melted at an ultra-high temperature above 1700℃, forming dense and stable tubular structures. In comparison, high borosilicate glass tubes are composite glass materials, containing 78% to 80% silica and 12% boron trioxide. Additional alkali metal additives are mixed to lower melting difficulty and production costs.

Material differences bring distinct performance disparities. Quartz glass tubes have remarkable high-temperature resistance, with a long-term service temperature of 1100℃. Owning an ultra-low thermal expansion coefficient, they can withstand drastic temperature fluctuations without breakage. They also feature excellent UV transmittance and superior acid corrosion resistance. Nevertheless, high borosilicate glass tubes only sustain a maximum temperature of 450℃. Their thermal expansion rate is six times higher than quartz tubes, resulting in weaker thermal shock resistance. Besides, they have poor ultraviolet permeability and cannot resist concentrated strong acid erosion.

Their application scenarios are clearly stratified in the industry. High-performance quartz glass tubes belong to high-end industrial supplies. They are extensively used in semiconductor processing, ultraviolet disinfection lamps, high-temperature reaction furnaces, aerospace testing instruments and precision medical equipment. In contrast, high borosilicate glass tubes are economical and practical for civil and basic industrial fields. They are mainly applied in common laboratory reaction vessels, household heating pipelines, daily chemical packaging and ordinary low-temperature fluid delivery pipes.

Industry practitioners suggest that enterprises should choose glass tubes based on actual working conditions. Quartz tubes are indispensable for extreme working environments, while borosilicate tubes are more suitable for conventional scenarios to control costs. Currently, driven by the advanced manufacturing industry, the market demand for high-purity quartz glass tubes keeps growing steadily, while high borosilicate glass tubes maintain stable sales in the civilian market.