Most laboratory glassware is made from one of two materials: borosilicate glass or soda-lime glass. They look almost identical on the shelf, but they behave very differently once you start heating, cooling and cleaning them.
Borosilicate glass
Borosilicate glass (often sold as 3.3 glass) has a very low rate of thermal expansion. It can go from a flame to a cold bench with far less risk of cracking, and it resists most acids and alkalis. That makes it the standard choice for beakers, flasks and anything that will be heated.
Soda-lime glass
Soda-lime glass is cheaper and perfectly adequate for storage bottles, reagent jars and items that are never heated. It is more likely to crack with sudden temperature changes.
Which should you buy?
- For anything heated or autoclaved: borosilicate.
- For storage and display: soda-lime is fine.
- For school labs with heavy use: borosilicate lasts longer and works out cheaper over time.
If you are unsure, send us your list and we will suggest the right material for each item.
