Borates And Their Use In The Glass Industry

Borates have been used in glassmaking for over seven hundred years. However, until the discovery of sizeable deposits in the Americas, Turkey and Europe during the nineteenth century, their widespread use in industry was not possible. Boric oxide performs a multifunctional role in glass, controlling both the melt and final product properties, which has made possible the development and production of the many types of glass in use today. Major applications for borates in glass are in the manufacture of technical borosilicate glasses including heat resistant and medical glass, glass wool for thermal and acoustic insulation, continuous fibres for reinforcement and frits for the glazing of ceramics and enamelling metals.