Because of its extraordinary thermal properties, borosilicate glass can be used as monolithic pane in fire-resistant glazing. In the tragic event of a fire thermally toughened borosilicate glass provides a high level of safety.
The specific fire resistance properties as well as the behavior of the glass in comparison to toughened soda lime glass will be explained and shown. Important properties in the application fire protection are among others the viscosity behavior, the resistance towards temperature differences as well as the softening point temperature. The unique composition and structure of the borosilicate glass allows large dimensions of glass in simple frame systems. This provides the architect and designer more freedom of design to enhance the aesthetics of the building.
The second part of the presentation will deal with the question of why borosilicate glass is interesting for further architectural applications. In comparison to conventionally used soda lime glass, borosilicate glass does have a unique composition and therefore a different structure. One important fact is the low sodium content. The tendency to glass corrosion is in contrast to soda lime glass very little. This is beneficial for the long-term stability of various coatings, which can be applied on the glass surface. At SCHOTT floated borosilicate glass is available in a very broad thickness range. The floated glass surface is generally very smooth, which has further advantages.
