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Borosilicate Glass is a specialized form of glass that uses boric acid as a component in its fabrication. The result of the addition of the element boron is a type of glass that is very resistant to thermal shock and exhibits a much lower coefficient of thermal expansion than that of common silicate glass. In this article, a review of borosilicate glass will be presented, including its development, properties, and uses.

Development of Borosilicate Glass

Back in 1882, a German chemist named Otto Schott was interested in experimenting with ways to create glass that had the ability to withstand sudden changes in temperature or exposure to uneven temperatures without shattering. In that year, he made the discovery that ushered in the creation of the Borosilicate Glass Tube. Schott discovered that the addition of the element Boron to the glass fabrication process resulted in a heat-resistant form of glass.

Later work by chemists W.C. Taylor and Eugene Sullivan at Corning Glass refined the efforts of Otto Schott and expanded the temperature resistant properties of borosilicate glass. As a result of these innovations, customized glass fabrication grew, where there is now over a million different formulations of glass that can be customized for specific product needs by enhancing the desired physical and mechanical properties of glass.

Perhaps the most well-known application for borosilicate glass grew from further research at Corning Glass. After joining the company in 1914, physicist Jesse Littleton was given the task of testing and evaluating the physical properties of the newly created glass formulation. After his wife’s ceramic casserole dish accidentally broke, she suggested that perhaps this newly developed heat resistant glass might prove to be a useful product for baking. After she tested the notion by baking a cake in a sample glass container that Littleton had brought home, a new use for Borosilicate Glass Rod was born – glass cookware. Corning Glass introduced a line of products known as Pyrex®, which was for many years of its manufacturing run produced using borosilicate glass.

Properties of Borosilicate Glass

Borosilicate glass is generally chemically resistant, but perhaps its most remarkable physical property is its low coefficient of thermal expansion, which explains why the glass can resist shattering under sudden rapid changes in temperature. Glass generally is a poor conductor of heat, so when you take hot glass and immerse it in cold water, the exterior of the glass cools rapidly while the interior does not. The stresses caused by the temperature differential cause the glass to shatter.

With Borosilicate Glass Solar Vacuum Tube, the addition of boric acid (H3BO3) to the formulation results in a glass that has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, which means that when the glass is heated or cooled, it does not expand or contract very much. This dimensional stability is what enables borosilicate glass to be capable of withstanding rapid and extreme temperature changes without cracking.

The chemical composition of borosilicate glass typically consists of around 81% silicon dioxide (SiO2) and 13% boron trioxide (B2O3) with lesser concentrations of sodium oxide and aluminum oxide. (Note that the concentrations of boric oxide can vary, 5-13% is typical). The element Boron is what provides the glass with its dimensional stability so that the material doesn’t shrink or grow as the temperature to which it is exposed changes.

Applications of Borosilicate Glass

The initial problem that was attempting to be solved at the time that Otto Schott began experimenting with glass formulations was to create a glass that could stand up against extreme temperature exposure. For example, the glass that was used in lanterns at that time would end up shattering or cracking in rainy conditions because the cold rain on the exterior surface of the glass caused a large temperature gradient when compared with the temperature of the hot interior face.

Plastic can be a problem. It might seem strange for a company called “Plastic Place” to acknowledge such a thing, but it is absolutely true. While the invention of plastic has done a massive amount for humanity, revolutionizing everything from sanitation to health care, no technological advance comes without its price. Improperly discarded plastic is one of the most urgent problems facing the environment today. According to the U.S. Environmental Agency, only 8% of the 31 million tons of plastic waste produced each year is recycled. Much of the rest ends up as litter and pollution, clogging waterways, threatening wildlife, and releasing potentially toxic chemicals into the earth. Being so aware of this conflict is what drives our commitment to finding greener ways of dealing with trash, especially when it comes to the production and disposal of plastic bags.

When Biodegradable Garbage Bags first arrived on the scene, they were hailed as the scientific breakthrough that would cure all the problems that plastic can create. The idea of a plastic that would behave and break down just like a natural material seemed too good to be true. Was it? We took a look at the facts and found out.

What does “biodegradable” actually mean?

First it will help to define the sometimes confusing terms which are often used interchangeably when discussing biodegradable plastics.

“Regular” plastic is a synthetic material created from petrochemicals. Without getting too deep into the science, the long polymer chains in regular plastic are so resilient and resistant to breakdown that they can last for hundreds of years.

Biodegradable Clothes Bags, which are also made from petrochemicals, are manufactured differently so that they can begin to break down quickly in the presence of air and sunshine. You might see this plastic labeled as photodegradable or oxy degradable.

Bioplastic is made from organic, renewable sources, such as vegetable oils, corn, and grains.

Compostable plastic, which is usually bioplastic, doesn’t just break down: as it decomposes, it will create humus, which adds valuable nutrients to the soil.

One of the first problems with “biodegradable plastic” was that in the early days there was no consensus on what qualified as biodegradable. Dubious claims abounded as companies rushed to get on the green bandwagon and made all kind of promises to consumers that were not actually true. Eventually, the Federal Trade Commission stepped in with a strict set of guidelines defining exactly what could and could not be labeled as biodegradable.

The limitations of biodegradable plastic

“Returning to nature” is a pretty poetic idea, but is that actually what happens when Biodegradable Pet Poop Bags arrive at the landfill? The problem with the FTC guidelines is that some extremely important factors are completely left out.

Most backyard gardeners don’t need an entire shed full of tools to tend to their vegetable gardens—a few sturdy hand tools will do the trick! This is especially true if you garden in raised beds or containers. Using a big rake on a raised bed is like using a sledgehammer to put in a push pin—there is such a thing as too much tool.

The right tools for the job will make it so you can plow through your garden to-do list more efficiently. We’ve tested lots of Garden Hand Tools in the Growfully gardens, and this list is out best of the best. Let’s dig in!

What hand tools do I need?

There are hundreds of different kinds of garden hand tools—trowels, spades, weeders, pruners, hoes, cultivators, oh my! But a savvy gardener just has a few, high-quality tools that they use every day. If you are just starting out, here is our list of must-haves:

Trowel—AKA: a mini shovel. A Hand Trowel is a must-have hand tool for every gardener. Invest in a good one with inch markings and a sturdy handle.

Cultivator—AKA: a manual rototiller or mini-rake. Use this Hand Cultivator to mix in soil amendments, aerate the soil, rake in seeds, or rake back mulch. Many tools have a cultivator on one side, and a hoe on the other (like this one).

Hoe—A sharp hoe is a must-have for removing weeds in your beds and containers. There are at least a dozen different shapes of hand hoes, but we really like either a classic hoe, circular hoe, or Nejiri Gama hoe.

Harvest/Weeding Knife—Growing up, there was always an old knife stuck into the top of the fence post in my parents’ garden, and I have one now, too! An old kitchen knife works, but you can also upgrade to a Hand Weeder and harvest knife if you want the real deal.

Scissors or Shears—A good pair of garden scissors or shears is a must-have for harvesting herbs and greens. These small pruning snips have a permanent spot in my garden harvest basket.

Hand Pruners—AKA: secateurs. A good, sharp pair of hand bypass pruners will make your life so much easier!

How do I store hand tools?

For the longest life, keep Long Handle Tools covered and out of the weather. Make sure they are clean before you put them away. On tools with exposed metal, a thin layer of mineral oil can keep them from rusting if stored in a humid environment.

How do I clean and disinfect hand tools?

Hand tools should be regularly cleaned and disinfected. This is especially true if you used your tools on a diseased plant—you can easily spread bacterial and fungal diseases among plants on your tools.

For most (non-diseased plant) purposes, a gentle wash under the garden hose to clean off dirt and debris will do the trick. Make sure the tools are completely dry before you store them—you can dry them in the sun or by using a cloth.

Use a metal file to lightly sharpen the edges of tools. Again, you don’t want to grind away too much of the metal, just use it to smooth out nicks, remove burrs, and give a nice clean edge. On some Garden Cutting Tools (like hedge clippers and axes), you’ll need to follow up with a sharpening stone lubricated with oil for a finer edge.

An excellent cleaning tool makes a big difference when cleaning up last year’s leftover leaves from your lawn when spring arrives. You will need the best leaf grabbers for your cleaning tasks since they have the ingenuity to clean any yard or lawn. What’s more, the best Leaf Grabber features oversized leaf claws to clean up a huge amount of leaves in a short time. And this makes cleaning your yard or garden faster.

You can even use your leaf grabbers as a garden grabber since these are versatile. You want to buy the best leaf grabbers from the market to unlock their full potential. However, the market is never short of it and not all of them are best for you. You will need a guide to help you narrow down your choices to the best leaf grabbers.

https://www.rhinogardening.com/garden-cutting-tools/