What are the classifications of borosilicate glass?

International standards classify glass into four types based on material, including borosilicate glass, neutral glass, low borosilicate glass, and sodium calcium glass. Borosilicate glass can be further divided into the following four types:

1. Low alkali borosilicate glass: refers to SiO2-B2O3-R2O composition, with low coefficient of linear expansion, low dispersion, good chemical stability, high thermal stability, and good electrical insulation. It is used as heat-resistant cookware, ampoule glass, optical glass, solar panels, and collectors.

2. Alkaline earth borosilicate glass: refers to the SiO2-B2O3-RO component used to prepare optical glass and low-temperature glaze, used in crystalline powder solder, rectifier, and electronic device passivation.

3. Lanthanum borosilicate glass: refers to the SiO2-B2O3-La2O3-RmOn component, which has high refractive index, low dispersion, good chemical temperature resistance, and low devitrification ability.

4. Rare earth doped borosilicate glass: Laser glass based on SiO2-B2O3-RmOn, doped with Pr and Nd, nonlinear optical glass of Au, Ag, Cu, luminescent glass of CdS, ZnS: Mn nanocrystals.

The difference between low boron silicon and medium boron silicon medicine bottles

The main difference between medium borosilicate glass and low borosilicate glass is that they have a higher content of boron trioxide, higher thermal and chemical stability, and stronger ability to withstand temperature fluctuations. Therefore, the produced medicine bottles also have certain performance differences.

01 Chemical properties:

The national standard for water resistance on the inner surface of low borosilicate small bottles is 2.6m, while the national standard for water resistance on the inner surface of medium borosilicate small bottles is 1.3m. Simply put, "water resistance" refers to the harmful alkaline oxides such as potassium and sodium adsorbed on the inner wall of the small bottle during the subsequent processing in the bottle factory. The fewer the oxides, the better the water resistance. Good water resistance is beneficial for various indicators such as drug acidity, clarity, and stability.

02 Physical performance:

The size tolerance of the medium boron small bottle is very small. For example, the outer diameter tolerance standard of 16 tubes is plus or minus 0.14m, with a crystal clear color and high strength, which is better matched with production equipment. The low boron silicon tolerance is large and unstable between batches. For example, the outer diameter tolerance standard of 16 tubes is 0.3mm, with a greenish color, which is difficult to match with imported or high-end equipment.

The current development status of borosilicate glass in China

It is expected that the global pharmaceutical glass market will reach $22.05 billion by 2025, and the growth rate of emerging markets in India and China will reach 9%. China will become one of the main consumers of pharmaceutical glass packaging bottles. And Europe and America control the initiative in manufacturing borosilicate glass bottles, such as Germany's Schott Company, which is a leading enterprise in vaccine glass bottles, accounting for 50% of the market share.

At present, in addition to the so-called Schott Company, there are also Japanese companies NEG and American companies Corning that dominate the field, with a market share of 90%. Corning, known for producing "gorilla glass" screen panels for consumer electronics such as smartphones, has produced up to 3 billion vaccine bottles in the past 18 months, accounting for nearly 40% of the global market share and becoming a winner in the alternative market driven by vaccine demand.