Quartz glass is a versatile material.  It is composed of fused silica and has several key qualities not limited to:

• Good transmission behaviour in ultra-violet, visible and infrared wavelengths
• High temperature endurance
• A low coefficient of thermal expansion
• Good thermal shock resistance
• Excellent electrical insulation
• High chemical purity

We use only the highest quality grades of Quartz with the lowest levels of inclusions and bubbles suitable for the most challenging applications. It is a common misconception that all quartz is equal and there is no difference between grades. However, in technical applications the right variant can be critical. Other than cost the following factors are all crucial:

• Optical homogeneity
• Transmission and absorption
• Bubble or inclusion content
• Refractive index and dispersion
• Residual strain
• Fluorescence
• Resistance to light induced defects or irradiation

A trademarked product of Heraeus. Spectrosil® is an ultra-high purity synthetic fused silica manufactured using a patented, environmentally friendly process.

With various grades available according to application, Spectrosil® benefits from high homogeneity derived from its exceptional purity and being almost entirely free of bubbles and inclusions.  This leads to exceptional optical transmission in the deep ultraviolet and visible ranges.

Also being chlorine-free results in outstanding resistance to laser damage.

The main components of borosilicate are silica and boron trioxide. It benefits from having very low coefficients of thermal expansion making it more resistant to thermal stock than other common glass. As the glass is less susceptible to thermal stress, it can withstand temperature differentials of 165°C.

In addition, it has excellent scratch and abrasion resistance and has high transmission and optical clarity.

These physical properties make it ideal for various applications including lighting, electronics, and lab equipment and cookware.

Other common terms for borosilicate are Pyrex™, Borofloat and Suprax™.

Commonly known as stove glass, Robax™ benefits from impressive high heat, chemical and mechanical resistance, as well as near-zero thermal expansion.

It offers temperature stability up to 760°C and thermal shock resistance meaning no breakages from thermal stress or stock.

It is commonly used in high-temperature applications such as stoves and furnaces.

BK7™ is a very pure borosilicate crown material produced by SCHOTT. It has very few inclusions and is almost free of bubbles.  It has many properties including smooth transmission and low absorption in the entire visible wavelength range.

It comes in block form and is commonly used for optical windows, lenses and prisms.

Soda lime float glass is the most common and least expensive type of glass. It contains about 70% silica, along with soda, lime, and small amounts of other compounds. The soda lowers the temperature at which the silica melts, while the lime stabilizes the silica. About 90% of glass manufactured is soda-lime. 

It’s chemically stable, inexpensive, and is very workable because it can be softened multiple times during the fabrication of a product. It is a softer glass, which is an asset because it makes fabrication via cutting easier, but this does mean it is less scratch-resistant than other types of glass, such as borosilicate.

Soda-lime glass is often tempered to increase its thermal shock resistance and strength or can be chemically strengthened.

It is also commonly known as soda-lime-silica glass or window glass.

There are other common variations with additional properties.  The main ones are as follows:
Pilkingtons Optiwhite™️
Schott B270™️

An extra-clear, low-iron float glass; it is practically colourless, and the green cast inherent to other clear glasses is not present. It is perfect for applications where transparency and purity of colour are desired.

B270™ is a crown glass from Schott which is a highly transparent, super white soda lime glass.  It offers excellent optical performance across a range of thicknesses and has a ‘super white’ look with exceptional clarity.

It has consistent light transmittance across a range of wavelengths from ultraviolet to near infra-red.

There are a myriad of coated glass products, some of the most common being:
ITO Coated Glass
Pilkington K Glass™
Conturan™️

ITO coated glass, used in touch screens, is produced by spreading a thin but even layer of Indium Tin Oxide over a glass substrate, making the glass both low resistance and highly transparent.

Pilkington K Glass™ is the original hard coated, pyrolytic low emissivity coated thermal glass. The coating reflects heat whilst also letting in free heat from the sun.

Conturan is one of the toughest anti-reflective glasses available and is resistant to heat, chemicals, corrosion, impact, abrasion and cleaning products.

It has an optical interference coating which means it only reflects back 1% of light, rather than 8% for conventional float glass.

Its durability due to its chemical toughening makes it ideal for high use environments.

It offers infra-red protection meaning outdoor displays are protected from overheating and damage.

Lead glass is a type of glass in which lead replaces the calcium content of a typical potash glass.  It contains typically 18–40% lead oxide by weight while modern lead crystal (known as flint glass), historically contains a minimum of 24%.

Lead glass benefits from high clarity and scratch resistance but its unique quality is its absorption of radiation. Glasses like Shotts RD30™, RD50™ and RS series are typically used in a wide range of applications in the medical and nuclear industries – for example in x-ray facilities.