Macalaster Bicknell Company of New Jersey stocks a variety of colored Pyrex tubing for both artistic and scientific applications.

Scientific Uses

All of the Pyrex tubing available through Macalaster Bicknell is borosilicate glass. The glass is formed from boron trioxide and silica, which gives it a low coefficient of thermal expansion. Therefore, the glass has a high resistance against thermal shock.

Borosilicate glass is most often used for scientific applications for this very reason. It can accommodate repeated heating and cooling that is often practiced in laboratory environments. However, most scientific glassware is clear for ease of viewing chemical solutions. Colored Pyrex tubing is typically used to create glass storage containers for light-sensitive solutions. Reagent, media and solution bottles can be tinted amber, green or blue to protect the chemicals from UV light.

Creative Uses

Colored Pyrex tubing is a popular tool in glass blowing and lampworking. The colored borosilicate tubes contain metal or silver, which produce beautiful and unpredictable patterns when heated with an oxygen flame. Colored Pyrex tubing is most often used in creating hollow wares likes vessels, containers and vases. Solid glass rods are great for crafting glass beads, paperweights and figurines.

Borosilicate glass is considered a “hard” glass because it has a high melting point. It also shrinks slowly as it cools, giving artisans ample time to manipulate the glass. Lead and soda-lime glass are considered “soft” glass because they melt at low temperatures. The expand and contract often throughout the cooling process, and can crack easily if not kept at a consistent temperature while handling.

Extreme care should be taken when mixing these glasses. Because they have different coefficients of thermal expansion, they will shrink at different speeds while cooling. This creates increased pressure which could shatter the glass if not handled properly.

No matter what the application, Macalaster Bicknell Company of New Jersey has the colored Pyrex tubes for your project. Browse our inventory and contact us today!