Other Tube Applications

Redraw blanks are glass tubes that are be used to “draw” other tubes with specific custom ratios in a redraw tower. The redraw blanks are heated at one end of the tube while held in position in the tower in order to draw another smaller tube, while keeping the same outside dimension and wall weight ratio of the starting glass redraw tube/blank. This redraw process is often used to produce a precision bore glass tube or capillary tube where an ultra-precise bore glass tube is required. Redraw blank glass tubing can be produced from all borosilicate types in both clear and amber on a campaign basis only.

Fiber Optic Clad is the outer glass layer, often in tube form, outfitted with an inner solid glass rod, together to make a preform blank suitable for drawing fiber optic strands of glass with the ability to carry light. The preform may also be made using glasses of similar chemistries and coefficients of expansion, and layering these glasses together to produce the preform. The ability of the resulting fiber to carry light using a multi-layer preform is enhanced as the refractive indexes of the layered glasses amplifies light traveling characteristics. Corning borosilicate glasses can be constructed as a rod or bar for the core application, and then layered to become the outer clad. Common end uses of fiber optic glass include fiber optic cables, tapers, or face plates.

Corning C33 glass and C51 glass can be used interchangeably as the glass clad for parabolic solar troughs depending on the glass to metal seal assembly requirements and or the transmissivity requirements of the glass. 

Borosilicate glass tubing is a preferred material to produce biomass growth systems. Corning C33 glass is suitable for biomass production facility applications as the primary plumbing material. These facilities typically produce a high quality green algae for food supplements or cosmetics. The Corning C33 glass tube is arranged in a series to form a radiator system. Water or another substance is used as the agent to grow the biomass with adjacent systems managing the carbon dioxide, oxygen levels and harvest.   

Corning C33 glass tubing and rod is compatible with colored glass frits, powders and marbles used in the artistic glass blowing industry. The industry relies on the global standard laboratory formula for glass apparatus as outlined in the ASTM as Type I Class A. The resulting coefficient of thermal expansion (33) of the Corning C33 glass product has been used in glass blowing and lathe operations for decades including art and scientific apparatus creation. A common glass blowing retail item would include a paper weight, pen holder or ring holder, many of which can be found at the Corning Museum of Glass. The C33 glass or equivalent is in many of the museums around the world today and the possibilities for art projects for the C33 material is limitless.