Borosilicate 3.3 Lab Glassware

-- Steady & Reliable Manufacturer --

Borosilicate 3.3 glass is the workhorse material behind most of the glassware you'll find on a working lab bench, and it's also the material we've built our production around at Shanghai Heqi Glassware since 2002. Unlike ordinary soda-lime glass, borosilicate 3.3 contains a higher proportion of boron trioxide, which gives it a very low coefficient of linear thermal expansion — around 3.3×10⁻⁶/K, which is where the "3.3" in the name comes from. In practical terms, that means a beaker or flask made from this glass can go from an ice bath to a hot plate without cracking, something that matters a lot when you're running reflux reactions or rapid heating and cooling cycles.

Across our four production bases in Songjiang, Chengdu, Jiaxing and Yancheng, we manufacture a full range of borosilicate 3.3 lab glassware — beakers, bottles, flasks, condensers, distillation components, funnels, cylinders and more — using a mix of mechanized and semi-mechanized processes that we've developed over two decades. This tag brings together every product on our site made from this glass grade, so if you already know you need borosilicate 3.3 for chemical compatibility or thermal shock resistance, this is the fastest way to browse everything that qualifies, rather than digging through individual product categories one at a time.

Key Advantages of Borosilicate 3.3 Glassware

There are a handful of reasons borosilicate 3.3 keeps showing up as the default choice for lab glassware, and it's worth being specific about what you're actually getting rather than just repeating marketing language.

Thermal shock resistance — withstands sudden temperature changes of up to roughly 160°C without fracturing, which matters for reflux setups, autoclaving, and glassware that moves between hot plates and cold water baths.
Chemical inertness — resists attack from most acids, salt solutions, and organic solvents, so it won't leach into your samples or degrade over repeated use, which is why it's the default for anything touching reagents.
Mechanical strength — higher tensile and impact strength than soda-lime glass, reducing breakage during routine handling, cleaning, and shipping.
Optical clarity — stays clear and colorless after repeated autoclaving and chemical exposure, so graduations and reaction color changes stay easy to read.
Manufacturing consistency — our assembly-line production (rather than purely manual workshop methods) means wall thickness, graduation accuracy, and joint tolerances stay consistent from batch to batch, which is something buyers doing repeat orders notice quickly.
Cost efficiency — mechanized production keeps unit costs down without sacrificing the quality control you'd expect from hand-blown glass, so pricing stays competitive on both small trial orders and bulk purchase orders.

If your process specifically calls for even lower expansion or higher purity, our quartz lab glassware line is worth comparing against this one.

Industries and Applications

Borosilicate 3.3 glassware isn't tied to one industry — it's the default material across most wet-chemistry work, which is exactly why it ends up in such a wide range of settings.

Pharmaceutical and chemical R&D labs use it for everything from small-scale synthesis to reflux and distillation setups where thermal cycling is routine.
University and vocational teaching laboratories rely on it heavily because it's durable enough to survive student use while staying affordable enough for large class sets.
Food, beverage and cosmetics testing labs use borosilicate beakers, flasks and cylinders for formulation work and quality control testing, since the material won't react with the samples being tested.
Environmental and water-testing facilities depend on it for sample prep and titration work, where consistent volumetric accuracy matters.
Petrochemical and materials labs use it in distillation and extraction setups that involve organic solvents and elevated temperatures.
Pilot-scale process development teams — the kind of small-batch scale-up work our own R&D team supports — often specify borosilicate 3.3 for custom vessels before a process moves to metal or larger glass-lined equipment.

Because this tag spans multiple product categories, it's a practical starting point whether you're outfitting a new lab or replacing broken glassware in an existing setup.

Technical Specifications

The table below covers the typical physical and dimensional parameters for borosilicate 3.3 lab glassware in our catalog. These figures are consistent with international borosilicate glass standards and reflect what you can expect across our beakers, flasks, bottles, condensers, and related products under this tag. Individual products may vary slightly in wall thickness, joint configuration, or graduation tolerance depending on forming method and product type, so we'd always recommend checking the specific product page for exact dimensions, or simply asking us to confirm the figures for the particular item you're sourcing before placing an order. If you're comparing multiple suppliers, these are the parameters worth checking line by line, since minor differences in hydrolytic resistance class or wall tolerance are usually where quality differences between manufacturers actually show up.

Parameter	Typical Value
Glass Type	Borosilicate Glass 3.3
Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion	3.3 × 10⁻⁶ / K (20–300°C)
Softening Point	Approx. 820°C
Transformation Temperature	Approx. 525°C
Density	Approx. 2.23 g/cm³
Hydrolytic Resistance Class	Class 1 (per ISO 719 / DIN 12111)
Thermal Shock Resistance	Withstands sudden ΔT up to approx. 160°C
Wall Thickness Range	1.2 mm – 4.5 mm, depending on product type
Standard Joint Sizes	14/23, 19/26, 24/29, 29/32, 34/35 (custom sizes available)
Color / Transparency	Clear, colorless; amber variants available for light-sensitive applications
Available Forming Methods	Machine-blown, semi-mechanized, hand-finished for complex geometries

Frequently Asked Questions

Is borosilicate 3.3 the same as "Pyrex"-type glass?
Yes, functionally. Borosilicate 3.3 is the international designation for the glass composition commonly marketed under trade names like Pyrex or Duran. The "3.3" refers to the expansion coefficient, not a brand.

Can borosilicate 3.3 glassware go directly from a freezer to a hot plate?
It's rated for thermal shock, but we'd still recommend gradual temperature changes where possible. Sudden, extreme swings (well below freezing to open flame, for example) can still cause stress fractures even in high-quality glass.

What's the difference between this and your quartz lab glassware?
Quartz handles higher temperatures and UV transmission better, but costs significantly more and is more brittle to mechanical shock. For most standard lab work, borosilicate 3.3 is the more practical and economical choice.

Do you offer custom joint sizes or non-standard dimensions?
Yes — see our custom lab glass fabrication & OEM tag for products built to buyer-specified drawings.

What's your minimum order quantity?
It depends on the specific product and whether it's a standard catalog item or custom-made. Standard items generally have lower MOQs than fully custom pieces — send us your list and we'll confirm.

Can I mix products from different joint standards in one order?
Yes, but confirm taper compatibility first — our standard ground joint lab glassware tag lists compatible sizes.

Joint Compatibility & Sealing

Most borosilicate 3.3 lab glassware in this collection is manufactured with standard ground glass joints, which is what makes it possible to mix and match components from different products — a flask from one batch, a condenser from another — and still get a reliable, vacuum-tight fit.

We manufacture to the common international taper standards — 14/23, 19/26, 24/29, 29/32 and 34/35 — using precision grinding equipment that keeps joint tolerances tight and consistent across production runs. That consistency matters more than it might sound: a slightly out-of-spec joint won't leak dramatically, but it will lose vacuum slowly during a long distillation run, which is a frustrating failure mode to diagnose. Where extra sealing security is needed, joints can be paired with PTFE sleeves or PTFE-sealed stopcocks, which reduce the risk of joints sticking or seizing after repeated use — something that happens more often than people expect with plain ground glass, especially with viscous or alkaline reagents.

For setups that need to hold high vacuum over extended periods, we recommend checking compatibility with our vacuum-rated lab glass components, and for buyers assembling custom reflux or distillation trains, our interchangeable lab glass adapters tag makes it easier to find compatible connecting pieces without guessing at dimensions.

Ordering, Payment & Shipping

We work with both small trial-order buyers and larger recurring accounts, so payment and shipping terms are flexible rather than one-size-fits-all.

Payment methods — T/T bank transfer, L/C, and Alibaba Trade Assurance are all supported. For new buyers, we typically ask for a 30% deposit with the balance due before shipment; established accounts can arrange different terms case by case.
Sample orders — available for most standard products, which we'd generally recommend before committing to a bulk order, especially if you're specifying custom joint sizes or dimensions.
Packaging — glassware is individually wrapped and cushioned, then packed into reinforced foam-lined cartons or wooden crates for larger or fragile items, since breakage in transit is the most common complaint with glass shipments and it's something we've refined packaging around over many years.
Shipping — FOB Shanghai is standard, with sea freight for bulk orders and air freight available for smaller or time-sensitive shipments. Lead times vary by order size and customization level — typically 15–30 days for standard products, longer for fully custom fabrication.

If you need a firm quote and lead time for a specific product mix, it's easiest to send us the item list directly rather than estimating from general ranges.

Certifications & Quality Assurance

Because this glassware ends up in regulated pharmaceutical, food-testing and environmental labs, buyers reasonably want to know what's been verified before it ships, not just after there's a problem.

ISO 9001 quality management certification covers our production processes across all four manufacturing bases.
RoHS and REACH compliance — our borosilicate 3.3 glass is manufactured without the restricted heavy metals and substances covered under these regulations, which matters for buyers shipping into the EU.
Raw material sourcing — we use borosilicate glass tubing and rod from established suppliers with consistent chemical composition, rather than mixed-source material, which helps keep hydrolytic resistance and thermal properties predictable batch to batch.
Third-party testing — SGS and equivalent test reports are available on request for buyers who need documentation for their own regulatory or procurement files.
Dimensional and volumetric accuracy — graduated glassware is checked against ISO 4788 / Class B tolerances during quality control, with Class A calibration available on request for volumetric items.

If your procurement process requires specific certificates or test documentation we haven't listed here, it's worth asking directly — we can usually provide what's needed or point you to what's realistically available for this product category. For buyers shipping into markets with additional import requirements, we're also glad to provide a signed certificate of origin or commercial invoice formatted to match your customs broker's preferences, since this is a recurring request from overseas buyers and something we can prepare alongside the standard shipping documents without adding to your lead time.

About

Shanghai Heqi Glassware Co., Ltd.

One point of professionalism, one point of service, one point of companionship—allow me to be your reliable partner on the path forward!

Shanghai Heqi was founded in March 2002, It is China Borosilicate 3.3 Lab Glassware Manufacturers and Custom Borosilicate 3.3 Lab Glassware Suppliers, Specializing in the R&D and production of standard-mouth glass instruments. Over the years, the company has established production bases in locations such as Songjiang, Chengdu, Jiaxing, and Yancheng. By integrating technology, craftsmanship, and management expertise, Heqi has adopted mechanized and semi-mechanized techniques to replace traditional manual methods. It has also introduced assembly-line industrial processes to replace simple workshop-style production, thereby reducing costs and improving quality.

To deliver on its service commitment of “you make a call, we handle the rest,” Heqi also supplies a range of high-quality glass instruments, lab consumables, and experimental equipment from both domestic and international brands. With ample inventory, fast delivery, and premium service, the company ensures full support for its clients.

In recent years, Shanghai Heqi has brought together experts in chemical R&D, mechanical design and processing, and electronic control to form a dedicated R&D team. The company has also set up three specialized workshops for glass, metalworking, and assembly. These facilities produce a variety of small and pilot-scale equipment, including glass reactors, rotary evaporators, distillation units, high- and low-temperature circulation systems, vacuum pumps, stirrers, and UV analyzers.

Leveraging its in-house capabilities in design, production, and custom fabrication of glass components, Shanghai Heqi continuously enhances product quality and service standards. It also supports the chemical and pharmaceutical industries by enabling customized small-scale and pilot-scale equipment solutions.

Our custom service team is ready to provide you with expert advice and personalized solutions.

Custom Lab Borosilicate 3.3 Lab Glassware