First of all, I'm aware that Corning no longer manufactures borosilicate lab and kitchenware..
I recently visited the Corning glass museum in NY state. I was looking forward to seeing an extensive collection of lab glass (old and maybe some
newer). Not that they advertised it or anything, I simply assumed they'd have such a display.
I walked through all of the displays at least twice and saw nothing pertaining to labware..
I asked a few employees where I could find lab items on display and got funny looks. One of them said, "some of the bottles you see were undoubtedly
used to store things in the lab, blah blah blah."
The store downstairs didn't have a single piece of 'real' Pyrex kitchenware in their inventory - I asked.
On a lighter note, their glassblower put on a show which was a treat and if you're into glass art, the museum has plenty of that.
TankFunkerman23 - 14-7-2012 at 17:57
Surely it was just an idiot tour guide. Why would Corning ignore such a large section of glass consumers?watson.fawkes - 15-7-2012 at 07:51
First of all, I'm aware that Corning no longer manufactures borosilicate lab and kitchenware.
I don't know
how it's possible to be aware of an assertion that's false. Corning still makes lab ware under the brand name Pyrex and they're still a primary
manufacturer of borosilicate glass.. They don't make consumer ware any longer and licensed the name Pyrex to someone else.
Corning has always been larger than just labware. For example, they were instrumental in developing the glasses for optical fibers. And much longer
ago, they developed the fiberglass insulation market, now long since spun off into a separate entity (Owens Corning).Morgan - 15-7-2012 at 18:25
Watson, if my assertion is false then I stand corrected. AFAIK, Corning manufactures Pyrex branded consumer products but they're tempered soda-lime or
similar - not borosilicate. I admit confusion and ignorance trying to link "Corning", "Pyrex", and "borosilicate."
Regardless of who manufactures what, can anyone shed some light on the reason behind the Corning museum's total exclusion of lab glassware in their
collection? I feel ... violated!
AFAIK, Corning manufactures Pyrex branded consumer products but they're tempered soda-lime or similar - not borosilicate.
Corning licensed the brand name "Pyrex" for consumer products. Corning no longer uses that brand name for consumer products, and the
company that does use soda-lime glass. So there's more than one company that puts the name "Pyrex" on their goods, and "Pyrex" no longer stands for
the material itself.m1tanker78 - 16-7-2012 at 14:50
