When was pyrex invented

However, the SaferProducts. In many cases, the instances of exploding Pyrex reported to SaferProducts. Since customer reviews can last forever online, the mounting complaints about exploding tempered glass can seem unsettling, even though the occurrence is quite rare according to the CPSC and multiple glass experts we spoke to. But when you consider the thousands of pieces made each day in a glass factory, the number of incidents reported is remarkably small.

In most cases, we think the benefits of tempered glass—its durability and safer breakage patterns—outweigh the danger. Other than being completely surprised and a little annoyed about having to clean tiny bits of glass out of my sink , I was unhurt, not even a scratch. For example, a calculation published by the American Ceramic Society found that borosilicate glass can withstand a sudden temperature change of up to about degrees Fahrenheit, whereas tempered glass can withstand a temperature change of about degrees.

The publication references the tests performed by Consumer Reports , which used dry sand heated in casserole dishes. However, since sand gets much hotter than food, some experts say these tests which are often cited in news stories about Pyrex are too extreme and are not an accurate representation of durability under normal use. According to excerpts provided to us by Hugh Rushing, former executive vice president of the CMA, the CMA tests suggest that glass bakeware should be able to withstand being abraded with sandpaper to simulate wear over time , heated in the oven for 20 minutes, and then submerged in a water bath with a temperature difference of degrees Fahrenheit.

This procedure was developed in conjunction with a committee of glass manufacturers and industry consultants, and it has been tested on a variety of glass samples from all the major glass producers, with the results submitted to an independent lab for analysis.

And though adhering to these standards is voluntary, Rushing told us that a majority of cookware retailers and manufacturers subscribe to them. It sounds obvious, but you can help extend the life of your glass bakeware and tableware by treating it with care. You may be subjecting your tempered wares to extreme temperature changes and other abuses without even realizing it.

Here are some tips for minimizing the risk of tempered-glass items spontaneously breaking:. Pyrex cookware currently sold in the United States goes through a thermal tempering process. In theory, this should strengthen the glass. In practice, the difference between the performance of borosilicate glass and soda-lime glass is significant.

When asked about the science behind the glass, Dr. John C. Mauro, a professor of engineering and materials science at Penn State, said in an email that the coefficient of thermal expansion CTE is the main parameter used to measure thermal shock resistance. A higher CTE number means the material is less resilient to thermal shock.

But soda-lime glass has a CTE of 9 to 9. Mauro knows his glass, too. Before taking his faculty position at Penn State, he spent nearly two decades working at Corning, where he was one of the inventors of Gorilla Glass.

Mauro has also co-authored academic papers on the glass chemistry of Pyrex, and he is the editor of the Journal of the American Ceramics Society.

Based on his extensive knowledge of the material, Mauro actually makes the science behind soda-lime glass and heat sound even more damning. He went on to note how soda-lime glass is tempered to improve its strength. However, that tempering process also makes the interior of glass more stressed. So perhaps appropriately, the shift from borosilicate to soda-lime glass was a big deal to Pyrex enthusiasts.

Many believe that the new tempered soda-lime glass is more prone to exploding during temperature changes, a belief that is supported by some basic science. Meanwhile, Corning executives have since claimed it manufactured Pyrex out of both borosilicate and soda lime glass for years before selling the brand to World Kitchen.

One website even points out how different graphics and origins amount to safer Pyrex products. How much better older or European borosilicate Pyrex is than newer soda-lime glass Pyrex is up for debate. Part of the home economics movement was the idea of food safety and keeping a kitchen sanitary. Pyrex appealed because of its clean look and the ability to see the food inside. An early Pyrex ad shows a secretary at Corning Glass Works clad in a laboratory-style all-white outfit, looking through a pie plate.

Pyrex was also literally cleaner: Smells didn't cling to or seep into the glass the way they did with ceramic, earthenware, cast iron and tin, and the glass didn't rust. Efficiency was also part of the home economics movement, and Pyrex dishes, marketed as being able to cook food quicker, meant that women could save time and fuel. Pyrex's efficient cooking, its material and domestic manufacturing made it indispensable during World War II, when families were instructed to conserve energy, metal was scarce and glass imports from Germany were cut off.

During World War II, ads emphasized that using Pyrex was patriotic; one read, "My wife sure makes food fight for freedom! Over the following decades, Corning would apply color and decorative patterns to opalware, creating more than distinct designs. With new, spacious kitchen designs, dishes were on view for all to see.

With colored Pyrex came the oven-to-table idea, which had always existed but was adopted by wealthier households after the war. Most people associate Pyrex with brightly colored pieces from the '50s; turquoise pieces—such as ones with the "Butterprint" pattern, depicting an Amish farming couple—and pink pieces, are especially popular with collectors.

In the '60s, the tones became earthy and muted, as in the "Terra" pattern, characterized by a black exterior and simple, thin rings of brown. The Corning Museum of Glass exhibit includes advertisements, ephemera and a wide variety of products from the brand's history: everything from an elegant cut-glass teapot from the '30s to casserole dishes in psychedelic hues from the '70s. In a large atrium, a long wall is filled with row after row of opalware patterns—nearly in total—in a crazy rainbow of colors.

For instance, there's a '70s avocado green that I recognize from my parents' kitchen," Brumagen says. Colors and styles may have changed, but temperature-resistant glass stood the test of time. It was an immediate success! After experimenting with all sorts of recipes side dishes like potatoes or even meat dishes her success finally convinced Corning to launch themselves in creating kitchen utensils. Canulas, syringes, suction cups, spittons, dropper, etc… A wide range of Pyrex glass hygienic products, resistant to boiling water, flames alcohol and other chemical agents is developed.

It is not only reliable, but also a very safe and hygienic product, it has everything to persuade and reassure young mothers. The factory at Bagneaux-sur-Loing was quickly overflowed with too many orders. It is the implementation of a semi-automatic machine Until now, the baby bottles were blown manually that helped increase efficiency in the factory.