SCHOTT builds on rapid growth in Chinese specialty glass market by further strengthening local BOROFLOAT® sales presence

The international technology group SCHOTT has increased its sales activities for its BOROFLOAT® specialty glass in the Chinese market by teaming up with two local companies as preferred partners: GOUS Optics and Greenrays. SCHOTT produces its floated borosilicate glass in Germany, applying the typical high quality standards that characterize German engineering and manufacturing. It is the sum of the product properties that makes this floated borosilicate glass unique: it simultaneously offers outstanding thermal resistance, exceptionally high transparency, high chemical durability and excellent mechanical strength. SCHOTT is presenting its BOROFLOAT® specialty glass at CIOE trade show in Shenzhen from September 2 to 5 (SCHOTT booth # 9D29).

BOROFLOAT® is a floated borosilicate glass. The German specialty glass producer SCHOTT was the first company world-wide to successfully float borosilicate glass in 1993. For more than 20 years, the company has been continuously improving the material quality and introducing this versatile product to a large variety of applications world-wide: as an oven door window for cooking and baking, as a biochip used in modern medical technology, as a component utilized in theater spotlights, film projectors or diving robots and even as a key component in research telescopes used for space exploration.

“This material is also extremely interesting for the Chinese market. We have been experiencing a steady rise in the demand of high quality materials in China as our local industry has recently been producing more and more high-tech products. That is why our high-quality floated borosilicate glass has an enormous potential here. We already see new applications, for example in China’s optical industry, which rely on our BOROFLOAT® glass,” said Albert Chen, Managing Director of SCHOTT in China.

SCHOTT has recently teamed up with the GOUS Optics in Shanghai and Greenrays in Guangzhou to better serve the Chinese market. In addition, SCHOTT also offers direct technical support out of Suzhou where its Customer Technical Service Center is located. “Our product is a perfect fit for the Chinese industry: we offer our customers high-quality specialty glass made in Germany, but back this up with a local sales and technical support network. It is important for us to be close to the customer and to maintain short reaction times. That is why we have set up this improved business structure”, Chen added.

BOROFLOAT® specialty glass combines four product properties to achieve its superior performance:

outstanding thermal resistance: a particularly low coefficient of thermal expansion makes BOROFLOAT® very resistant to high and fluctuating temperatures, but also to rapid cooling from high temperatures

exceptionally high transparency: SCHOTT’s specialty float glass offers excellent light transmission in the visible wavelength range, but also high transparency in the near IR and UV range

high chemical durability: Acids, alkalis and organic substances have virtually no negative impact on BOROFLOAT® specialty glass. It also offers high resistance to water.

excellent mechanical strength: Abrasion and scratch resistance, in combination with bending strength, are the basic foundations of BOROFLOAT® glass’ mechanical stability. In addition, the material offers a low inherent weight. A study* conducted by the renowned Fraunhofer Institute has proven that BOROFLOAT® has higher mechanical strength than other specialty glass types while being lighter in weight.

The exceptionally high transparency of SCHOTT’s BOROFLOAT^® specialty glass makes it a key material of choice for optical applications in research and industry. Photo: SCHOTT.