What is borosilicate glass and what makes it different from other types of glass?

Common glass, such as window panes and every day kitchen drinking glasses, is typically a silicate glass that consists of sand, sodium-carbonate and limestone. The addition of boric oxide with silica is what differentiates borosilicate glass. The following chart details the chemical composition of QVF borosilicate glass 3.3:

The purpose of adding boric oxide is to create a less dense product with a higher melting point. The high temperature allowance and superior durability makes borosilicate glass useful for a variety of applications beyond process plants and pipeline including cookware, microscope and telescope lenses, stage lights, guitar slides, and art construction.