Talk:Pyrex

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[edit] Pyrex Kosher

There is currently a controversy in Jewish circles about the sanctity of using Pyrex instead of glass for the preparation of kosher food. Can someone please explain why that is? Is Pyrex actually more obsorbant than glass and could possibly "spiritually contaminate" foods, or is it simply because Pyrex was just never mentioned in the old Jewish laws? Kent Wang 06:52, 18 Feb 2004 (UTC)

No, pyrex is not abosrbant at all... Borosilicate is used for scientific apparatus becuase of its strength an non reactionary to anything... Indolering 7 Aug 2005

The question isn't whether Pyrex is kosher or not, but whether it's pareve, meaning it can be used for both dairy and meat. Most surfaces (e,g. metal, porcelain, etc.) are said to absorb the taste of the food cooked in it, and therefore can only be used for one or the other; glass traditionally is exempt from this requirement. For whatever reason, Pyrex is not considered so exempt. I do not know the reason. I have the feeling, though, that it's not the Pyrex per se that renders the cookware not Pareve, but the fact that it's used for cooking (heat exposure increases absorption of taste). As regular glass isn't suited for cooking in, the question never arose. (Disclaimer: I am not a rabbi and this is not a psak.) Shalom S. 14:02, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pyrex is not the only Borosilicate glass

Pyrex is to Borosilicate as Avian is to H2O. It is a brand name for a chemical structure, and Corning is not the only producers of Borosilicate. I'll edit this when my brain isn't so mushy. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Indolering (talk • contribs) 20:41, 9 May 2004

[edit] Uranium Pyrex

What is the relationship between Uranium Pyrex (apparently used for some commercial applications) and regular Pyrex? Does Uranium Pyrex substitute Uranium for Boron completely, or is it simply a trace additive? What is the historical relationship between the two types of Pyrex? Did early Pyrex kitchen vessels contain trace amounts of uranium, in the same way that early Fiestaware contained uranium? --Chris Thompson 05:10, 16 Nov 2004 (UTC)

They just added Uranium for coloring, like the Fiestaware. Replacing the boron would make it not Borosilicate. There are many, many, many Borosilicate compatible glass with colorants, they are still refered to as borosilicate. Indolering 7 Aug 2005

[edit] Corning invented Boro?

AFAIK Corning invented Borosilicate... I am checking it out with other blowers. Indolering 7 Aug 2005

[edit] Stub?

Is this really a stub? Shouldn't most of the information on Borosilicate be on Borosilcates page? Other than metioning Pyrex is Borosilicate should anything else be here? Indolering 7 Aug 2005

[edit] Article expansion

This article is way too small for such an important contribution to humanity. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.234.218.223 (talk • contribs) 11:18, 30 August 2005 (UTC)

But... Pyrex is expansion-resistant! --Liface 02:45, 1 December 2005 (UTC)
(b~_^)b Wonderful! PrometheusX303 17:00, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Useful information

I saw a segment about Pyrex on John Ratzenberger's Made in America, here is some more information. [1] —Preceding unsigned comment added by 4.234.218.223 (talk • contribs) 12:15, 31 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Catastrophic failures

Leave the information about Pyrex catatrophic failures in, please. It is documented problem with Pyrex in particular. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.68.97.204 (talk • contribs) 06:48, 8 February 2006

[edit] Unsourced claim

Recent reports suggest that, notwithstanding the claims made for Pyrex, the glassware can shatter violently and unexpectedly, even when used in accordance with manufacturers instructions. Claims have been made of severe personal injury during these events. Some reports have suggested that older Pyrex was not as susceptible to these problems as currently produced Pyrex. It is unknown whether this has anything to do with the recent change in ownership and location of manufacture of the Pyrex brand.

I've pulled the above paragraph from the article until appropriate sources can be provided. (Reliable sources are preferred over class action lawyers.) TenOfAllTrades(talk) 02:41, 9 May 2006 (UTC)

It's true [2] 71.132.144.78 22:39, 22 May 2006 (UTC)
Reports of this are gathering all over the place now. See consumeraffairs.com: Consumer complaints about Pyrex Cookware and Reviews on Amazon.com for just two examples, but there are quite a bit more if you search for "pyrex ~explode" on Google. I'd like to see this paragraph put back into the article. -- Heptite (T) (C) (@) 06:53, 20 October 2006 (UTC)
I looked through the history and it looks like the first time this paragraph was added it was completely uncited, so I concluded I could put it back in with the consumeraffairs URL as a reference. -- Heptite (T) (C) (@) 13:37, 22 October 2006 (UTC)
(OR) I've seen a Pyrex dish detonate with extreme force. This was in 1986 or so, too. My own Pyrex casserole dish remains firmly undetonated. Vashti (talk) 11:58, 30 November 2007 (UTC)
A better source is needed, as forums such as the consumer affairs site does not qualify as a reliable source. There has to be a news service someplace that would have picked this up by now. --- Barek (talk • contribs) - 20:39, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Pyrex is Pyrex

The statement that the pyrex cookware is not pyrex is unsupported. The only mention in the "reference" was a line that world kitchen product is soda-lime. This was an legal filing. Lawyers are not accurate sources for technical information. The world kitchen website clearly states that their glass is the same product as pyrex made in the past. The line about how to use pyrex cookware is no support to the notion that pyrex is not pyrex as labware made from borosilicates is subject to similar restrictions except where physical form allows such uses subject to physical inspection and limited lifetime. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.255.236.127 (talk • contribs) 12:56, 30 July 2006

Re this statement, I think looking at the sequence of 10-Ks filed is illuminating:
The annual report for 1999 states that Pyrex-Registered Trademark- products are made of borosilicate and tempered soda lime glass and are available in a number of colors, shapes and sizes.
The annual report for 2001 states that Pyrex products are made of tempered soda lime glass and are available in a number of colors, shapes and sizes for a variety of cooking functions.
Finally, the annual report for 2003 states that Pyrex(R) glass products are made of soda lime glass and are available in a number of sizes, shapes and colors for a variety of cooking and storage functions.
The World Kitchen website explains that Pyrex is an old, well-known brand name (which it is), but I see no statement about the current composition of Pyrex cookware. Obviously, given that the cookware is no longer borosilicate glass, WKI has no reason to say so, and one would expect them to evade the point. What I see on the website seems consistent with this. Spacepotato 21:59, 30 July 2006 (UTC)

According to World Kitchen, at least some Pyrex kitchen bakeware produced in the Charleroi, PA facility is tempered soda-lime glass and, indeed, at least some always has been. My impression is that only the lab glassware is and always has been borosilicate glass. My suggestion would be to write World Kitchen customer care and ask; I did. Here's what they said:

We have received your recent email, and would like to correct some misconceptions about PYREX(r) glass bakeware. PYREX glass bakeware has been made of a soda lime composition in Charleroi, PA since the 1940's, including during the time before 1998 that the Charleroi, PA facility was owned by Corning Incorporated. The product is thermally strengthened to permit it to be used safely in accordance with its safety & usage instructions, and continues to be produced with the high degree of quality and integrity as always. PYREX is a registered trademark of Corning Incorporated used under license by World Kitchen, LLC. Sincerely, Misty World Kitchen Consumer Care Center

So there you have it. Clear as mud, eh? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.53.90.215 (talk) 02:30, 11 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] "Examples of usage"

I think the last entry (which was quickly reverted, not surprisingly) regarding the use of Pyrex to make sexual aids is perfectly legitimate. For one thing, the dildo article itself also makes note of the use of Pyrex. Don't let your delicate sensibilities get the best of you, sexual aids are a huge industry, and the use of Pyrex is quite significant given its durability, ease of cleaning and inherent hypoallergenic nature. If the article can make note of the use of Pyrex for marijuana pipes and guitar slides, then its use in making dildos is perfectly acceptable and noteworthy. I am putting the entry back in the article. Chris 12:47, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

I agree. Good call. PrometheusX303 12:55, 10 August 2006 (UTC)

Aye. If they're actually used for that, which apparantly they are, then I don't see why it shouldn't be added.Gorovich 17:15, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] ARC International Cookware

A poorly inserted sentence in the intro to this page made me look for information about ARC International owning the PYREX brand, which led me to http://www.arc-international-cookware.com/en_Home.html which seems to indicate that they do indeed own it. The FAQ about their ovenware at http://www.arc-international-cookware.com/en_Glass_Ovenware.html says they make it out of Borosilicate (they use the brand PYREX for things other than borosilicate cookware though). ChaosNil 05:25, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

It may be that they just have a license to market borosilicate and other cookware under the pyrex brandname (see the history sidebar on http://www.answers.com/topic/arc-international). ChaosNil 05:42, 18 January 2007 (UTC)
According to the website's legal section (http://www.arc-international-cookware.com/en_Legal_information.html), "Pyrex is a trademark of Corning Incorporated licensed by Arc International Cookware SAS, used by permission." I'm no lawyer, but that sounds like Arc doesn't own Pyrex (Trademark) or Corning (Company). Endasil 21:59, 23 January 2007 (EST)
If you look on the World Kitchen site, it also states that the name is licensed from Corning. Presumably, even though they didn't want to hang on the the company, Corning felt the Pyrex name was too valuable and retained ownership of it. I made a note in the article to reflect this. KarlM 20:17, 28 January 2007 (UTC)
I think the article is too USA-centric and is potentially misleading. I did some work for Newell in the 1990s when they owned Pyrex (bought from Corning). Pyrex are expunged from their history on the web site. Their manufacturing plant is in Sunderland UK. It looks like they sold out to a competitor, Arc who are French, but just about every UK school kid would recognise their school-issue water classes, not sure when. I would assume that either Pyrex is still being manufactured at the Sunderland plant (they also had a plastics plant near Frankfurt) or Arc are manufacturing it. They historically used similar glass. Arc still state that their Pyrex is Borosilicate [3]

Spenny 13:26, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Moving borosilicate stuff to borosilicate glass

Seeing as "Pyrex isn't pyrex" now apparently (heh) it would appear to make sense to move the general chemistry info to the generic article and make this more about the brand. Chris Cunningham 12:00, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

Done. Chris Cunningham 10:51, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Self-contradiction

There seems to be a contradiction in the article, where the first sentence initially states that "Pyrex is a brand name for heat-resistant glass introduced by Corning Glass Works in 1915.". However, further down the article, we see the following statement: "Pyrex kitchen products produced by World Kitchen are no longer made from borosilicate glass, but from soda-lime glass. Their packaging indicates that they must never be used over a flame, on stove tops, under a broiler, or in a toaster oven.". This seems to contradict the first statement. Additionally, in my chemistry class at school we often use Pyrex brand glass (It has the name on it, of course...) kitchenware over a bunsen burner, and never has one of the piece cracked or broken yet. (Unlike the non-Pyrex kitchenware, which cracks as soon as you put it in the flame - even our science equipment does that, ie. test tubes and boiling tubes.) - Xander T. 01:20, 1 April 2007 (UTC)

"No longer" refers to a 2004 statement. One assumes that your chemistry department is still using Corning Pyrex from before this date. Chris Cunningham 10:30, 1 April 2007 (UTC)
That is not the point I am trying to make. Please read my statement again. Xander T. 05:42, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
I'm not seeing it. "Pyrex is a trademark for heat-resistant glass" is still a true statement. The definition of "heat-resistant" has changed a little with the change in material, but soda-lime glass is still heat-resistant. If I'm missing your point please elaborate. Chris Cunningham 07:38, 13 April 2007 (UTC)
Yes, it does say that, but then it goes on later to say "Their packaging indicates that they must never be used over a flame, on stove tops, under a broiler, or in a toaster oven.". This implies that they are in fact NOT heat resistant, thus contradicting itself. Or, at least, it is not as heat resistant as it used to be. However, heat resistant glasses should not crack when exposed to rapid temperature changes above the normal rate at which plain soda-lime glass breaks - this is not mentioned. Xander T. 10:20, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] The photo of the broken Pyrex chips bowl

This is more of an academic question, since I think the picture should stay just because it's informative, but shouldn't this photo be qualified as an editor's own work and thus an invalid entry for the encyclopedia? Especially since, given the context, it takes a side in a two-sided debate. <spetz> —Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.120.85.210 (talk) 20:20, 25 October 2007 (UTC)

For sure. Even the caption "exploded" is misleading. There is a distinction made between "exploding" and "breaking". There is no internal pressure that causes pyrex to break. You might say that it exploded in the same sense as The vase exploded into tiny pieces when it hit the floor. But that's a bit of a stretch. 216.16.228.6 (talk) 16:42, 28 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Pyrex made from soda-lime glass

In reference (1) in the pyrex article it is stated: "Pyrex(R) glass products are made of soda lime glass and are available in a number of sizes, shapes and colors for a variety of cooking and storage functions." However, I do not believe that the person who wrote this up (what is his/her name actually?) really knows what he is talking about. If bakeware really would be made of soda-lime glass it would shatter quite often during baking or when exposing it to cold air afterwards, and the product would not sell any longer. I would like to propose replacing reference (1) with one in a well reviewed technical book or journal, and correcting the statement in the article accordingly.--Afluegel (talk) 10:07, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

Please email the manufacturer of Pyrex and ask whether their products are made of borosilicate or soda-lime glass. They will tell you that all Pyrex products are made of soda-lime glass. Edit: If this may not be true if chemistry lab equipment is still manufactured under the Pyrex brand name, in which case Pyrex lab equipment is likely still borosilicate. But correspondence with Pyrex confirms that all Pyrex brand kitchen ware is soda-lime.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.248.177.202 (talk • contribs) 22:07, 26 January 2008

[edit] Pyrex is being discussed at the Wikipedia:Conflict of interest/Noticeboard

See Wikipedia:Conflict of interest/Noticeboard, where a company spokesman has expressed his concerns with some of the safety claims in this article. Anyone who has an opinion is welcome to join the COI discussion.

Looking at the article myself, I don't see any reliable sources to back up the Safety Issues paragraph. There is a site called consumeraffairs.com, which apparently publishes complaints sent in by individuals with no further vetting or any attempt to reproduce the described failures. There is also a 10K statement from some company, a legal document that is considered a primary source under our rules, and probably not an adequate source for any negative claims. I believe that the privately-made photograph should also be removed.

If anyone believes that the 'Safety Issues' paragraph should remain in the article, please comment at WP:COIN. Since keeping it in the article could pose legal issues, it has some of the same potential troubles as a violation of Wikipedia:Biography of living persons policy would have, though the target of the negative claim is a company rather than a person. EdJohnston (talk) 16:58, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I agree about the safety section - pending a reliable source, I've removed it. Full link to section is Wikipedia:Conflict of interest/Noticeboard#Pyrex. WLU (talk) 18:36, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Possible sources

From WP:COIN#Pyrex, possible sources. WLU (talk) 11:18, 20 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] It's tempered glass

soda lime glass can be manufactured as tempered glass, and the pyrex website says as much, so added references to the webpage. I also removed the implication that the change from borosilicate to tempered glass is related to the corporate change. This may be so, but it certainly requires a citation, so I edited the sentence (and others that have words like 'still' that refer to this change in glass composition). The issue of when Pyrex kitchenware changed composition is certainly an interesting one, and deserves further research.Jerry guru (talk) 04:30, 24 May 2008 (UTC)