Fused quartz tubing is a crystalline quartz product that is crystal clear and closely resembles glass. It shares some scientific connections with lasers that are pretty amazing. Here is what these products have in common, in case you are looking for ways to maximize the ways your own lasers work.
Quartz Tubing "Steers" Laser Direction
When you need to bounce laser light off of other surfaces at unusual angles, you cannot accomplish this with glass. Glass will only help channel the laser, whereas the quartz tubing can bounce the laser off the internal surfaces of the tubing. The highly reflective properties of quartz tubing mean that you can actually "steer" the laser at different angles through the tubing.
Quartz Stays Cool to Keep Laser Work Going
Glass naturally heats up when lasers hit it. Eventually, the glass will be too hot to touch and even crack or break. Quartz does not conduct heat in this way. Quartz tubing stays cool to the touch, and it takes a diamond to cut the stuff. This means that any laser with an operating temperature in excess of the fracturing or melting point of glass can, and should, use quartz tubing instead.
Quartz Does Not Allow Fingerprints for Clearer Views of Lasers
How often have you picked up glass tubing for use with lasers, only to realize that you just covered the tubing with fingerprints? This makes it difficult to see the laser clearly, and it means that you will have to clean the tubing frequently. Clear quartz tubing disallows the collection of finger oils on its surface. This means that you can make the mistake of picking up quartz tubing and touching it with bare fingers and still get a crystal clear image of the laser with which you are working.
Science Demonstrations
If you are still not convinced that quartz tubing and lasers work well together, ask for a demonstration. The companies that make clear fused quartz tubing can bring you a few tubes of the diameters you commonly use. Then they can have you handle the tubes and use them with your lasers to see all of the possibilities.
If you decide that you want the tubes after the demo, you can buy them right there. If you also want additional tubes, you can place an order for more. There are several diameters and lengths available, all perfect for use in conjunction with lasers of all types and sizes. Check with companies like Carter Glassblowing Inc. for more information.
