ANTGLASS supplies and processes SCHOTT N-BK7 Optical Glass for optical, electronic, laboratory and industrial components made to customer drawings.
Material Overview
N-BK7: Boron crown optical glass. The material system is described as Boron crown optical glass. Selection begins with the exact grade, wavelength or optical function, thermal and chemical environment, starting form, finished geometry and inspection method. The material record is kept separate from the finished-part drawing so that grade data and manufacturing requirements remain traceable.
Applications associated with this material include Lenses, prisms, beam splitters, imaging windows, machine vision, laser. ANTGLASS uses the approved material and drawing to manufacture blanks and finished parts rather than treating a published material property as a universal component guarantee.
Published Technical Properties
The values below are taken from the V4R2R2 source-linked material dataset. Conditions such as wavelength, temperature, thickness and orientation remain part of the value and should not be removed during comparison.
| Property | Published reference |
|---|---|
| Material type | Boron crown optical glass |
| Transmission | Visible and NIR internal-transmission curves in catalog |
| Refractive index | nd 1.51680 |
| Abbe number | vd 64.17 |
| Density | 2.51 g/cm3 |
| Thermal expansion | 7.1 x 10^-6/K |
| Transformation / annealing | Tg 557 C |
| Hardness | Knoop 610 |
| Chemical resistance | Grade-specific; use manufacturer chemical-resistance data |
| Published size | Strip, rod, block, cut blank, pressing and finished component |
| Starting form | Strip, rod, block, cut blank, pressing and finished component |
Available Forms and Custom Processing
Common starting and finished forms include Strip, rod, block, cut blank, pressing and finished component, Cut blanks, Windows and plates, Discs, rings or wafers, Drawing-based finished components. Actual source size and thickness are matched to the order, while the finished component is controlled by the drawing.
- Drawing and material-grade review
- Blank preparation and geometry planning
- Precision contouring, drilling, grinding and wedge control
- Optical polishing, surface inspection and coating-ready cleaning
ANTGLASS can manufacture related products including Precision Optical Glass Windows, Sensor & Machine Vision Glass Windows, Optical Filter Glass Components, Glass Discs, Rings & Spacers, Optical Glass Prisms. Projects that need material selection, prototype validation, optical performance or harsh-environment review can also use the related solutions: Prototype & Small-Batch Glass Manufacturing, Thin, Small & Complex Glass Parts, Optical, Sensor & Machine Vision Glass, Cleaned Glass Components for Sensitive Assemblies.
Design Rules for a Manufacturable RFQ
- Provide wavelength, refractive-index requirement, clear aperture, surface quality and coating.
- Dimension critical surfaces, edges, holes, slots and datums separately on the drawing.
- Identify optical, sealing, bonding, coated and cosmetic zones before quotation.
- Match inspection methods to the functional tolerance and surface requirement.
- State prototype and production quantities together with cleaning and packaging needs.
Quality Risks and Inspection
Refractive index alone is not a substitution rule. Dispersion, transmission, homogeneity, chemical resistance, coating and thermal behavior must remain compatible with the optical design.
- Material identity and source documentation
- Dimensions, thickness and feature position
- Clear aperture, scratch-dig or cosmetic zone and transmitted-light inspection
- Edge chips, cracks and surface condition
- Cleaning, orientation and protective packaging
Applications and Product Connections
- Lenses
- prisms
- beam splitters
- imaging windows
- machine vision
- laser
- metrology optics.
Material Comparison and Alternatives
Compare SCHOTT N-BK7 Optical Glass with Fused silica for UV and low CTE, B 270 for non-imaging covers, filter glass for spectral absorption.. Substitution should preserve the functional wavelength, refractive or spectral behavior, thermal expansion, temperature range, chemical durability, mechanical behavior, starting form and component cost.
Related Products
- Precision Optical Glass Windows
- Sensor & Machine Vision Glass Windows
- Optical Filter Glass Components
- Glass Discs, Rings & Spacers
- Optical Glass Prisms
Related Materials
Related Solutions
- Prototype & Small-Batch Glass Manufacturing
- Thin, Small & Complex Glass Parts
- Optical, Sensor & Machine Vision Glass
- Cleaned Glass Components for Sensitive Assemblies
- Custom Precision Glass Fabrication
Frequently Asked Questions About SCHOTT N-BK7 Optical Glass
What are the key properties of SCHOTT N-BK7 Optical Glass?
SCHOTT N-BK7 Optical Glass is selected from grade-specific optical, thermal, mechanical and chemical data. Published references include Material type: Boron crown optical glass; Transmission: Visible and NIR internal-transmission curves in catalog; Refractive index: nd 1.51680; Abbe number: vd 64.17. The finished component must also meet the drawing, surface and inspection requirements.
Can ANTGLASS supply and process bk7 optical glass in custom sizes?
Yes. ANTGLASS supplies and processes SCHOTT N-BK7 Optical Glass as Strip, rod, block, cut blank, pressing and finished component, Cut blanks, Windows and plates, Discs, rings or wafers, Drawing-based finished components, subject to the selected starting form and drawing. We cut, machine, drill, grind, lap, polish, clean and inspect the material as required for the component.
Which products can be made from SCHOTT N-BK7 Optical Glass?
Typical product connections include Precision Optical Glass Windows, Sensor & Machine Vision Glass Windows, Optical Filter Glass Components, Glass Discs, Rings & Spacers, Optical Glass Prisms. The exact product form, dimensions, edge condition, optical zone and packaging are defined by the customer drawing and application.
How is SCHOTT N-BK7 Optical Glass machined and inspected?
The route is selected from material behavior, thickness, geometry and surface requirements. Inspection covers material identity, dimensions, edges and the functional surface; optical or substrate projects can add clear-aperture, flatness, TTV, surface-quality or spectral checks.
What materials should be compared with SCHOTT N-BK7 Optical Glass?
Common comparison directions include Fused silica for UV and low CTE, B 270 for non-imaging covers, filter glass for spectral absorption.. Compare the exact grades by wavelength, refractive index or transmission, CTE, temperature, chemical resistance, durability, starting form and total component cost.
Request a Material and Drawing Review
Provide the exact grade or target properties, drawing, dimensions, critical surfaces, operating conditions, quantity and inspection requirements. ANTGLASS will review the material, starting form and process route together.
- Exact material grade or target properties
- Drawing, dimensions, thickness and critical tolerances
- Wavelength, temperature, chemical and mechanical environment
- Surface quality, flatness, TTV, coating or sealing requirements
- Prototype and production quantities
- Inspection, cleaning, traceability and packaging requirements