Ultra low expansion glass

Ultra low expansion glass (ULE) is a registered trademark of Corning Incorporated. ULE has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion and contains as components silica and less than 10% titanium dioxide. Such high resistance to thermal expansion makes it very resistant to high temperature thermal shock. ULE has been made by Corning since the 1960s, but is still very important to current applications. Ultra low expansion glass (ULE) is a registered trademark of Corning Incorporated. ULE has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion and contains as components silica and less than 10% titanium dioxide. Such high resistance to thermal expansion makes it very resistant to high temperature thermal shock. ULE has been made by Corning since the 1960s, but is still very important to current applications. There are many applications for ULE, but by far the most common is for mirrors and lenses for telescopes in both space and terrestrial settings. One of the most well known examples of the use of ULE is in the Hubble telescope's mirror. Another good example of its application is in the Gemini telescope's mirror bank. This type of material is needed for this application because the mirrors on telescopes, especially very large, high-precision units, cannot bend or lose their shape even slightly. If this were to happen, the telescope would be out of focus. Some other examples and uses of ULE are: Another newer use for this material that is showing promise is in the semiconductor industry, this again because of the purity and extreme low expansion of ULE glass.