Pyroceram glass, the original ceramic glass material, was discovered by Stanley Donald Stookey, a research director with Corning Glass, in 1953. While working on glass for what was then the beginning of the television market, Stookey was heating a plate of Fotoform glass (one of his earliest glass creations) in a furnace. The thermometer of the furnace broke, causing the temperature to rise up to 900 degrees Celsius. But instead of a messy, melted puddle inside the furnace, Stookey found a milky white piece of glass. As he tried to take it out, it slipped out of the tongs and it fell to the floor without shattering, to his disbelief.

This event has been termed as a “lucky accident” in the glass science community. Stookey would spend the next few years researching and perfecting the crystallization process to create Pyroceram in 1959, the ceramic glass that is used for many high heat applications like fireplace doors, wood stoves, and the well known CorningWare cookware under the Corning Glass company Stookey worked for. 

Ceramic glass is essentially a combination of tempered safety glass (which is 7x stronger than normal glass) and ceramic. The ceramic is what gives the “clear”, transparent glass we sell for fireplace and stove doors its slight amber tint. This shatter resistant glass has a thermal shock rating of 1380°F, making it ideal for high temperature applications. Wood burning fireplaces, coal stoves, fireplace inserts, and wood stoves need ceramic glass on their doors because they produce constant heat that can exceed 500°F, usually with the flameless than 6 inches from the glass.

Fast Replacement Glass uses the original Pyroceram for our ceramic glass. To ensure quality, the ceramic glass goes through intense tests such as elasticity assessments, shear-tolerance, tensile strength, compression-stress tolerance, and fracture resistance. Whether your insert or stove requires an arch, notches, rounded edges, or other unique features, we have the ability to design a glass sheet to fit your application!

The glass replacement is generally cut and sent out for shipping the same day it is ordered. If ordered later in the evening, we usually get it cut and out the door the next day. Pattern cuts for wood stoves may add 1 day or more depending on if we need a template or the complexity of your request. Shipping to your door generally takes 2 to 3 days.


NOTE:

• Our glass is not for use on cook-tops or range-tops.
• Each type of high temperature glass is different, with specific recommended applications. It is important to make sure your specifications are correct and you allow room for the glass to expand with the heat (recommended ⅛ inch).