Shattering CorningWare

The obituary of Donald Stookey implies that CorningWare is shatterproof (C&EN, Dec. 15, 2014, page 34). I’m afraid this is something of an exaggeration. I can offer personal testimony that a CorningWare casserole dish can shatter like an egg under the right impact. Perhaps more important, however, is the fact that the material is almost totally indifferent to thermal shock, which is what makes it so useful for rocket nose cones.

Evan Appelman
Kensington, Calif.