Is the ceramic mug you're using toxic?

Ceramic mugs are a common household item used to serve hot or cold drinks. It used for drinking water at home or in restaurants, or enjoying a cup of aromatic coffee at the leisure of the office. Some people have heard that ceramic cups are toxic, and do not dare to drink water with ceramic cups any more.  So is ceramic cup really toxic?

What are the raw materials?

Ceramic mugs are mainly made from clay, feldspar and kaolin. These materials are mixed together to form a fine paste that is used to form the body of the mug. 

Clay is the main component of a ceramic mug and it determines the shape and structure. The most common types of clay used in the production of porcelain cups are Kaolinite and ball clay. Kaolinite is a fine white clay known for its plasticity and strength, and is used to form a smooth white finish on porcelain cups.  Ball clay is a secondary clay used to improve the plasticity and ease of clay mixtures.

Feldspar is a mineral used to lower the firing temperature of clay mixtures. This mineral helps to fuse the clay particles together during the firing process, creating a strong and durable product. The most common types of feldspar used in the production of porcelain cups are potassium feldspar and sodium feldspar.

Are ceramic mugs toxic?

We all know that the ceramic cup is made of ceramics, and ceramics are made of some clay after high temperature firing, the so-called high temperature at least 700 degrees Celsius, a lot of substances are killed by the high temperature, basically is considered safe, as long as these clays do not contain heavy metals inside the human body will not cause harm.

The so-called “poison” on the ceramic cup, mainly refers to its lead and cadmium dissolved. Formal manufacturers of ceramic cups, are after rigorous testing, our factory production is based on international safety standards for strict control of its lead and cadmium dissolved is in line with national mandatory standards, so it is safe and reliable. But there are some small factories production, for the sake of cheap prices, the use of inferior raw materials, so it will lead to cups of lead and cadmium dissolved in excess of the standard, long-term use will affect human health.

Generally speaking, in order to make the surface of the ceramic cup looks good, factories usually decorate it with colorful patterns on the surface, lead and cadmium are mainly introduced by these colors. Take over-glazed cups for example, some small-scare manufacturers are not strict in the selection of raw materials. There will be some trace amounts of heavy metal elements in the raw materials which are harmful to humans, such as chromium, copper, lead and so on.

In summary, the ceramic cups produced by regular factory are non-toxic and harmless and can be used without fear; but we need to pay attention to those of poor quality. In addition, the mouth will contact the cup wall when drinking, no pattern on the top part of the cup wall outside is very important because these glaze decorations contain traces of lead, cadmium and other heavy metals, not easy to use for a long time.