a compound in glaze

In nature, copper carbonate is found as the emerald green mineral malachite and the sky blue mineral azurite. Copper carbonate was the first compound to be broken down into several, separate elements in 1794 by the French Chemist, Proust. The basic copper carbonate used in ceramics for glazes is developed through chemical reaction to be converted into malachite. The color can vary from blue to green because of a mixture of copper carbonate and basic copper carbonate and the result of different degrees of hydration. Copper carbonate is used in pyrotechnics, animal and poultry feeds, paint pigments and seed fungicide. It is dangerous if ingested or inhaled, and skin or eye contact will cause irritation and potential burns if prolonged exposure occurs. There are different grades of carbon carbonate in terms of pricing, but it seems to be rather expensive…$30/500g…although there doesn’t seem to be much needed for a large batch of glaze.