How much Chrome oxide do potters use in a glaze?

Across 648 published glaze recipes containing it, the typical amount is 0.5% of the dry batch, with half of recipes between 0.2% and 1%. Colorants and additives sit far lower than fluxes and glass formers; treat these as a range to test around, not a target.

What cone is Chrome oxide used at?

It appears in recipes across the range; the most common cones among published recipes are cone 6, cone 10, cone 7. Where a material sits depends on the rest of the recipe more than on the material itself.

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Glaze material · Colorants

Chrome oxide

Also sold as: chromium oxide

Dense opaque green; with tin it makes pinks, with zinc brown, with alkaline fluxes a yellower green.

colorantContributes: Cr₂O₃

In published recipes

Used in 648 of 10,859 glaze recipes (6.0%)

Typical amount when present

0.5% of the dry batch — half of recipes fall between 0.2% and 1%.

Fired surface of those recipes

Glossy 62% · Semi-glossy 19% · Matte 11% · Satin 8%

Cones where it appears

Share of recipes containing this material that fire to each cone.

Most often mixed with

Materials that appear in the same recipes most often.

Silica84%Whiting61%EPK42%Nepheline syenite39%Tin oxide35%Kaolin27%Cobalt carbonate25%Ferro frit 313425%

Chemistry

Raw formula: Cr₂O₃
Molecular weight: 152
Fired formula: Cr₂O₃
Equivalent weight: 152

From Linda Arbuckle's materials table. Mineral formulas are idealized; buy an analysis for the bag you have. Equivalent weight is the weight that supplies one molecule of the fired oxide — the number glaze calculation uses.

What potters should know

Refractory but volatile above about 980 °C, so it can fume high-tin glazes on neighbouring pots to pink.

Handling and safety

Contains chromium compounds. Trivalent chrome used in ceramics is less hazardous than hexavalent forms but still warrants respiratory protection during mixing.

Dry ceramic materials generate respirable silica dust. Use a NIOSH-approved N95 or P100 respirator and adequate ventilation when mixing dry, and wet-clean surfaces.

This information is provided for planning purposes and is derived from publicly available sources including OSHA regulations, NIOSH guidance, and manufacturer safety data sheets. It does not constitute professional safety advice. Consult your material suppliers' SDS documents and applicable local regulations for authoritative safety guidance.

Questions

How much Chrome oxide do potters use in a glaze?: Across 648 published glaze recipes containing it, the typical amount is 0.5% of the dry batch, with half of recipes between 0.2% and 1%. Colorants and additives sit far lower than fluxes and glass formers; treat these as a range to test around, not a target.
What cone is Chrome oxide used at?: It appears in recipes across the range; the most common cones among published recipes are cone 6, cone 10, cone 7. Where a material sits depends on the rest of the recipe more than on the material itself.
Is Chrome oxide safe to use?: It carries a specific hazard flag: Contains chromium compounds. Trivalent chrome used in ceramics is less hazardous than hexavalent forms but still warrants respiratory protection during mixing. Read the supplier's SDS and follow local rules before using it, and never assume a glaze is food-safe without testing.

Related materials

Glaze material	recipes	typical
Tin oxide	1,345	4%

Sources. Usage figures are computed by Claybench over 10,859 glaze recipes compiled from publicly shared community recipe collections (snapshot 2026-02-27) — counts only; no recipe is reproduced, and the figures describe that collection, not every recipe in existence. Material roles and notes are paraphrased from Linda Arbuckle's Ceramic Materials handout unless noted. Hazard notes summarise supplier SDS guidance; read the SDS for the product you buy.

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