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Ceramic drink heater

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am doing research to specify which materials I am using for my product. I am working for a design company and am designing a ceramic drinks heater. The product which will consist of a mug and base unit. The mug will have a ceramic heat conducting base which allows the liquid inside to heat up. Please could you advise me on the type of ceramic which would effectively conduct heat.

I would also like your advice on the type of ceramic that would be durable for a simple base unit that would hold the mug and contain the heating element and components.

Also, if you have any information of facts and figures about the manufacturing costs of ceramic products in batch and mass production, I would be very grateful.

I would be very grateful for your advice. Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,
UP

Dear UP:

Ceramics which are thermally conductive such as aluminum nitride, boron nitride, alum and Mg oxides, are fairly expensive technical ceramics which are used largely in engineering applications. The translation is that they're very costly for a consumer application.

You should consider that it might be possible to use either a more run of the mill ceramic, or perhaps better yet, a high temperature polymer, for the application. More than thermal conductivity you need a material which can take repeated cycling without cracking or discoloring. These materials would be fairly inexpensive in comparison.

Companies that might be good additional sources of information about conductive ceramics are: 3M, Aremco, Chomerics, and CC Components.

You might also search the US patent office for assignees and other information in this area.

Regards,

Ed Grenda
Castle Island Co.
The Worldwide Guide to Rapid Prototyping