| Agent Name |
Tungsten carbide |
|---|
| CAS Number |
12070-12-1 |
|---|
| Formula |
C-W |
|---|
| Major Category |
Metals |
|---|
| Synonyms |
Cemented tungsten carbide; Cemented WC; Hard metal; [NIOSH] |
|---|
| Category |
Metals, Inorganic Compounds |
|---|
| Description |
A mixture of tungsten carbide, cobalt, and sometimes other metals & metal oxides or carbides; [NIOSH] |
|---|
| Sources/Uses |
Used to manufacture hard metal tools; [LaDou, p. 324] Occupational asthma reported in a metal grinder; [Malo] |
|---|
| Comments |
The tungsten carbide (WC) content is generally 85-95% and the cobalt content is generally 5-15%. [NIOSH] "Tungsten carbide is produced by heating tungsten and carbon in the presence of a binder, cobalt. . . . Cobalt is thought to be the injurious agent in hard metal lung disease." [Harber, p. 116] Skin sensitization to cobalt can occur in the hard metal industries. [Marks, p. 79] |
|---|
| Exposure Assessment |
|---|
| Skin Designation (ACGIH) |
Not evaluated |
|---|
| Bioaccumulates |
Yes |
|---|
| Explanatory Notes |
NIOSH REL = 0.05 mg/m3 (containing >2% Co) and 0.015 mg/m3 (containing >0.3% Ni); |
|---|
| Adverse Effects |
|---|
| Asthma |
Yes |
|---|
| Fibrogenic |
Yes |
|---|
| Skin Sensitizer |
Yes |
|---|
| Links to Other NLM Databases |
|---|
|
|
