Safety Data Sheet

1: Identification of the Substance/Mixture and of the Company/Undertaking
1.1: Product Identifier
Substance Name
Tungsten Carbide
Chemical Name and Formula
Cemented Tungsten Carbide (CW) with Cobalt/Nickel Binder
CAS No.
12070-12-1
EINECS No.
235-123-0
Molecular Weight
195.851
Trade Name / Synonyms
All Federal Carbide Cemented Tungsten Carbide Grades
1.2: Relevant Identified Uses of the Substance or Mixture and Uses Advised Against
Identified Uses
  • Production of hardmetal powder
  • Production of sintered hardmetal articles
  • Production of WC-containing diamond tools
  • Powder metallurgical production of WC-containing articles
  • Application of WC-containing coatings via thermal spraying
  • Use of WC-containing articles
  • Recycling of WC-containing scrap materials
Uses Advised Against
Not applicable
1.3: Details of the Supplier of the Safety Data Sheet
Name
Federal Carbide Company
Address
One Eagle Ridge Road, Tyrone, PA 16686 USA
Phone
(814) 684-7600
Fax
(814) 684-9400
Email
Inquiry@federalcarbide.com
1.4: Emergency Telephone Number
National Centre for Prevention and Treatment of Intoxications No.
1-800-222-1222
Emergency Telephone at the Company
(814) 684-7600
Available Outside Office Hours
Yes (Available 8:00 am - 4:30pm EST)
2: Hazards Identification
2.1: Classification of the Substance or Mixture
Classification according to EC 1272/2008
Not Classified
Classification according to 67/548/EEC
Not Classified
2.2: Label Elements (according to EC 1272/2008)
Hazard Pictogram(s)
No pictogram
Signal Word
No signal word
Hazard Statement(s)
None
Precautionary Statement(s)
None
2.3: Other Hazards
PBT or vPvB
Tungsten carbide is an inorganic substance and therefore, the PBT and vPvB assessment is not required.
3: Composition / Information on Ingredients
Material
CAS#
% by Weight*
OSHA TWA
(mg/m³)
ACGIH TWA
(mg/m³)
OSHA STEL
(mg/m³)
Tungsten Carbide (limits for tungsten dusts)
12070-12-1
40 – 97
5
5
10
Cobalt
7440-48-4
0 – 30
0.1
0.02
-
Nickel
7440-02-0
0 – 30
1
1
-
Tantalum Carbide (limits for tantalum dusts)
12070-06-3
0 – 50
5
5
-
Chromium Carbide (limits for trivalent chromium dusts)
7440-47-3
0 – 5
1.0
0.5
-

*Total impurities less than 2% and no single impurity greater than 0.1% is considered relevant for the classification and labelling.

* Depends on grade specification.

TWA – Time Weighted Average (an employee’s average airborne exposure in any 8 hour shift of a 40 hour work week).

STEL – Short Term Exposure level (an employee’s 15 minute time weighted average exposure at any time during a work day).

This product contains substances that are subject to the reporting requirements of Section 313 of the Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Realization Act of 1986 and 40 CFR Part 372.

4: First Aid Measures
4.1: Description of First Aid Measures
Eyes
Rinse opened eye for several minutes under running water. Consult a doctor if required.
Inhalation
Remove to fresh air. Seek medical attention if required.
Ingestion
Rinse mouth with water and drink plenty of water afterwards. Seek medical advice if required.
Skin
Immediately wash with soap and water and rinse thoroughly. Seek medical attention if required.
General Advice
After first aid, get appropriate medical attention.
4.2: Most Important Symptoms and Effects, Both Acute and Delayed
In general, metal powders or dust may cause mechanical eye and skin irritation. Inhalation of powder or dust may cause mild respiratory tract irritation.
4.3: Indication of Any Immediate Medical Attention and Special Treatment Needed
None known.
5: Firefighting Measures
5.1: Extinguishing Media
Substance is non-flammable. Extinguishing methods depend upon hazards in vicinity. Use water or dry extinguishing powders, sand, CO₂ or other inert material as extinguishing media. Do not use water if any water-reactive metal powders are nearby.
5.2: Special Hazards Arising from the Substance or Mixture
No hazardous decomposition products are known.
5.3: Advice for Firefighters
Use a self-contained breathing apparatus and a protective suit.
6: Accidental Release Measures
6.1: Personal Precautions, Protective Equipment and Emergency Procedures
Avoid contact with skin and eyes, and formation and accumulation of dust. Use personal protective equipment (i.e., gloves, safety goggles, dust respirator) as specified in Section 8 of this SDS. Ventilate area of spill.
6.2: Environmental Precautions
Avoid release into the environment.
6.3: Methods and Material for Containment and Cleaning Up
Use clean-up methods which avoid dust generation, such as vacuuming (with filter that prevents re-suspension of dust) or wet clean-up, and fill into appropriate sealable containers. Clean remaining spills with water. Dispose of wastes according to regulations.
6.4: Reference to Other Sections
See Sections 8 and 13 for exposure controls and disposal considerations.
7: Handling and Storage
7.1: Precautions for Safe Handling
Ensure adequate ventilation and, if necessary, exhaust ventilation when handling or transferring this material. Use good housekeeping procedures to prevent accumulation of dust and ensure that accepted limit values are complied with. Wear personal protective equipment when handling.
7.2: Conditions for Safe Storage, Including Any Incompatibilities
Store in tightly closed containers in a well ventilated area. Store under dry and cool conditions, and away from incompatible materials (oxidizing agents) and direct sunlight.
7.3: Specific End Use(s)
• Production of hardmetal powder
• Production of sintered hardmetal articles
• Production of WC-containing diamond tools
• Powder metallurgical production of WC-containing articles
• Application of WC-containing coatings via thermal spraying
• Use of WC-containing articles
• Recycling of WC-containing scrap materials
8: Exposure Controls / Personal Protection
8.1: Control Parameters
Country Limit Values (for tungsten and insoluble compounds, as tungsten)

Country 8-h Limit Value (mg/m³) Short-term Limit Value (mg/m³)
Austria5*10*
Belgium510
Canada (Québec)510
Denmark510
Poland5–
Spain510
Sweden5–
Switzerland5*–
USA - NIOSH510†
United Kingdom510

* Inhalable aerosol; † 15-minutes
DNELs and PNECs
Derived No-Effect Levels (DNELs)

Exposure Pattern Route DNEL
Long-term systemic effectsDermalWorkers: 1.8 mg/kg bw/day (1.7 mg W/kg/day)
General Population: 0.51 mg/kg bw/day (0.48 mg W/kg/day)
Long-term systemic effectsInhalationWorkers: 6.2 mg/m³ (5.8 mg W/m³)
General Population: 1.8 mg/m³ (1.7 mg W/m³)
Long-term systemic effectsOralWorkers: Not applicable
General Population: 0.51 mg/kg bw/day (0.48 mg W/kg/day)

Tungsten carbide is not an acute toxicant; DNEL long-term is sufficient to control risks. It is not irritating or sensitizing in standard tests, so DNEL for local effects is not required.

Predicted No-Effect Concentrations (PNECs)

Compartment PNEC Value
Aqua – freshwater0.338 mg dissolved tungsten/L
Aqua – marine water0.0338 mg dissolved tungsten/L
Aqua – intermittent releases0.310 mg dissolved tungsten/L
Sediment freshwater960 mg tungsten/kg
Sediment marine96 mg tungsten/kg
Soil2.17 mg tungsten/kg dry soil
Sewage treatment plant9.39 mg tungsten/L
Oral11 mg tungsten/kg food
8.2: Exposure Controls
Appropriate Engineering Controls
Engineering controls may include local ventilation systems with dust filters depending on degree of process automation and containment (e.g., closed vs. open processes).

Individual Protection Measures
• Eye/Face Protection: Use of safety glasses as appropriate.
• Skin Protection: Work gloves and work clothes as necessary.
• Respiratory Protection: Use respirator as required.

Environmental Exposure Controls
Air Emission Controls:
– Fabric or bag filters (most common)
– Wet scrubbers
– Ceramic filters
– Dry or semi-dry scrubbers
– Electrostatic precipitation (not common)

Water Emission Controls:
– Chemical precipitation
– Sedimentation
– Filtration
– Electrolysis (not common)

Typical RMMs should be applied as necessary to ensure risk characterisation ratio (RCR) < 1 for health and environment.
9: Physical and chemical properties
Appearance
Black or grey powder
Odor
Odorless
Odor threshold
Not applicable as the substance is odorless
pH
Not relevant due to physical form (powder)
Melting point/freezing point
2785-2920°C
Initial boiling point/boiling range
6000°C
Flash point
Not relevant as the substance is inorganic
Evaporation rate
Not relevant due to physical form (powder)
Flammability
Non-Flammable
Upper/lower flammability or explosive limits
Not relevant as the substance is not flammable
Vapor pressure
Not relevant due to physical form
Vapor density
Not relevant due to physical form
Relative density
15.63 - 15.7 g/cm3
Solubility in water
Insoluble
Partition coefficient (n-octanol/water)
Not relevant as the substance is inorganic
Auto-ignition temperature
Tungsten carbide is not a self-heating substance down to a particle FSSS size of 0.53 µm
Decomposition temperature
Greater than 2920°C (melting point)
Viscosity
Not relevant due to physical form (powder)
Explosive properties
Not explosive
Oxidising properties
Not oxidising
9.2: Other information
Granulometry: Varies with grade composition
10: Stability and reactivity
10.1: Reactivity
No hazardous reactions known.
10.2: Chemical stability
Stable under normal ambient and anticipated storage and handling conditions of temperature and pressure.
10.3: Possibility of hazardous reactions
None known
10.4: Conditions to avoid
Avoid formation and accumulation of dust.
10.5: Incompatible materials
None known
10.6: Hazardous decomposition products
None known
11: Toxicological information
Acute oral
Rat (male/female) LD50 reported to be >2000 mg/kg bw (OECD 401).
Acute inhalation
Rat (male/female) LC50 (4h) reported to be >5.3 mg/L (OECD 403).
Acute dermal
Rat (male/female) LD50 reported to be >2000 mg/kg bw (OECD 402).
Skin corrosion/irritation
No dermal irritation observed in rabbits (OECD 404).
Eye damage/irritation
No eye irritation observed in rabbits (OECD 405).
Respiratory/skin sensitisation
No skin sensitisation in Guinea pig maximization test (OECD 406). No respiratory sensitisation data available.
Germ cell mutagenicity
Negative in in vitro bacterial gene mutation assay (OECD 471) and in vitro micronucleus assay (OECD 487). Negative results also reported for tungsten metal in mouse lymphoma assay. WC is not considered mutagenic.
Carcinogenicity
No data available.
Reproductive toxicity
Read-across to sodium tungstate and tungsten blue oxide: no significant effects on reproductive/developmental parameters. WC is not considered a reproductive toxicant.
STOT single exposure
No significant systemic effects observed.
STOT repeated exposure
90-day inhalation (OECD 413): Female rat NOAEL ≥15 mg/m³, Male rat LOAEL = 15 mg/m³ (mild lung histopathology). 28-day inhalation (tungsten blue oxide, OECD 412): NOAEL = 0.65 mg/L (max dose tested).
Aspiration hazard
Not an aspiration hazard due to physical form.
Information on likely routes of exposure
General population: oral, dermal, inhalation. Workers: dermal, inhalation.
Symptoms related to characteristics
Metal powders/dust may cause mechanical eye/skin irritation; inhalation may cause mild respiratory irritation.
Delayed and immediate effects
None known.
Interactive effects
None known.
12: Ecological information
Toxicity to fish
Zebrafish 96-h LC50 >1000 mg WC/L (OECD 203).
Zebrafish 38-day flow-through NOEC ≥9.8 mg sodium tungstate/L (≈5.74 mg W/L) (OECD 210).
Toxicity to invertebrates
Daphnia magna 48-h EC50 >1000 mg WC/L (OECD 202).
Daphnia magna 21-day NOEC (immobilisation) ≥85.1 mg sodium tungstate/L (≈50 mg W/L) (OECD 211).
Daphnia magna 21-day NOEC (reproduction/growth) 44.2 mg sodium tungstate/L (≈26 mg W/L) (OECD 211).
Toxicity to algae and plants
Desmodesmus subspicatus 72-h EC50 (growth rate) >1 mg WC/L (OECD 201).
Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata 72-h EC50 (growth rate) >17.7 mg sodium tungstate/L (≈10.4 mg W/L) (OECD 201).
Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata 72-h NOEC (growth rate) 0.81 mg sodium tungstate/L (≈0.476 mg W/L) (OECD 201).
Persistence and degradability
Not relevant for inorganic compounds. Persistence not applicable.
Bioaccumulative potential
Bioaccumulation not expected. Tungsten is adsorbed in soils/sediments, low leaching potential, uptake regulated. No evidence of methylated tungsten species.
Mobility in soil
No WC-specific data; sodium tungstate and tungsten metal data indicate adsorption/desorption varies with soil pH. Soil sorption coefficients for sodium tungstate: 16.6–863 L/kg.
PBT and vPvB assessment
Not required for inorganic substances.
Other adverse effects
None known.
13: Disposal considerations
13.1: Waste treatment methods
Dispose in accordance with local, regional, national, and international regulations.

Recommended options:
1. Re-use
2. Recycling or other recovery

Wastewater should be processed through a sewage treatment plant (STP) either on-site or off-site.

Note: Typical Risk Management Measures (RMMs) are provided for illustrative purposes and should be applied as appropriate to prevent adverse effects, indicated by a Risk Characterisation Ratio (RCR) of less than one, on human health and the environment.
14: Transport information
14.1: UN-No.
Not applicable
14.2: UN proper shipping name
Not applicable
14.3: Transport hazard class(es)
Non-hazardous
14.4: Packing group
Not applicable
14.5: Environmental hazard(s)
Non-hazardous
14.6: Special precaution(s) for user
Non-hazardous
14.7: Transport in bulk according to Annex II of MARPOL 73/78 and the IBC Code
Not applicable
15: Regulatory information
15.1: Safety, health and environmental regulations/legislation specific for the substance or mixture
EU Regulations: REACH
National Regulations: None known
15.2: Chemical safety assessment
A chemical safety report has been carried out on tungsten carbide. No exposure scenarios are attached to this SDS following the European Chemicals Agency Guidance on the Compilation of Safety Data Sheets (October 2010) requirements. An exposure scenario is only required for those substances fulfilling the criteria for any of the listed hazard classes in Article 14(4) of Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) as amended by Article 58 of Classification, Labeling and Packaging (CLP).
16: Other information
Directive 67/548/EEC
Not classified
Revision(s)
SDS prepared on 3 September 2014. Prepared in accordance with Annex II of the REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006, Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 and Commission Regulation (EU) 453/2010.
Abbreviations
BCF – Bioconcentration Factor
bw – Body weight
°C – Degrees Celsius
ca. – Approximately
CAS – Chemical Abstracts Service
cm – Centimetre(s)
DNEL – Derived No Effect Level
EC – European Commission
EC50 – Effect Concentration 50%
EEC – European Economic Community
EINECS – European Inventory of Existing Commercial chemical Substances
EU – European Union
FSSS – Automated Fisher Number Particle-Sizing System
g – Gram(s)
h – Hour(s)
kg – Kilogram(s)
L – Litre(s)
LC50 – Lethal Concentration 50%
LD50 – Lethal Dose 50%
LOAEL – Lowest Observed Adverse Effect Level
m – Meter(s)
MARPOL – International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships
mg – Milligram(s)
NIOSH – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NOAEL – No Observed Adverse Effect Level
NOEC – No Observed Effect Concentration
No. – Number
OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
PBT – Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic
PNEC – Predicted No Effect Concentration
RCR – Risk Characterization Ratio
REACH – Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical substances
RMM – Risk Management Measure
SDS – Safety Data Sheet
spERC – Specific Emission Release Categories
µm – Micrometer(s)
vPvB – very Persistent, very Bioaccumulative
W – Tungsten
WC – Tungsten carbide
w/w – Weight to weight
End of Safety Data Sheet