dusts.org
← All dusts

Dust entry

Hafnium metal dust

Fine hafnium metal or hafnium-compound particulate encountered in powder handling and other industrial operations.

Airborne form

dust

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

eye irritationskin irritationmucous-membrane irritationliver damage concerncombustible dust hazard

Evidence

The current NIOSH Pocket Guide sets a 0.5 mg/m³ time-weighted-average REL for hafnium, identifies inhalation and skin or eye contact routes, and reports eye, skin, and mucous-membrane irritation and liver damage in animals.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Exposure Limits; Exposure Routes; Symptoms; Target Organs · 1
NIOSH REL TWA 0.5 mg/m³. Exposure Routes inhalation, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms In Animals: irritation eyes, skin, mucous membrane; liver damage. Target Organs Eyes, skin, mucous membrane, liver.

The NIOSH Pocket Guide identifies inhalation, ingestion, skin, and eye contact routes for hafnium; reported animal symptoms include irritation of the eyes, skin, and mucous membranes and liver damage, with a 0.5 mg/m³ TWA REL.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Exposure Limits; Exposure Routes; Symptoms; Target Organs · 1
NIOSH REL TWA 0.5 mg/m³. Exposure Routes inhalation, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms In Animals: irritation eyes, skin, mucous membrane; liver damage. Target Organs Eyes, skin, mucous membrane, liver.

NIOSH lists a revised IDLH of 50 mg/m³ as hafnium compounds and notes that hafnium powder can be explosive or spontaneously ignited when finely divided.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Revised IDLH; Basis for original IDLH · 1
NIOSH REL: 0.5 mg/m³ TWA. The revised IDLH for hafnium compounds is 50 mg Hf/m³.

The archived NIOSH Pocket Guide edition identifies hafnium as a grayish solid, reports a 0.5 mg/m³ NIOSH/OSHA limit and a 50 mg/m³ IDLH, and warns that finely divided powder can be ignited by static electricity or spontaneously.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 184 · Hafnium · Chemical and physical properties; Exposure limits; IDLH
Hafnium ... NIOSH*/OSHA* 0.5 mg/m³ ... 50 mg/m³ (as Hf) ... Explosive in powder form (either dry or with <25% water), finely divided powder can be ignited by static electricity or even SPONTANEOUSLY.

Controls