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Dust entry

Tantalum metal and oxide dust

Airborne particulate from tantalum metal and tantalum oxide during powder handling and industrial processing.

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

occupational particulate exposure concern

Evidence

The current NIOSH Pocket Guide identifies tantalum metal and oxide dust, gives 5 mg/m3 TWA and 10 mg/m3 short-term exposure limits, and warns that tantalum powder can ignite spontaneously in air.

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Exposure Limits; Physical Description; Incompatibilities and Reactivities · 1
NIOSH REL TWA 5 mg/m3 ST 10 mg/m3. Physical Description Metal: Steel-blue to gray solid or black, odorless powder. Metal: Combustible Solid; powder ignites SPONTANEOUSLY in air.

NIOSH identifies a 5 mg/m³ TWA REL and 10 mg/m³ short-term limit for tantalum metal and oxide dust and describes tantalum dust as black powder and tantalum oxide as white microcrystalline powder.

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Exposure Limits; Physical Description · 1
NIOSH REL TWA 5 mg/m³ ST 10 mg/m³. Tantalum dust is a black powder and tantalum oxide is a white, microcrystalline powder.

NIOSH gives a revised IDLH of 2,500 mg Ta/m³ for tantalum metal and oxide dust and explains that the value is based on the REL/PEL and assigned protection factor.

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Revised IDLH · 1
The revised IDLH for tantalum metal and oxide dust is 2,500 mg Ta/m³ based on being 500 times the NIOSH REL and OSHA PEL of 5 mg Ta/m³.

The NIOSH/OSHA review states that the final rule retains an 8-hour TWA for tantalum metal dust and oxide and does not adopt the proposed STEL.

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TANTALUM METAL · 1
The final rule retains an 8-hour TWA for tantalum metal dust and oxide but does not adopt the proposed STEL for these substances.

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