Process Safety Information

Material Process Fume

Fume will be produced during the welding and cutting of metals and alloys. Fume consists of visible particulate fume and invisible gaseous fume.

The amount of fume produced and its content depend on the material, on the consumables, flux, or gases in addition to the process being used to weld or cut.

  • the most hazardous particulate fumes include chromium, nickel, manganese, barium and zinc.  The most significant component of gaseous welding fume is usually ozone
  • particulate fume from cutting processes tends to be composed of oxides of elements present in the material being cut
  • gaseous fume mainly consists of the oxides of nitrogen and possibly ozone
  • the welding or cutting process has a marked effect on fume generation as some processes produce more than others
  • the processes most likely to give significant amounts of fume include MMA, MIG, and cored wire welding, plasma and air-arc cutting
  • TIG, plasma, and submerged arc welding and gas cutting



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