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Silicon carbide (SiC), also known as carborundum, is a very hard material widely used for grinding and polishing, in the form of grinding wheels, polishing and grinding powders and as a coating for sandpaper, and today also for armor plating on armored vehicles. The compound was discovered by Edward Goodrich Acheson who patented it on February 28, 1893. Granular silicon carbide is commercially produced by a very high temperature reaction. High-quality silica sand and carbon (usually petroleum coke) are mixed in the correct ratio to reaction material. A lot of material is built from this mixture. In the middle of this pile of material is a core of graphite that serves as a current conductor. The graphite core is connected to a transformer and energized. As a result of the resistance, the temperature in the core of the heap of material (oven) rises to approximately 2700 degrees Celsius. At this temperature the reaction runs SiO2 (sand) + 3C (coke) yields SiC + 2CO (carbon monoxide); in short: SiO2 + 3 C → SiC + 2 CO A clear distinction must be made between granular silicon carbide and fibrous silicon carbide, which is produced on a nano scale for specific purposes. Granular silicon carbide has been shown to be toxic inert. Granular silicon carbide, as produced in the Netherlands, is not classified as a dangerous substance or preparation in accordance with EC Directive 67/548 / EEC or Directive 1999/45 / EC or Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008. In a report published on December 7, 2012, the Dutch Health Council states that silicon carbide in fiber form (fibers, "whiskers") can cause cancer and should be classified as "carcinogenic to humans" (in category 1A), according to the classification system of the Health Council. The data on the granular form of silicon carbide is insufficient to classify its carcinogenic properties (category 3). This is because the committee is concerned about whether the commercial granular silicon carbide is sufficiently free from fibrous silicon carbide.