In fact, this modification greatly extended the life of thermocouples, allowing a single experiment to cycle many pressure-temperature paths, thus greatly improving the efficiency of a single run. A document at Lawrence Livermore indicates the structure of such an apparatus, however, and the cubic shapes used do not seem to correspond to the artifact. The rarity of these research tools, however, argues against them as a source for the artifact. Tool makers also use tungsten carbide anvils for die cutting and wire and pipe drawing. Images of these objects do not suggest anything similar to the artifact, nor do other images of tungsten carbide objects.
Tungsten carbide is also a natural for drilling equipment.
The refractory characteristics of TC make it a natural for high temperature applications. TC is electrically resistant and is used in applications where high-temperature conductivity is needed. TC is nearly as hard as diamond and much less rare. It might be used for high impact applications. Thus, one must consider the possibility that it represents a normally internal component, ejected due to wear or malfunction.