Pulsed arc production of tungsten carbide (W-C) powders in deionized water and analytical (99.8%) ethanol was studied. The arc was ignited between two submerged electrodes: one of 99.99% graphite (C) and the other of 99.5% W. The pulse energy and duration were in the ranges of 7.7-192 mJ and 25-65 mu s, respectively. The WC1-x production rate was maximized by configuring the C electrode as the anode and the W electrode as the cathode. The rate was greater in ethanol than in water. The rate of producing similar to 10 nm particles in ethanol was two orders of magnitude greater when using W anode -C cathode configuration, than with the opposite polarity.