Chemical grades

From Sciencemadness Wiki
Revision as of 07:07, 14 June 2016 by Ave369 (Talk | contribs) (Ex-USSR (modern Russia and many other post-Soviet states))

Jump to: navigation, search
File:DSC09924.jpg
AR grade 1,4-Dioxane

There are many different grades, also know as purities of chemicals. Chemical purity is important in many applications, but most procedures carried out by amateur chemists don't require a specific purity of reagent.

Common reagent grades by locality

United States

ACS Reagent: A reagent that meets or exceeds the specification of the American Chemical Society. ACS reagents are high quality chemicals for lab use. A certificate of analysis or (COA) can be provided by the manufacturer.

Guaranteed Reagent (GR): A reagent that usually meets ACS specifications and is meant for analytical chemistry. 

AR: A reagent that is suitable for laboratory use.

Reagent: The highest available purity for a reagent that the American Chemical Society does not have specifications for.

Purified: A chemical of good quality, this is fine for amateur chemistry.

Lab Grade: A reagent suitable for general lab applications.

USP: Meets standards set by the United States Pharmacopeia.

FCC: Chemicals that meet the standards set by the Food Chemical Codex, FCC reagents are food grade.

Technical: Reagents that have not been analyzed or are industrial grade. These may or may not have significant contaminants.

Poland

Cz.: Reagent for general lab usage.

Cz.d.a: Reagent for analysis.

Ex-USSR (modern Russia and many other post-Soviet states)

  • Tech (technical grade): the lowest grade. The concentration of the reagent is no lower than 70%.
  • Ch (pure): the concentration of the reagent is no lower than 98%.
  • Ch.d.a. (pure for analysis): concentration of the reagent is not specified, but it is guaranteed that impurities will not get in the way of reactions. Equivalent to Guaranteed Reagent.
  • Kh. Ch. (chemically pure): concentration of the reagent is no lower than 99%. This is the highest grade commonly used.
  • O.S.Ch. (special grade of purity): concentration of the reagent is so close to 100% that it is not possible to detect any contaminants.
  • Pisch. (food grade) or Med. (medical grade): safe to consume with food or medicinal drugs.


Some things may have no grade, or be mixtures, and thus are 'general use' grade, or 'consumer grade'.

Sources

Reagents: http://www.reagents.com/products/reagents/grades.html