ACS
ACS is the highest purity available. It meets or
exceeds standards set by the American Chemical
Society (ACS). ACS grade chemicals typically are
the most expensive, as they come with a
certificate of analysis. If you have medicinal, food,
and drug applications that have stringent quality
specifications, you'll want to use an ACS grade
(≥95%) chemical for sure.
Reagent
Reagent chemical grade is appropriate for analytical
work. The purity is similarly equal to ACS grade
(≥95%) and is more than sufficient for general
laboratory use.
USP
USP is used primarily in laboratories. USP is a grade
with enough purity to pass specific tests scheduled
and prescribed by the US Pharmacopoeia (USP) and
is determined acceptable for drug use in some
instances.
NF
NF grade contains enough purity to meet the
standards required by the National Formulary (NF).
However, the grade impurities are still not known,
thus making it more commonly used for educational
purposes and as an upper-level intermediate quality
chemical.
HPLC
HPLC is high-performance liquid chromatography.
However, it's a technique used to separate,
recognize, and calculate each chemical compound
from a mixture.
LP Grade (Low Particulate) Grade
Low Particulate Grade (LP Grade) refers to a low
level of particulate matter found in the chemical.
This grade is generally used in cleanroom
environments.
Laboratory Grade
Laboratory grade has the lowest purity. Its
primary use is in educational applications.
Laboratory grade isn't able to be used for medical,
drug, or any kind of food due to its impurity level.
Pure
Pure is a lower-level intermediate quality. Even
though this grade contains some impurities, it is best
for educational purposes due to its purity being
more than enough.
Technical
Technical is a good-quality grade for industrial use
but must be used with caution when substituting
for reagent-grade or a lab-grade chemical.
The three most common chemical grades are ACS,
Reagent, and Laboratory grade.
