The method of use and scope of application of a chemical is determined by its chemical grade. In simple terms, the grade of a chemical can be classified by its purity and the degree to which it is free from contamination. Although each country, region, organization, and even laboratory has its own set of systematic classification criteria for chemicals, these standards have certain similarities in principle and law.
What Are The Different Chemical Grades?
The classification of chemicals according to their purity and quality is crucial in identifying chemicals for specific purposes of use, including laboratory experiments or industrial processes. For specific classification criteria, the United Kingdom has a set of specific chemical classification standards. Similar criteria exist in other countries. But the criteria for each country or region, and even each company, are slightly different.
The following are the chemical grades of the most common general chemical products in the UK:
- Technical Grade: This grade is the most basic chemical grade and is assigned to a chemical at the lowest level of purity and quality. This class of chemicals is mostly used in industry. That is, in industrial applications, as long as the chemical can react, then its high purity and precursor are not essential.
- GRG: This grade of chemical is called general reagent grade chemical, also known as general grade chemical. Generally suitable for laboratory and domestic use, these chemicals have purity levels up to 99.9 percent. But it is not clear whether there is an inherent standard for testing GRG mixtures for other contaminants.
- BP Grade: This grade has a strong similarity to the USP grade in the United States and is generally a pharmaceutical-grade chemical. This class of chemical meets the requirements of the British Pharmacopoeia, which is based on the requirement that chemicals be free of contaminants, and also receives a certificate of conformity from the British Pharmacopoeia. This certificate is a strong statement that a BP-grade chemical is used in the manufacture of cosmetics and is sufficient to demonstrate that the product has met basic testing and verification.
- Analytical Research Grade: High-end chemical products in this category are used exclusively for research testing and laboratory analysis by professional teams. Once the product contains contaminants, it will affect the results of the whole experiment. Therefore, accurate detection of the purity of such chemical products is particularly important.
Since the requirements for these chemicals are particularly high, the grades of these chemicals are specific and have their own criteria. Generally, according to the acid strength, the acid can be divided into a strong acid, medium strong acid, and weak acid. However, In the United States, the level of classification for acids is determined by their purity and use. Specific categories are as follows:
- Omni-trace grade acids: These acids are purer than reagent grade acids and can be analyzed on small scales for at least 33 different types of trace metals.
- Trace metal grade: The purity of this grade of acid is high, meaning that there is very little metal contamination. These acids are often used to prepare samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
- Ultrapure grade acids: These acids contain almost no trace metals and are suitable for regular use with other analytical instruments. In recent years, with the development of ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography (UPLC, UHPLC) technology, especially with the application of MS, PDA, ELSD, CAD, and other high-performance detectors, its ultra-low detection limit, and effective molecular structure analysis are rapidly applied in the field of bioengineering and pharmaceutical. At the same time, ultra-pure grade acid is also suitable for acid reaction-produced salt.
- Environmental grade: An ambient grade acid is highly pure because its impurities have been removed by a single boiling distillation process. Generally speaking, this grade of acid needle is generally used to detect persistent organic pollutants, pesticide/veterinary drug residues, plasticizers, benzene series, trace-specific organic matter, etc.
What Are Analytical Grade Chemicals?
Chemical grades vary greatly depending on the company and the specific product. For example, some companies offer pharmaceutical grade as an option while others offer it only as a standard selection. In some industries, the analytical grade is outlined in government regulations and must be adhered to specifically. Other industries define their own standards for chemical grades, which is where it can get more complex.
Laboratory analytical grade chemicals look to be heading in the opposite direction of industrial chemicals – away from commodities and towards a much more tailored market.
Chemicals such as enzymes and hormones play significant roles in bodily functions. From the digestion of foods to the monitoring of hormone levels, analytical grade chemicals are essential in a variety of medical procedures and scientific tests. These high-quality, pure chemicals also play a role in commercial applications, such as food analysis or environmental testing.
And then, analytical grade chemicals are used in the laboratory for a wide range of applications. They can be used to compare the sample value with the standard value; they can be used to find out the sample structure; they can also be used as reagents in qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, and forensic science.
So it is also applied to compare the following sample values and standard values:
- Capillary electrophoresis
- Chromatography
- Electrochemistry
- Microbiology
- Spectroscopy
- Titration
Analytical grade chemicals are crucial to the performance of analytical instruments as well as other processes where high levels of precision and accuracy of measurements in laboratory analyses are required. By measuring these properties, scientists can design new materials that will result in higher quality products.
What Are Food Grade Chemicals?
Food grade chemicals are ingredients used in the food industry that are compliant with health and safety regulations and international standards, such as the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC). Products containing these chemicals are manufactured in bulk and Sold in large wholesale containers or retail packages.
Food-grade chemicals are non-organic or organic chemical additives, used to make the food have a longer shelf life, keep the taste delicious, better color, etc. Such chemicals are produced in large quantities for direct use by food companies or households. Some typical food grade chemicals are as follows:
- Antioxidants
- Food preservatives
- Artificial food coloring
- Artificial flavoring
- Vitamins and minerals
Food-grade chemicals, such as citric acid and baking soda, are found in processed foods. They extend the shelf life of these foods and give them good seasoning. Certain types of processed foods are also rich in vitamins and other micronutrients, such as calcium, iron, and vitamin B12.
What Are Lab Grade Chemicals?
Unlike very pure reagents and analytical-grade chemicals, laboratory-grade chemicals contain some impurities. The amount of these impurities is usually not clearly defined or explained, but in practice, they do not affect their utility in experiments, and they are usually of intermediate to upper quality.
Level laboratory chemicals have stronger field can be, in general, can be directly used in the research and experiment, rather than for sample analysis of ultra-precision, so usually used for school chemistry lab, through the interpretation of the concept, demonstration operation way to achieve education for students of chemistry curriculum goal makes the students can learn the basic chemical principle and experimental method, Therefore, laboratory chemistry is the ideal teaching material.
What Are GPR Grade Chemicals?
GPR grade chemicals are divided into pure reagent grade chemicals and general-purpose reagent grade chemicals. Both are laboratory-grade chemicals and can be as high as 99.9% pure.
Although these products do not undergo strict testing for contaminants, this makes them suited for general laboratory use only, again as in school chemistry experiments, or testing for chemical reactions.
However, because of the lack of quality control measures and regulations on these products, they can be unsafe to use. For example, some may contain toxic chemicals or other harmful substances.
In addition, some of them are not labeled correctly or at all. This can lead to accidental ingestion or exposure to unknown substances that may cause harm to you or others in your household.
For example, if you use a home science kit to test the pH level of water in your aquarium and discover that it’s too acidic, you might try adjusting it by adding baking soda and lemon juice (or some other solution). The next day when you check on your fish tank again and find that they’re all dead due to an overdose of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), you will know why they died.
GPR grade chemicals can also be used as a reagent used to maintain the quality of certain products. For instance, GPR-grade chemicals are used to test for the presence of a product species, and they are filtered to ensure the purity and high quality of the product. Also, they are used to test the chemical reaction levels of a large number of products, such as beer and other artificial beverages.
What Are USP Grade Chemicals?
USP grade indicates the purity rating of a chemical and is determined by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), a non-profit scientific organization. The USP classification criteria focus on the food, pharmaceutical, and medical grade chemical industries. At present, this standard has been used in more than 140 countries.
In the United States, USP has no legal authority to enforce its standards. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other related government agencies are responsible for enforcing laws and regulations.
The grade of a chemical product guarantees compliance with quality standards and product safety.
These grades serve as guidelines about the appropriate quality of chemicals that should be used in a given situation.
Disclaimer
the information provided on this website is for general information purposes only and does not attempt to give any specific advice. While we believe all information on the site to be accurate, we accept no responsibility for any error or omission. It is recommended that you consult Material Safety Data Sheet for any chemicals before using them, and follow all safety precautions on the product label.If you are in any doubt about health or safety issues please consult your local authority or other expert sources.
