Reagentgrade

Reagent grade is a broad labeling used by chemical suppliers to describe a category of reagents intended for routine laboratory use. It denotes a level of purity sufficient for most standard experiments but is not standardized across manufacturers. Purity levels and impurity profiles can vary by substance and by supplier, and there is no universal numeric specification attached to “reagent grade.”

In practice, reagent grade products sit below more strictly defined grades such as ACS grade or analytical reagent (AR) grade. They are typically appropriate for general synthesis, teaching laboratories, and non-analytical work, but their impurity limits (including water content, trace organics, and ions) are not consistently defined. For applications requiring stringent quality control or trace analysis, higher-purity grades are preferred.

Users should consult the Certificate of Analysis provided by the supplier to verify purity, impurity limits, moisture, stabilizers, and other relevant specifications. The term is sometimes encountered in historical contexts or in catalogs that favor a broad category rather than a precise standard. For critical or regulated applications, selecting a clearly defined grade such as ACS, AR, NF, or HPLC-grade reagents and confirming compatibility with the method is advisable.