Chemical Grades
In order of purity, from highest to lowest.
ACS
Highest quality; often equals or exceeds the latest purity standards set by the American Chemical Society (ACS). This is the only universally accepted standard. Chemicals are of the highest purity attainable.
Reagent
Purity is generally equal to ACS grade. This grade is suitable for analytical work and is more than adequate for general lab use.
USP
A grade of sufficient purity to pass certain tests prescribed by the US Pharmacopoeia (USP); acceptable for drug use. USP grade may be used for most laboratory purposes.
NF
A grade of sufficient purity to meet the standards of the National Formulary (NF).
Lab
An upper-level intermediate quality. Exact impurities may not be known; however, lab grade is usually pure enough for most educational laboratories.
Pure
Purified, pure, or practical grade; a lower-level intermediate quality. Although this grade does contain impurities, it is usually pure enough for use in educational laboratories.
Technical
A good-quality grade used industrially. Use caution when substituting for reagent-grade or lab-grade chemicals.
When making a solution, one must first decide what degree of chemical purity is needed. Many types of chemicals are available in several grades of purity.
