Thank you Steve:)

I've been looking for Magnesium Chloride so I can make it up by the half gallon or gallon, and all the 'grade' terminology is a little confusing. I know pharmaceutical grade and food grade are ok for consumption, and I figured lab grade would have to be mostly pure, but I wasn't sure that technical grade wasn't just another name for lab grade, and what do they use technical grade for anyway? I just don't want to use the wrong thing. :/


Annie

"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." (Sign hanging in Einstein's office at Princeton)


Norton, Steve wrote:
Here is a good source of info:
http://yarchive.net/chem/chemical_grades.html

I frequently use reagent grade chemicals internally. If you go to the
FDA definition of allowable pharmaceutical grade impurities you will see
almost no difference between reagent and pharmaceutical grade chemicals.
Actually pharmaceutical grade is often less stringent than reagent
grade. That is because reagent grade chemicals are often used in making
pharmaceuticals.
A main issue is the amount of heavy metals in the chemical. Usually you
can request a copy of an assay of the reagent or technical grade
chemical and see what if any heavy metals are present. If you use
chelators regularly (bentonite, ALA, chlorella, etc) you may not be as
concerned about heavy metals.
Reagent grade is a higher purity than technical grade. From thr Sci-Tech
Encyclopedia:

"Commercial chemicals are available at several levels of purity.
Chemicals labeled "technical" or "commercial" are usually quite impure.
The grade "USP" indicates only that the chemical meets the requirements
of the United States Pharmacopeia. The term "CP" means only that the
chemical is purer than "technical." Chemicals designated "reagent grade"
or "analyzed reagent" are specially purified materials which usually
have been analyzed to establish the levels of impurities. The American
Chemical Society has established specifications and tests for purity for
some chemicals. Materials which meet these specifications are labeled
"Meets ACS Specifications."

I do use some technical grade chemicals where it is not possible or it
is difficult to get reagent grade. And I do use chelators. When deciding
to use a technical grade I try to get a copy of an assay.  If no assay
is available and the amount used is low and the purity is reasonably
high I might still use it. There is no absolute answer to your question.

 - Steve N


-----Original Message-----
From: Annie B Smythe [mailto:anniebsmy...@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 5:08 AM
To: CS List
Subject: CS>Chemistry question ?

Question for chemistry knowing folks.

What's the difference between technical grade and food grade? Is technical grade the same as lab grade? And would technical grade magnesium chloride powder to be unsafe to make a solution from for a person to drink as magnesium supplementation? Any impurities or anything?


Annie


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