Phosphates
Buy Sodium, Potassium, Calcium and Ammonium Phosphate in Lab, ACS and USP/FCC Grades.
Buy phosphate salts online in the form and grade your process actually needs, with the price right on the page. Sodium phosphate is the largest group here, monobasic, dibasic and tribasic, in ACS and USP grade, the building blocks for phosphate buffer saline and countless other lab buffers. There's also potassium phosphate, monobasic and dibasic, dicalcium and tricalcium phosphate, both USP/FCC and Halal certified, and ammonium phosphate, monobasic and dibasic, commonly used as a fertilizer component. A zinc phosphate stripping solution and disodium ATP round out the category as specialty reagents.
Grades run from Lab Grade for general use up to ACS Grade for analytical and buffer work, and USP/FCC Grade for food and pharmaceutical applications. Our dicalcium and tricalcium phosphate products are Halal certified, but that's specific to those two SKUs, not the whole category, so check the product title before assuming it applies elsewhere. Every product ships with its SDS and COA posted online, and sizes run from small jars up to 25 kg containers on select grades.
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98.9%
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SDS + COA
available online, every product
About Phosphates
A phosphate salt pairs a metal or ammonium ion with the phosphate ion, PO4 3-, derived from phosphoric acid. Because phosphoric acid has three acidic hydrogens, it can form three different salt types depending on how many of those hydrogens get replaced: monobasic, with one hydrogen replaced, dibasic, with two, and tribasic, with all three. That distinction matters a lot in practice, since monobasic and dibasic phosphates of the same metal have different pH behavior and are frequently combined in specific ratios to create buffers at a target pH, which is exactly how phosphate buffer saline and similar lab buffers are made. Most phosphates on this page are white, odorless, water soluble crystalline solids.
COMMON APPLICATIONS
Laboratory buffer preparation, where monobasic and dibasic sodium or potassium phosphate combine to hold a solution at a precise, stable pH, the basis of phosphate buffer saline and many biochemical and molecular biology protocols. Food and beverage formulation, where USP/FCC grade calcium phosphates serve as a calcium fortification source, leavening agent, and anti-caking agent. Fertilizer production, where ammonium phosphate supplies both nitrogen and phosphorus to crops. Dental and bone graft materials, where tricalcium phosphate's similarity to natural bone mineral makes it useful in some biomedical applications. Metal surface treatment, where products like zinc phosphate solutions are used in stripping and pretreatment processes. General reagent and analytical standard use, including disodium ATP as a biochemical reference compound.
GRADES EXPLAINED
Lab Grade is solid, everyday purity with no official monograph, suitable for general research and industrial use. ACS Grade meets American Chemical Society limits on impurities, the standard choice for buffer preparation and analytical methods where trace contamination would skew results. USP/FCC Grade meets pharmacopeia and food chemical standards, the one to buy for food, beverage or pharmaceutical formulation, and that's where Halal certification sits on this page.
TYPES & GRADES AT A GLANCE
ACS and USP grade, the most versatile phosphate family for buffers and formulation.
ACS and Reagent grade, used alongside sodium phosphate in buffer systems.
Food and pharmaceutical grade calcium phosphates, Halal certified.
Lab and ACS grade, used in fertilizer formulation and as a lab reagent.
WHY BUY FROM LAB ALLEY
256,000+ customers already order their chemicals and reagents from Lab Alley. 99.5% of orders ship within 1 to 2 business days, and 98.9% inventory accuracy means the grade you see in stock is the grade that ships. SDS and COA are available online for every phosphate salt, and our Dicalcium Phosphate and Tricalcium Phosphate, both USP/FCC Grade, carry Halal certification; check each product page for current certification status.
Related: See our Citrates collection, Phosphoric Acid, or browse all Salts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy sodium or potassium phosphate online?
Right here. We carry sodium, potassium, calcium and ammonium phosphate in Lab, ACS and USP/FCC grades, including the monobasic and dibasic forms used for buffer preparation. Pick the salt and grade, check the price, and order with no quote needed for standard sizes. Most in stock orders ship within 1 to 2 business days.
What's the difference between monobasic, dibasic and tribasic phosphate?
How many of the acid's three replaceable hydrogens have been swapped out for a metal ion. Monobasic has one replaced, dibasic has two, tribasic has all three, and each form sits at a different natural pH. That's exactly why monobasic and dibasic sodium or potassium phosphate get mixed together in specific ratios to build a buffer at a precise target pH, like the phosphate buffer saline used throughout biology and chemistry labs.
Lab grade vs ACS vs USP/FCC, what's actually different?
Mostly purity and where it's headed. Lab Grade is solid everyday purity with no official standard, fine for general research and industrial use. ACS Grade meets American Chemical Society limits, the standard for buffer preparation and analytical methods. USP/FCC Grade meets pharmacopeia and food chemical standards, the one to buy for food, beverage or pharmaceutical formulation.
Which phosphate products are Halal certified?
Two of them: Dicalcium Phosphate, USP/FCC Grade, and Tricalcium Phosphate, FCC/USP Grade. Both carry Halal certification. The rest of the phosphate salts in this category, including the sodium, potassium and ammonium phosphates, carry no religious certification, so check the specific product title if that matters for your order.
Do I need a permit, and can phosphate salts ship to a home address?
No purchase permit is required for any phosphate salt. Like the rest of our chemical catalog, they ship to business, lab and school addresses rather than residential ones. Each product page lists its specific shipping details, and Customer Care at 512-668-9918 can confirm before you order if you're unsure your address qualifies.
Which grade and form should I buy?
Match it to the job. Buffer preparation for lab work: ACS grade monobasic and dibasic sodium or potassium phosphate, mixed to your target pH. Food or pharmaceutical formulation: USP/FCC grade, with dicalcium and tricalcium phosphate also Halal certified. Fertilizer or agricultural use: ammonium phosphate. General industrial or research use where certification isn't needed: Lab Grade.
What is sodium phosphate actually used for?
Mostly as a buffer. Combined in different ratios, monobasic and dibasic sodium phosphate hold a solution at a stable, precise pH, which is the basis of phosphate buffer saline and a long list of biochemical and molecular biology protocols. Tribasic sodium phosphate also shows up in cleaning and water treatment applications. Outside the lab, phosphates in general play a major role in fertilizer production and food formulation.
Can I buy phosphate salts in bulk?
Yes, for most of them. Several phosphates on this page scale up to 25 kg containers right on the product page. For volumes beyond what's listed, or a recurring delivery schedule, request pricing through Bulk & Custom Chemicals. Autoship takes 10% off eligible repeat orders.
How should phosphate salts be stored?
Keep them tightly sealed in their original containers, in a cool, dry area, since most phosphates are at least mildly hygroscopic and can clump if they pick up moisture from the air. They're generally stable and low reactivity compared to most of our stock, but it's still worth keeping them in dedicated, labeled storage.
Industries That Use Phosphates
R&D/Laboratory
Explore ACS, HPLC and LC/MS grade chemicals for R&D and laboratory use including solvents, acids, bases, buffers and standardized solutions for research and QC.
Learn more →Food & Beverage
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Learn more →Pharmaceuticals & Nutraceuticals
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Learn more →Life Sciences & Biotech
Explore high-purity chemicals for life sciences and biotech research including solvents, reagents, acids, bases, enzymes, buffers and molecular biology grade solutions.
Learn more → If you are purchasing SDA in 5 gallons or more, you are required to provide a TTB permit showing how much of the product you are allowed to purchase per year. Please email your TTB permit to
customercare@laballey and include your Order Number.
