A solvent dissolves something else to form a solution, and that is really all a solvent is. Where it gets complicated is polarity. Polar solvents split further into protic, like ethanol and water, which have an O-H or N-H bond, and aprotic, like acetone and acetonitrile, which do not. That one distinction decides what a given solvent will actually dissolve, and it is where solvent selection starts. Boiling point, flash point, polarity, all of it varies wildly across the families Lab Alley carries. Check the SDS for the specific product. Do not assume one solvent behaves like another just because they are both liquids in the same category.
COMMON APPLICATIONS
Reaction media and reagents in chemical synthesis. Mobile phases and diluents in chromatography. Cleaning and degreasing agents in manufacturing. Extraction media in botanical and pharmaceutical processing. Carriers and ingredients in cosmetic formulation. Solvents show up everywhere, just doing different jobs depending on the industry.
GRADES EXPLAINED
Lab Grade, sometimes called Technical or Industrial Grade, has decent purity but no certified standard behind it, fine for cleaning, extraction, and general use. ACS Grade meets American Chemical Society reagent specs for analytical work. HPLC Grade goes further: low UV absorbance, minimal nonvolatile residue, built specifically for chromatography instruments that will flag anything less. USP, NF, and FCC Food Grade meet pharmacopeial or food safety standards, and these are the grades that carry Kosher and Halal certification where it exists. Anhydrous grades have water removed to a specified low level for moisture sensitive reactions. Not every solvent comes in every grade, so check the product page rather than assuming.
TYPES & GRADES AT A GLANCE
Is the highest volume solvent family Lab Alley carries, in undenatured, denatured, SDA, and organic grades.
Is available from 70% to 99.8%, in Lab, USP, ACS, Semiconductor, and HPLC grades.
Is a chromatography and HPLC staple, available up to HPLC grade purity.
Is a common reagent and HPLC mobile phase solvent.
Is a fast evaporating solvent for cleaning, degreasing, and reagent use.
Is a nonpolar solvent used in extraction and HPLC work.
Is a water soluble solvent and carrier, with food grade Kosher and Halal options.
Is a strong, fast acting solvent that ships under additional EPA compliance requirements.
WHY BUY FROM LAB ALLEY
256,000+ customers already order their chemicals from Lab Alley.
Most orders, 99.5 percent, ship within 1 to 2 business days. A solvent order should not be what holds up your production or research.
Inventory accuracy sits at 98.9 percent, so the grade you see in stock is the grade that ships.
Every solvent ships with SDS and COA available online, and select families like ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, polyethylene glycol, and propylene glycol carry Kosher and Halal certification.