Reagent / ACS grade solvent purity question

[69ron]

Reagent / ACS grade purity question

Ok, so there’s food grade (FCC), medical grade (USP), lab grade (crap), and then there’s Readent/ACS grade.

Now I know that FCC and USP are fine for food purposes, but what about ACS grade?

I thought ACS was ultra pure, but SWIM was reading a bottle of Reagent/ACS grade solvent and it says very clearly on it “For laboratory use only”. Does that basically mean it could have tiny amount of very highly toxic substances in it?

For example, the Reagent/ACS grade ethyl acetate says:

Assay: 99.5 % min
Color: 10 max.
Residue after evaporation: 0.003%
Titrable acid: 0.0009 meq/g max
Substances darkened by H2SO2: P.T.
Water: 0.2% max.

So there’s possibly 0.003% of something in it that won’t evaporate. Is that something to worry about? Would distilling it be of any help?

SWIM can't find FCC or USP grade at any place that sells to the general public.

 

[benzyme]

it's absolutely fine. ACS grade is industry standard and stable, like pharm-grade supplements.
conforms to standards of the American Chemical Society. SWIM uses nothing but ACS grade EtOH and DCM.

but if SWIY is worried about it, here's where activated carbon could also come in handy.

 

[69ron]

it's absolutely fine. ACS grade is industry standard and stable, like pharm-grade supplements.
conforms to standards of the American Chemical Society.

but if you're worried about it, here's where activated carbon could also come in handy.

Is it legal to use in food processing or is FCC grade or USP grade required?

 

[benzyme]

i think FCC grade is required for food processing.

ACS grade is used in research and development, hence the "for laboratory use only"
USP grade usually tops out at around 95% purity, ACS grade is typically min. 98%

swim once drank about 3mL ACS grade 1,4-butanediol in his soda while working in the university polymer lab, no complications whatsoever. he just got sort of spun

 

[69ron]

Yeah, that's my thinking but I can't find anything stating that as fact, other then the "For lab use only" statement on the bottle.

SWIM always distills technical grade before use. Should ACS grade also be distilled before use? Is it something to worry about? Or is SWIM being overly health conscious? Can the 0.003% that won't evaporate be of any concern healthwise?

 

[benzyme]

SWIY is just being overly conscious.

ACS grade is basically tech grade that's been redistilled to at least 98-99.5% purity. no point in redistilling it, unless SWIY can do it under inert atmosphere