A reagents is a substance or compound added to a system to cause a chemical reaction, or added to test whether a reaction occurs. The terms reagent and reactant are often used interchangeably; however, a reactant is more specifically a substance consumed in the course of a chemical reaction.
Solvents, although involved in the reaction, are generally not called reactants. Similarly, catalysts are not consumed by the reaction, so they are not reactants. In biochemistry, especially in connection with enzyme catalysed reactions, reactants are commonly referred to as substrates.
Virtually all laboratories use a variety of chemical reagents. These include, for example, indicators, standards, hydroxides, acids, salts, alcohols and solvents and buffers.
Analysis, synthesis, content determination and many other key tests could not be performed without specialised substance, which is why you will find many of them in any chemical laboratory. How do we classify chemical substance, how do they differ and where are they used?
Regardless of the scope of activity of chemical laboratories, each laboratory uses various chemicals called chemical reagents. These include, among others, solvents and alcohols, critics, indicators, buffers, acids, hydroxides or sales. The characteristics and scale of research conducted in laboratories determine the types and quantities of chemical reagents used. They are used in various types of chemical analysis, research work, in preparation and in the production of other chemicals.
Characteristics of reagents.
Chemical reagents are chemical substances and their mixtures used in laboratories for synthesis, analysis, determination of the content of various substances, distribution of sample constituents and carrying out scientific and research work on understood technologies. The reagents are characterised by stable quality parameters (taking into account the level of impurities and the content of the main component), specific storage time and appropriate packaging to ensure the constancy of their composition.
Structure of chemical substance
Chemical substance are available on the market both as solids (granules, powders, tablets) and as liquids, solutions with specific specificities. One of the most important parameters characterising chemical substance is their purity. It is the percentage by weight of the main substance, after deduction of impurities present in the reagent. Usually, the main substance is a single chemical compound, but it can also be a mixture of several substances. Reagents of different quality and properties, specific to the intended use, are available on the chemical market.
Application of reagents
Chemical substance are most frequently used in various types of research work, chemical analysis, in the preparation and also in the production of other substances. The characteristics of laboratory applications and their scale determine the quantities and types of reagents. These substances are used for analyses such as: determination of ions, separation of cations or anion mixtures, detection of specific ions and many others.