# Reagents and high-purity lab chemicals

High-purity chemicals, solvents, biochemicals and reference standards for laboratories; a $31 billion market led by Merck KGaA, Thermo Fisher and Avantor.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/

Fine chemicals · Other fine chemicals · No. 104

- Product family
- not published (small tonnage; sold in grams to drums)
- HS 382200
 Fine chemicals · Other fine chemicals · Foundation · Matter

In a bottle of lab-grade solvent, the glass, testing and certificate can cost more than the chemical inside.

Chart: Illustration: Reagents and high-purity lab chemicals

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Most reagents start as ordinary bulk chemicals that are purified, tested lot by lot and packed with a certificate, feeding a market worth $30.87 billion in 2025.

##### Three things to know

1. Merck KGaA, Thermo Fisher and Avantor together hold an estimated 22-31% of the market's revenue.
2. Universities and research institutes are the biggest buyers, accounting for about 33% of demand.
3. Asia-Pacific is the fastest-growing region at about 5% a year, and China makes up 38.2% of it.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Commodity chemical**Bulk acids, salts and solvents bought in
2. 2 **Purification**Distilled, recrystallised or filtered to 0.2 micron
3. 3 **Lot testing**Checked against ACS, pharmacopoeia or ISO standards
4. 4 **Packaging**Glass bottles, ampoules or dry-ice cold packs
5. 5 **Distribution**Catalogues and distributors reach labs worldwide

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## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/lab_reagents/links/index.md)