LibGuides: Chemical Engineering Design Resources: Chemical Prices & Suppliers

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Chemical Prices Sources

There is no one, credible source for current & historical prices of bulk chemicals available for educational purposes.

Research for chemical prices may be piecemeal and in some cases the only source of information may be the manufacturer.
Remember to speak with your instructor before contacting any manufacturer directly.

Two publications with a focus on chemical prices:

ICIS Chemical Business - Available electronically (2007-present) through the database ABI/Inform. 2006 issues available electronically from the database General OneFile. Recent print issues available in Current Journals area (1st floor) TP1.O3.

In current electronic issues, search for "chemical prices" to locate a table that contains spot and contract bulk prices for a few industrial chemicals and petrochemicals.
In older issues the chemical prices table was called "key indicators" and found in the Market Trends & Data section.

Chemical Week - Most issues (1987-present) available electronically through the database ABI/Inform. Recent print issues available in Current Journals area (1st floor) TP 1 .C512. Search for the CW "Price Report" section or the "Product Focus" section for specific chemicals in older issues. The price report contains mainly spot and contract prices for a few select bulk industrial chemicals and petrochemicals. Note: It appears the CW Price Report section was discontinued in 2012.

Other Sources to try:

SciFinder-n This link opens in a new window
Prices for small quantities of some materials can be found. Users MUST REGISTER TO ACCESS (see more below).

ICIS Commodity & Product Finder
Try filtering for commodities that have price reporting and price history services using the check-boxes along the side of the page.
Sigma-Aldrich
Provides chemical prices, usually in small quantities