What is the difference between an SDS and a COA?

A Safety Data Sheet describes the substance — its hazards, handling, storage, first aid, spill response and transport classification. It is the same for every batch of that product and grade. A Certificate of Analysis describes one specific batch: the assay result, the impurity results and the date they were tested. The SDS tells you how to work with it safely; the COA tells you what you actually received.

Why do you need my batch number for a COA?

Because a COA for a different batch is not evidence of anything. The batch number is printed on the container label. Without it we can only send you a specimen certificate, which is not acceptable in a regulated laboratory.

Can I get the SDS before the material arrives?

Yes, and you should. Ask for it at quotation stage so your EHS review, storage planning and PPE selection happen before a drum turns up at your gate rather than after.

Is the hazard information on your product pages the SDS?

No. It is a summary reproduced from the manufacturer’s published classification, provided so you can plan handling and storage while you are still deciding what to order. It is not a substitute for the SDS, and classification can differ by grade, concentration and batch. Always work from the SDS supplied with your consignment.

How long should I keep these documents?

Retention is set by your own quality system and by any regulator you answer to. As a working rule, keep the COA for as long as you keep the data generated using that batch, and keep the current SDS for every substance on your register for as long as it is on site.

Safety & analysis documentation

Two documents, two different jobs. Laboratories that treat them as interchangeable get findings at audit — and, more importantly, occasionally get hurt.

Safety Data Sheet (SDS)

Also called an MSDS

A sixteen-section document describing the substance: hazard identification and GHS classification, composition, first-aid measures, firefighting, accidental release, handling and storage, exposure controls and personal protection, physical and chemical properties, stability and reactivity, toxicological and ecological information, disposal, transport and regulatory information.

It is the same for every batch of a given product and grade. It is what your EHS review, your storage plan, your PPE selection and your spill procedure are built from.

Supplied: with every chemical consignment, and in advance on request.

Certificate of Analysis (COA)

Batch specific

A record of what was actually tested for one specific batch: the assay result against the specification, individual impurity results, the test methods used, the date of analysis and the batch number.

This is the document an assessor asks for when they want to know whether the reagent you used was fit for the method. A specimen certificate, or a certificate for a different batch, does not answer that question.

Supplied: on request, against the batch number printed on your container label.

How to request

We do not gate these behind a form or an account. Message, email or call, name the product and the batch if you have it, and we will send them.

WhatsApp: +91 78598 44343
Email: info@patelchemhub.com
Telephone: +91 78598 44343

Include in your request

01Product name exactly as printed on the label, including the grade.
02The batch or lot number — essential for a COA, printed on the container.
03Pack size, which occasionally distinguishes two otherwise identical articles.
04Your invoice or delivery challan number, if you have it to hand. It is the fastest way for us to find the right consignment.
05Which document you need, and whether you need it in a particular language.

Before the material arrives

Ask for the SDS at quotation stage, not at delivery. Storage compatibility, ventilation, PPE and spill provision all need to be settled before a container is on site — particularly for oxidisers, peroxide-forming solvents and anything with a GHS05 or GHS06 classification.

Questions we get asked

What is the difference between an SDS and a COA?: A Safety Data Sheet describes the substance — its hazards, handling, storage, first aid, spill response and transport classification. It is the same for every batch of that product and grade. A Certificate of Analysis describes one specific batch: the assay result, the impurity results and the date they were tested. The SDS tells you how to work with it safely; the COA tells you what you actually received.
Why do you need my batch number for a COA?: Because a COA for a different batch is not evidence of anything. The batch number is printed on the container label. Without it we can only send you a specimen certificate, which is not acceptable in a regulated laboratory.
Can I get the SDS before the material arrives?: Yes, and you should. Ask for it at quotation stage so your EHS review, storage planning and PPE selection happen before a drum turns up at your gate rather than after.
Is the hazard information on your product pages the SDS?: No. It is a summary reproduced from the manufacturer’s published classification, provided so you can plan handling and storage while you are still deciding what to order. It is not a substitute for the SDS, and classification can differ by grade, concentration and batch. Always work from the SDS supplied with your consignment.
How long should I keep these documents?: Retention is set by your own quality system and by any regulator you answer to. As a working rule, keep the COA for as long as you keep the data generated using that batch, and keep the current SDS for every substance on your register for as long as it is on site.

Need documentation for something you did not buy from us?

Ask anyway. If we can point you to the manufacturer’s published sheet, we will — it costs us nothing and someone in a laboratory needs it today.