There are two complementary ways to find chemical suppliers online: search outward — directories, marketplaces, trade shows — and contact suppliers one by one; or publish structured demand once and let matching suppliers come to you. ChemAbout is built around the second way, and it is free for buyers.
Post a purchase request in three steps
- Describe the chemical. A product name is enough; adding the CAS number is strongly recommended so matching lands on the exact compound rather than a similarly named one.
- Set volume and destination. A purchase volume band helps suppliers judge fit, and the destination country/region decides your reach — the same request can target domestic, regional, or global suppliers.
- Submit with your email. No account is required. ChemAbout notifies matching suppliers and emails you a private management link for the request.
Information safety is the default: your contact details are never published and are exchanged only after both sides confirm interest. If the request appears on the public demand board, it is anonymized — chemical identity, volume range, destination market, and posting date, never your name or company. Your data is not used to train AI models.
You stay in control after posting
The management link emailed to you acts like a private key for the request. At any time, without an account, it lets you:
- unlist the request from the public demand board (private matching can stay active);
- show it on the public board again;
- extend it after it expires;
- delete it entirely, so it no longer appears or participates in matching.
Account holders manage the same actions from their workspace — see publish a purchase request for the details.
Where chemical suppliers can be found
- Matching platforms. Instead of searching supplier by supplier, you publish demand once and the platform matches it against listed products and notifies the suppliers. ChemAbout works this way; suppliers respond and you decide whom to engage.
- B2B marketplaces and directories. Broad supplier coverage, but listings vary widely in freshness, contacting suppliers is manual, and buyer inquiries are often gated behind memberships.
- Industry exhibitions. Trade shows remain where buyers qualify new suppliers in person. ChemAbout keeps a curated directory of chemical industry exhibitions with dates and venues.
- Search and AI assistants. Useful for researching a compound and its supplier landscape before sourcing; the compound catalog covers 12,500+ compounds with identifiers, properties, and uses.
Before you post
- Identify the compound precisely. Search the compound catalog by name, synonym, or CAS number, and start the request from the compound page to prefill the details.
- Check regulatory status. The compliance directory lists major regulated-substance lists (REACH, CWC schedules, precursor controls, and more). Requests are screened against them: chemicals on CWC schedules and controlled precursor lists cannot be published.
- Post in your own language. ChemAbout supports 11 languages and matching works across them; adding the English product name or CAS number improves match precision further.
After suppliers respond, see review supply offers for the next steps. ChemAbout connects you with potential counterparts — supplier qualification, contracts, payment, and shipping are handled directly between the two of you. New here? Start with What ChemAbout is (and is not).