He developed an early version of the periodic table and made advances in understanding the chemistry of coordination compounds.

[3][4] With the exception of lecturing at the Elementary Technical School of Malmö in 1855 and working as a mineralogist on an expedition to Spitsbergen in 1861,[5][4] Blomstrand's entire career was at the University of Lund.

[6] Blomstrand's experimental research involved the characterization and analysis of minerals, particularly those which were rare or of unknown composition.

These "earth acids" include the elements tantalum, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, and their various mineral associates.

[10]: 343 [11] Niobium had previously been discovered in 1801 by English scientist Charles Hatchett, using an ore obtained from the United States.

[16] His chain theory (1869) was further developed, modified, and experimentally supported by his colleague Sophus Mads Jørgensen.

Blomstrand, Die Chemie der Jetztzeit (Chemistry of Today, 1869)The island Blomstrandhalvøya and the glacier Blomstrandbreen on Spitsbergen are named after him.