Cleaning up hardware store naphtha?

[VoyagerGrey]

It's getting harder to find readily available to the consumer where I am. There was a paint supply shop I got a gallon form last time, it worked well and I still have some, but they no longer carry it. I found another source, bought a gallon to test, evap test doesn't look good.

While I was searching for suitable products / brands to use I remember reading a thread on here about sourcing naphtha and at some point the discussion turned to a a process for potentially cleaning up impure naphtha, with a series of washes- acid, base, water...something like that. I didn't read too carefully because it would be much easier to just find a clean product. Now it doesn't look like I can. and I can't find the thread! Does this ring any bells for anyone? the title of the post was something like "washing hardware store naphtha" but I can't pull it up in search.

 

[jcmusix]

You can extract with xylene as well, and it actually works better ( extracts more) than naptha, but its awful smelling stuff and evaporates more slowly. I evaporate it outdoors and use a fan over it to evaporate it more quickly. It takes out more matter from root bark that give the yield more of a dark effect when used unless it's purified.

 

[Transform]

It's getting harder to find readily available to the consumer where I am. There was a paint supply shop I got a gallon form last time, it worked well and I still have some, but they no longer carry it. I found another source, bought a gallon to test, evap test doesn't look good.

While I was searching for suitable products / brands to use I remember reading a thread on here about sourcing naphtha and at some point the discussion turned to a a process for potentially cleaning up impure naphtha, with a series of washes- acid, base, water...something like that. I didn't read too carefully because it would be much easier to just find a clean product. Now it doesn't look like I can. and I can't find the thread! Does this ring any bells for anyone? the title of the post was something like "washing hardware store naphtha" but I can't pull it up in search.

I remember the thread too. Wait a few days and I may yet dig it up again. An alternating series of acid and base washes, ideally followed by distillation, would clean up some non-naphtha ingredients/impurities. The exact course of action would depend on what you're trying to remove.

You can extract with xylene as well, and it actually works better ( extracts more) than naptha, but its awful smelling stuff and evaporates more slowly. I evaporate it outdoors and use a fan over it to evaporate it more quickly. It takes out more matter from root bark that give the yield more of a dark effect when used unless it's purified.

Use a mini A/B to recover product from xylene - that way you get to re-use the xylene, and cause less of a stink.

 

[TransistorBass]

I'm going to hijack this thread as I've been looking for info on cleaning used Naphtha, I know I've seen a thread on here about it somewhere. I think it was the Sodium Carbonate wash I read about on here. I'm currently using Fresh Naphtha in my extractions but saving the used Naphtha after Freeze precipitation which when my container is full I'll try washing it to use again. Mods/Admin feel free to move/remove this post if needed. Needless to say I did several searches of the forum both on the site plus externally via Google & DuckDuckGo before posting this.

So I'll apologise in advance for the Ai-Overview copy/paste:

To wash naphtha and remove impurities like waxes, oils, or unreacted fats, you can perform a chemical wash (using an acid or base depending on the contaminant).

The Chemical Wash Method
If you are purifying naphtha for extraction purposes or heavy-duty cleaning, an alternating acid/base wash is commonly used:

1. The Water/Vinegar Wash: Combine your naphtha with an equal amount of distilled water or a weak vinegar solution in a separatory funnel.
2. Mix & Vent: Shake the mixture vigorously, occasionally opening the stopcock to vent built-up pressure.
3. Separate Layers: Allow the mixture to settle until the distinct aqueous and organic (naphtha) layers separate. Since naphtha is lighter than water, it will settle on top.
4. Drain & Discard: Drain the bottom (water/acid) layer and discard it.
5. The Base Wash: Repeat the exact same process using a weak basic solution (e.g., sodium carbonate or baking soda dissolved in distilled water). This neutralizes any remaining acids.
6. Final Rinse: Perform one final wash using only distilled water to remove residual salts.

 

[Transform]

I'm going to hijack this thread as I've been looking for info on cleaning used Naphtha, I know I've seen a thread on here about it somewhere. I think it was the Sodium Carbonate wash I read about on here. I'm currently using Fresh Naphtha in my extractions but saving the used Naphtha after Freeze precipitation which when my container is full I'll try washing it to use again. Mods/Admin feel free to move/remove this post if needed. Needless to say I did several searches of the forum both on the site plus externally via Google & DuckDuckGo before posting this.

So I'll apologise in advance for the Ai-Overview copy/paste:

Another possible approach might include treatment with solid citric acid powder, or a similar acid insoluble in naphtha, followed by a final treatment with anhydrous sodium carbonate and a bit of activated charcoal. Filter to finish.

Sort of a footnote: simple distillation of spent medium naphtha (boiling range c. 140 - 160 °C) does not appear to separate it from indolic residues, and although co-distillation of tryptamines was not explicitly confirmed it remains a distinct possibility.