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Distilling solvents

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w0mbat

w0mbat

Rising Star
After SWIM's first experience with xylene, he swore off solvents & decided he'd stick with good old d-Limonene and IPA when necessary. Now, however, he's realizing he might need to use solvents in the future (particularly MEK for purifying mescaline and naptha for obtaining high-purity DMT).

Since he has to use them, he wants them to be as safe as possible. As such, he's interested in distilling them. But while he's familiar with the basics of distillation, he's not too clear on exactly what kind apparatus he'd need to make his own pure MEK & naptha. Could he use a distillation apparatus like this one:

225px-Simple_distillation_apparatus.svg.png


or is this too complex? Would it be possible with something simpler?

Also, would this kind of setup create much of a smell in his condo if he used it to distill MEK/naptha?
 
Thats exactly what swiy would need however make sure the system has an opening so that pressure doesnt build up and the system does not become a bomb. Swiy needs a heat source (ie mantle, bowl of sand or oil on hotplate), water source, flask, stillhead, condensor, and a reciever and recieving flask. The reciever can be ground glass but with a vacuum opening or non ground to avoid and pressure buildup. Swim would suggest you look at the mit chemistry videos (in a sticky somewhere in the nexus) to give you a better idea of how a distillation is set up and performed safely.
 
swim's main concern was with solvent vapors leaking out through the openings (that necessary to avoid pressure buildup) & stinking up his place, but a filter flask sounds like it might not let that much out. thx for the reply
 
If swiy is using ground glass lab gear there will be no leaks, and if the cooling water in the condensor is doing its job swiy shouldnt experiance any solvent gases. Sure they will still smell a bit but not as much as they would otherwise.
 
I give you life...lol.
Swims is considering doing the same thing with naphtha but was wondering if a vigrux column would be necessary. Swims has no concern with isolating different fractions in the naphtha. He is just attempting to make a solvent that will undoubtedly fully evaporate from the final product.
 
Liebig condensers are great, although I once distilled a heavy hydrotreated naphtha using 5 feet of straight 15 mm copper pipe as a condenser. I did use a distillation flask with a sidearm, though. The sidearm was sealed into the pipe using a rubber grommet. It was a bit ghetto-meets-labware and I wouldn't do it with low-boiling-point solvents.

Sometimes I reflect on how fortunate I am to still be alive...

If you can solder pipes, making a copper Liebig condenser is fairly easy.
 
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