FASA, xylene concentration question. Pics added.

[ijahdan]

Just finishing first part of a BLAB tek using xylene on 250g mhrb and want to try FASA for a change. Ive been doing pulls of between 50 and 100 ml once a day for about a week and now have about 500 ml of slightly cloudy yellow xylene with an unknown amount of alkaloids in it. Assuming around 2.5g as this bark has always yielded ~ 1%.

I was wondering if this would be a concentrated enough solution for FASA to work? Also bit concerned about the cloudiness of the xylene, plant oils? The xylene has been used previously for a mescaline extraction but was cleaned with acid wash, NaCO3 wash and water wash.

 

[endlessness]

I dont think you have to worry much.. While I havent specifically tested side-by-side concentrated vs less-concentrated xylene, I did already try FASAing less-concentrated xylene and had appropriate yields..

just FASA it and wait some hours, I bet you'll have some nice crystals. But remember, adding FASA as slowly as possible makes for the nicest crystals. If you can have your jar standing somewhere without moving, and you do some sort of contraption that lets the FASA fall very slowly dropwise into your xylene over some mins/hours, that will make for the nicest crystals.

Good luck, and post some pics here when you're done

 

[ijahdan]

Thanks endlessness. Will do a slow FASA and report back with pics.

 

[downwardsfromzero]

The cloud might be dispersed water. Consider using a drying agent first, as moisture might well impair FASA crystallisation.

Fingers crossed for you either way!

 

[ijahdan]

Good point DFZ, Ill do a pre FASA shake up with some baked epsom salts just to be sure then.

Edit: The epsom salts worked wonders. I now have a jar of crystal clear yellow xylene ready to FASA over the weekend. Cheers for that tip.

 

[ijahdan]

Started FASA last night. Seems to be working. Split the xylene into two jars to take extra volume (and in case one doesnt work!). Added a pipette of FASA dropwise to one jar. Each drop caused a small cloud to form. These clouds joined together making a cloudy layer on top. After a few minutes, tiny crystals could be seen floating downwards. Added another couple of pipettes this morning, causing another cloudy layer.

Will keep going slowly like this till no more clouding, then start on other jar. Might do FASW or vinegar on that one to compare.

Pic1: before
Pic2: immediately after FASA
Pic3 and Pic4: crystals falling out