First Extraction Gone Awry

[Psybin]

So, I started my first DMT extraction a few days ago and seem to have encountered a few issues. Basically, I based it with sodium carbonate instead of NaOH A) because I'm very new to chemistry and thought it would work B) because where I live NaOH is unavailable. I believe the DMT acetate was successfully freebased to a large extent due to clouding and other visual signs, however the color and appearance of the solution is what has me worried. Basically, there is a top layer with the DMT that is dark brown but not quite black yet (close though) and a bottom layer that is the color of a chocolate milkshake which comprises maybe 3/4 of the liquid. When directly heated the bottom layer turns the color of the top and more lipids float to the top layer. Do I have emulsions in the aqueous layer or could it be that the aqueous layer is normally too cold in my house to fully accept all of the sodium carbonate, but at a higher temp it all dissolves, raising the pH and causing the color change and switch from opacity to cloudiness? I would take a picture but I am without a camera.

EDIT: Also, is there any hope of extracting any DMT using naphtha? I've read about the pKa being 8.6 and how at 1 unit above the pKa (so a pH of 9.6) 90% of the DMT would be in freebase form and at 2 units above DMT's pKa (pH 10.6) it would be 99% and at pKa +3 it would be 99.9%. So, with the pH of 11.6, wouldn't that theoretically be basic enough to convert at least 90% of the alkaloid to freebase? I'm doing EW's tek btw, so there is currently 80g of NaCl in solution. I haven't added any solvent yet in case it's ruined.

 

[WanderingTraveler]

Emulsion looks like a layer of bubbles on top of your aqueous mixture.
Don't think that's the problem here.

 

[Psybin]

Emulsion looks like a layer of bubbles on top of your aqueous mixture.
Don't think that's the problem here.

Ok, that's kind of what I suspected. So clearly, the strange coloration and separation of lipids and aqueous mixture into different phases must have been a result of trying to freebase the alkaloids with sodium carbonate. I've read about some nexians getting creamy colored base soup before getting the pH high enough to turn the solution black. Perhaps the sodium carbonate is only achieving a pH on the threshold of the the range favorable to that reaction/color change.

 

[concombres]

Check the ph. If it is below 11 bring it up.
Pull with naphtha 3x in a heat bath then evap down to ~50ml over a couple days. No fan just let it evap on it's own.
Then freeze precip & see what you get.
If it doesnt work & you can't find lye you could always try again with a drytek.
It uses pickling lime as the base. You can find it at walmart occasionally (look for food grade not gardening grade) or local mom & pop hardware stores. If nothing you can always order mrs wages pickling lime from walmart & it's not very suspicious.

 

[Psybin]

Thank you concombres, I will pick up some pH strips and lime tomorrow. I think I might be brave enough to try making my own lye from salt and water under electric current, seeing as the latter was a nice confidence boost as it was a cakewalk to make. Although I should probably just test the pH first and see if I can't get it high enough with just NaCO3

 

[Earthwalker]

Digital ph meters on eBay $7.99 , accurate aswell !!:thumb_up:

 

[Psybin]

Nice! I'll have to check those out. That'd make one less trip to the store

 

[concombres]

Digital ph meters on eBay $7.99 , accurate aswell !!:thumb_up:

I've seen similar digital ph pens at home depot & lowes for a similar price. No waiting on the mail

& as for making your own lye, thats something i've been interested in doing for quite some time.
I'll have to look into it & see if the lye produced is pure enough to extract with or if it needs cleaned up a bit before use.
I hate buying the stuff. My physical appearance makes me look quite out of place & suspicious in the store purchasing it & it always sketches me out.

If you can acquire limonene in a decent amount the lime/limonene drytek is nice & food safe too.
It might take a couple tries to get the consistencies perfected & yeilds maxed out but it's a small price to pay for completely foodsafe dmt.

 

[Psybin]

Digital ph meters on eBay $7.99 , accurate aswell !!:thumb_up:

I've seen similar digital ph pens at home depot & lowes for a similar price. No waiting on the mail

& as for making your own lye, thats something i've been interested in doing for quite some time.
I'll have to look into it & see if the lye produced is pure enough to extract with or if it needs cleaned up a bit before use.
I hate buying the stuff. My physical appearance makes me look quite out of place & suspicious in the store purchasing it & it always sketches me out.

It is pure, the byproducts are chlorine gas and hydrogen gas which can be filtered off through another container of water to yield HCl (aqu). Any contaminants would be from whatever water you use.

 

[concombres]

:thumb_up:
Thanks for that psybin. I'm going to have to research further into the process & start producing my own lye.
The hcl forming as a byproduct is actually a nice benefit.
It could be collected & diluted or concentrated to ~10% & be used in cacti extractions