Where is the middle line between complete sludge and very liquidy?
Like if the nonpolar layer is think but can still move, is that really a bad thing? Will the NaOH not react fully or the naphtha not extract fully?
I had to shut down my operation early, but I had an idea that I thought was good.
I didn't put in enough water and it was really sludgy. Then I decided to put in naphtha. When I turned it upside down, instead of the water layer and the naptha layer going aroudn each other, the sludge literally fell through the naphtha. It visibly looked like the naphtha picked up way more this way. I was unable to evaporate, however.