stirring, agitating, inverting, and shaking

[hypertestudo]

Questions:
1. It is better not to shake the container of powdered-bark & lye, or of powdered-bark & lye & naphtha because it will cause the contents to get bubbly/murky and more difficult to separate the polar and non-polar layers? Any other reasons not to shake? Or is shaking ok?
2. Does the container need to be inverted after mixing in the lye? After mixing in the naphtha? Must the solution be inverted at all if it can be mixed by another means, such as a magnetic stirrer?
3. Can a good magnetic stirrer (for a good time and at a good speed) properly mix powdered-bark with water and lye and naphtha without any other stirring, agitation, inverting or other method of mixing?

 

[Varallo]

1- Yes shaking, especially violently, is inherently dangerous because of the caustic nature of lye, also it’s not necessary. A little bit of shaking is usually not really a problem, although it can lead to emulsions it’s usually not a problem.

2- No
3- yes but it’s usually not a good idea because the naphtha will form an emulsion when stirred with an magnetic stirrer

 

[hypertestudo]

,

1- Yes...
2- No
3- yes but it’s usually not a good idea because the naphtha will form an emulsion when stirred with an magnetic stirrer

Thanks.
3. What's a good method to mitigate emulsion? Let it sit as long as it takes until it separates? Add more naphtha, gently spin again, and wait for it to separate? Filter out the emulsion somehow?

3.a. to avoid emulsion from magnetic spinner: spin at low speeds? Spin for less time? Add more naphtha? Just don't use a magnetic spinner?

 

[The_Embalmer]

3. Heat bath or vibrations for getting rid of emulsions works well. Submerge your extraction vessel in some warm water be sure to release the pressure every couple minutes by loosening the cap a bit especially if you have an NPS in the mix. To increase the speed of this process you can add vibrations with a back massaging tool.



3.a. I just use a glass rod to stir mine up and never have any problems getting all the bark to properly mix but to each their own. Just when adding the bark to your water add it slowly and mix little by little to ensure it doesn't clump up a bunch on ya. I guess I don't really have any say on magnetic stirrers as I've not used one yet.

 

[bezevo]

i hope you read the safety pages .. seems you said you wanted to add water to powderd LYE ....no no no
you need to add lye to water not water to lye you would get a violent reactionif water added to lye . possably burned or blinded ..
. wear eye protection...
so on .
look

it up please

BEZ

 

[The_Embalmer]

This too

Also by adding your lye to the water slowly you can decrease the temperature spike and don't have to wait as long for it to cool off

 

[hypertestudo]

seems you said you wanted to add water to powderd LYE ....

You gravely misread my post. The post is about *mixing method* AFTER lye has been added to water, and powdered-bark has been added to the lye solution, and naphtha added as NPS.

Yes, I'm well aware of the safety precautions re lye.

 

[The_Embalmer]

 

[Transform]

The main thing to consider behind all of these questions is that you're aiming to maximise the amount of contact between the two phases without breaking them up into unnecessarily small droplets, wherein emulsions would begin to form.

Tilting and rolling a jar with a sort of pedalling action is one preferred method - if the seal formed by the lid can be trusted. Some people shake vigourously and get away with it, at least sometimes, and others are less fortunate.

Magnetic stirring would tend to stall at low RPM with viscous liquids, so a direct-driven overhead stirring arrangement - or, simply, more water - would be worth considering if you're set on using mechanical stirring. An A/B extraction would also make for a more stirrable base stage.

 

[brokedownpalace10]

I've done smaller extractions (20-30g), so less danger.

After the lye is mixed and reacted and Naptha is added, I roll it and maybe shake it very lightly. I'll do a couple pulls and then shake it pretty good on the third pull since I'm going to let that sit overnight.

However, once I shook it a little bit soon after adding the lye and before the Naptha pulls. The lid popped and it sprayed the mixture all over a little. I was very lucky in that it was just a little, but that stuff caused some tiny burns like bacon kisses.

So, after you add the lye let it sit and react until it cools, invert a couple times and let it sit some more. Look for undissolved powder in the bottom and make sure all is dissolved. Definitely be super careful during that time you let it react and before you add the Naptha. It really is some crazy shit and it's easy to get complacent after a few times.