The official "Is this chem ok to use? / Where can I find ...?" thread

[endlessness]

It is a common question that people ask, if a certain chemical is OK to use for extraction or not, and also where to find such and such chemical. Instead of cluttering up the forum with hundreds of threads about it, those who have these question can post here (and threads made with such questions will be merged here).

But before asking such questions, here's a few important links you should THOROUGHLY read:

Check what your solvent contains here thread

FAQ: Is my solvent/chemical OK to use ?

The Suppliers section

 

[ganjaman]

I was searching for xylene or xylol how its called here in a nearby hardware store and all i could find was a solvent called lösin 100. At the back of the bottle stands: contains xylol.so i bought it.
But after i came home i looked at the msds, and saw that it contains some other stuff.
Can someone please check the msds and tell me if i can use this solvent?
Ps. Toluol= toluene

http://www.hfwu.de/de/arbeitssicherheit/intern/gefahrstoffverwaltung/institut-fuer-technik/universal-verduennung/?no_cache=1&cid=4868&did=6372&sechash=078fe3aa

 

[endlessness]

The problem is your solvent contains a mixture of solvents, some of which are water soluble (for example butanol and acetone) and therefore would screw your extraction because they would mix with the acqueous layer and hold some of your alkaloids.

Now, in theory, if you do several water washes on that solvent before using for extracting, each water wash should carry a bit of those water-soluble solvents away, so after many washes you should have your solvent with only the more non-polar fractions. Then you could theoretically use that solvent, but as you may have researched, you cant freeze precipitate those solvents out, you have to either salt out your alkaloids (FASW or other acidic acqueous layer salting. Im not sure how well FASI/FASA will work with that mixture of solvents, it could work, it could not, only testing would say), or you'll have to evap, and evapping xylene/toluene is nasty, I would avoid that. Since you're using such a mix of solvents, I would suggest not doing such a big extraction first, before you know this solvent is good.

Also, make sure your solvent evaporates clean before using.

So, if you want to use this solvent: Do an evap test, do many plain water washes before using. Then, extract at first with smaller amounts (50 or 100g mimosa max, maybe) and salt out your product with FASW or similar. Share us the results if you do try, and/or get some other solvent in the meanwhile.

 

[ganjaman]

Ok.Thank you.
I will buy another solvent.to much action for me to do the water washes.
I only bought it becouse i thought at first it it is only xylene and it was cheap.

 

[Ansar]

I need a little help finding lye in America. I just got everything that I needed today and found out my roommate threw away my lye without realizing it I went to Home Depot and the one by me doesn't carry it anymore. I called Menards and even though their website says my store normally has it stocked the guy said they don't carry it either, does anyone know a website that I can order from? (hopefully cheap)

 

[۩]

Ace Hardware has 100% sodium hydroxide. Make sure whatever you use, it is pure. If you are unsure, you can google "Product Name MSDS" and you should get some information about the chemicals contained within.

If you can't find an Ace or they are out of stock or something, go to a hydroponic store and ask for Advanced Nutrients pH up. I have checked their website and this product contains 100% pure KOH (Postassium Hydroxide) in liquid solution and it is very strong. It's not as cheap, though. They both work equally well.

 

[Ansar]

Thanks House, the Ace near me did have Rooto's which is 100% sodium hydroxide.

 

[Ansar]

I want to get sodium carbonate to wash my yield with but none of the stores around me carry A&R washing soda. I believe there's a hydro store downtown, would they possibly have 100% sodium carbonate? Is the wash even necessary? Last time I couldn't find any sodium carbonate I tried sodium bicarbonate on one of my washes and it removed almost all of my product, after that test I just did a quick water wash and then freeze precip'd it. It came out pure white, but I'm not sure if lye would even effect the color.

 

[۩]

Hydro stores will not have Sodium Carbonate. This can be found at the grocery store as arm and hammer WASHING soda. That's the difference. If you find that, you are good. If you can't find it, check somewhere else. ;]
If after that you still can't find it, you can take S. Bicarbonate (baking soda) and stick it in the oven @ 400F for a few hours. If it decreases in volume by about 1/3 you now have sodium carbonate.

The trick to the sodium carbonate wash is speed, and a separatory funnel. If you take too much time, you lose spice. The sodium carbonate wash is a good move, though. I have seen far too many extractions with microemulsions embedded in their "Crystals."

If you do this, the only need for a recrystallization is if you want to make the spice denser. That's all.

 

[Ansar]

Thanks for the quick response again House. Looks like the only places I can get are online, and I don't like paying $12 shipping on a $4 item. I'll try making sodium carbonate from sodium bicarbonate again, I tried that once but I don't think I left it in the oven long enough.

 

[AcolyteofZinglon]

would this be a suitable solvent? https://www2.itap.purdue.edu/msds/docs/10650.pdf

also the paint thinner from joanns fabrics http://www.speedballart.com/cms_wfc/uploads/51.pdf

im in northern ca and im not sure of the availibility of naphtha, and bestine is also unavailible in my city if im to believe the bestine site's retailer locater, can it still be found at michaels and aaron brothers? neither has it listed

 

[۩]

Michaels has bestine.

If you can not find it there, you can do an evaporation test on a piece of glass or a CD and see if your non-polar solvent leaves anything behind. If it evaps clean you use it for extraction.

 

[lohes]

A friend of mine found what he thinks is naphtha and possibly lye, but I can't find an MSDS for either of them. I'll be trying an evap test on the camp fuel to see if it's good or not soon. The drain cleaner is "PRO-FLO" by Vistaqua, and the camp fuel is a home hardware "no-name" brand. The instructions on the drain cleaner say to pour in *additional cold water (to make up for the heat caused by the lye), so I know that there is definitely lye in it, it is a liquid though. The rust inhibitor worries me though :?

 

[endlessness]

Do not use that solvent, its def no good. Rust inhibitors = no-no!

 

[۩]

Please do not use that "drain cleaner" unless you are 100% sure it is 100% sodium hydroxide. If you need advice on where to find a proper pure base, simply read this thread back a couple pages and find some good solutions.

 

[lohes]

Of course I wouldn't use it if I wasn't sure it was safe, I was only checking if it's safe. I don't know what it is, but I can't find any pure products, I'm not going to use anything unsafe but I'll have to look farther than the city I'm in

Or get the lye shipped

 

[ganjaman]

Some time ago i asked a question about using CaO instead of Ca(OH)2.
You can read this question here:

Help make Q21Q21's Tek better. - FAQ - All your basic questions and answers - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

and see the result here:

First extraction q21q21 tek 2 *pics* - FAQ - All your basic questions and answers - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

As nobody could answer my question i try it once again in this thread.
I got some good Ca(OH)2 in the meanwhile from a pharmacy and use that now for my extractions.
But i have also the spice from my first extractions with the CaO left.
So the question is would it be ok to smoke it or should i throw it away and is CaO ok to use?

 

[endlessness]

calcium oxide + water = calcium hydroxide, so as soon as you mix it with water, it will be the same.

I guess you know you need to use a dry tek for this, like q21, as calcium hydroxide isnt very soluble in water so it wont work for a normal wet STB or A/B.

 

[ganjaman]

Thanks for helping me out again endlessness.
Yes i know that you have to do a dry tek- as you can see in the links i have done it with q21q21's tek 2.
I only thougt perhaps trough the reaction there could possible be any harm on the end product.
Glad to hear i dont have to throw it away

 

[endlessness]

Nope dont worry.. The indigenous people been doing this for thousands of years, using calcium oxide from calcinated shells to freebase certain plant preparations (for example snuffs). Do note that after a while CaO will convert to calcium carbonate by reacting with CO2 in air, and im not sure if calcium carbonate is basic enough for an extraction

 

[propellerhead]

I searched the site and didn't see this referenced so SWIM asked me to report that "INSTANT POWER HAIR & GREASE DRAIN OPENER - PRODUCT CODE: 1969/1970" as sold at Home Depot works well to prepare a base solution for a STB MHRB extraction. While not the cheapest solution, it is highly available and is obtained via a cash & carry, self-checkout transaction.

The MSDS indicates the following composition:

CONTAINS: 34%-50% SODIUM HYDROXIDE* (1310-73-2)
0%-3% POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE* (1310-58-3)
47%-62% WATER (7732-18-5)

Roughly following Noman's TEK, SWIM combined 200g of powdered MHRB with 400g of Instant Power Hair & Grease Drain Opener along with approximately 800g H2O. To this, 7 to 9g of NaCl (non-iodized sea salt) was added to make the solution more polar (eliminates foam and froth). Once the exothermic reaction had subsided approximately 75ml of naptha was added to the mixture and shaken, not stirred. Four pulls were evaporated under a fan to approximately half volume and freezer precipitated, yielding a nearly white to very, very, very pale yellow powder. Recrystallization with hexane (Bestine) yielded a slightly whiter and less 'sticky' crystalline powder. Yield is unknown but SWIM is not concerned at this point and is quite pleased with the results considering his noob status. SWIM's subjective comments of the process using this product were along the lines of, "This is almost too easy."