This thread is meant to keep my notes on my first Vovin tek and to help me if I have problems later on.
STEP 1: Breaking down the root
I have received the 1 KG whole bark MHRB from Don Jose, Mexico and started cutting the bark into small pieces of about 0,5 x 0,5 cm. After cutting 150 gram, I put them in 3 plastic bags and stuffed them in the fridge for 2-3 hours (-26 C). Then, I put 50 gram of cutted and frozen bark into a glass blender and started blending for a minute, turning the machine off, shaking the material en blending some more, until there was fine powder and fibers. I repeated for all 3 batches.
STEP 2: Extraction
Those 3 batches from step 1 went all together in a 500 ML Erlenmeyer (A). I put 1 Liter of destilled water in a pan, added about 4 drops of 10% HCL, which made the PH 3,5, and started to heat this on an induction heat plate. Right before the cook, I added some of this through a plastic funnel, onto the bark, in A. This solution was about 550 ML (allmost to the top). I shaked this, turned it end over end, and put Erlenmeyer A in a heat bath, which was right off the cook. Every couple of minutes I reheated the heat bath (without A while reheating), so that the temperature was between 50 C and 70 C. I did 5 acid cooks:
1) PH 3,5 - 1,5 hour - temp 50/70 C - erlenmeyer in heat bath (as described above)
2) PH 3,5 - 2 hours - temp 50/70 C - erlenmeyer in heat bath
3) PH 3,81 - 1 hour in a pan with temp 90-100 degrees (soft boiling) and let it soak overnight. After this, another short boil of 0,5 hour
4) PH 3,06 - 2 hours - temp 90/100 C - in pan right on the heat plate
5) PH 3,89 - 3 hours - temp 90/100 C - in pan right on the heat plate
After every boil, I put it in a buchner funnel (500 ML) and used a waterpump to create vacuum. And I repeated this.
STEP 1: Breaking down the root
I have received the 1 KG whole bark MHRB from Don Jose, Mexico and started cutting the bark into small pieces of about 0,5 x 0,5 cm. After cutting 150 gram, I put them in 3 plastic bags and stuffed them in the fridge for 2-3 hours (-26 C). Then, I put 50 gram of cutted and frozen bark into a glass blender and started blending for a minute, turning the machine off, shaking the material en blending some more, until there was fine powder and fibers. I repeated for all 3 batches.
STEP 2: Extraction
Those 3 batches from step 1 went all together in a 500 ML Erlenmeyer (A). I put 1 Liter of destilled water in a pan, added about 4 drops of 10% HCL, which made the PH 3,5, and started to heat this on an induction heat plate. Right before the cook, I added some of this through a plastic funnel, onto the bark, in A. This solution was about 550 ML (allmost to the top). I shaked this, turned it end over end, and put Erlenmeyer A in a heat bath, which was right off the cook. Every couple of minutes I reheated the heat bath (without A while reheating), so that the temperature was between 50 C and 70 C. I did 5 acid cooks:
1) PH 3,5 - 1,5 hour - temp 50/70 C - erlenmeyer in heat bath (as described above)
2) PH 3,5 - 2 hours - temp 50/70 C - erlenmeyer in heat bath
3) PH 3,81 - 1 hour in a pan with temp 90-100 degrees (soft boiling) and let it soak overnight. After this, another short boil of 0,5 hour
4) PH 3,06 - 2 hours - temp 90/100 C - in pan right on the heat plate
5) PH 3,89 - 3 hours - temp 90/100 C - in pan right on the heat plate
After every boil, I put it in a buchner funnel (500 ML) and used a waterpump to create vacuum. And I repeated this.
I thought it was a little bit low? Especially since I did 5 pretty long acid baths and 5 naphtha pulls, but I guess it won't get any higher with the whole bark?