Subject: Re: Extraction of DMT from Mimosa Hostilis (further tips)
From: psilo@nym.lycaeum.org
Date: August 27, 1997 at 19:03:33
In Reply to: Extraction of DMT from Mimosa Hostilis posted by august@nym.lycaeum.org on August 27, 1997 at 06:52:19:
> To the burgandy liquid, sodium hydroxide > was slowly added (it is an exothermic reaction, be careful) until the pH was > up near 13. As the pH rose above 7 the liquid turned green with white precipitate > forming. The pH needs to be pretty high so the green becomes very dark. > Let cool. To this then a non-polar solvent was added and shaken. If the > pH is too low an emulsion layer forms that is very troublesome. Overwhelming > with solvent can help or pouring the whole mess through a strainer to break > up the emulsion layer. However, with the pH around 13, this may be circumvented. > Shake, shake, shake and let soak for a few days with frequent shaking. First let me say thank you very much for the information. As an info junkie this little morsel was quite enjoyable to chew on. As for the emulsion, there are a couple more techniques for dealing with an emulsion. The fist is try not to shake the two layers too violently. A gentle inverting back and forth of the jar several times is usually sufficient, and helps reduce the chance of an emulsion. Second, using a separatory funnel (highly reccomended), if an emulsion forms you can turn the sep funnel horizontal and roll it. This creates more surface area for the solvents to separate from each other. Thirdly, although I cannot remember off the top of my head, some solvents form emulsions with water much easier than others. I believe that chloroform is one, while dichloromethane (methylene chloride) works a little better. And lastly, sometimes adding some saturated brine solution (lots of salt in water) can help to break up an emulsion by (I think) making the water more polar. Hope this helps the process smooth out for anybody thinking of telling their ex- girlfriend's dog's previous owner's aunt who has a son interested in modern day ethnobotanical extracts and other various aspects of psychedelic chemistry and if they try it. aloha psilo