Thoughtlessly reconverted half of the batch with sodium hydroxide when it should have been reduced in volume as a salt. It's now an aqueous solution drying on low, low heat on the hotplate. Might pull it with naphtha after all since the main objective is only to determine that there is DMT in the plant material used. I know that's defeating the point of using xylene, but evaporating that chemical isn't feasible due to living conditions. phew!
This month's budget for this project is gone and the pH meter still hasn't been stocked, so purchase of fumaric acid will only be later. - I heard brewing at home is a good reason to invest in a few kg. - However the summer is long and the grass hasn't even started to bloom yet.
The other half of the batch is still in processing... Could the citric acid, with a boiling point of 175C, be evaporated from the alkaloid salt, or would the salt too decompose at that temp?
Could it perhaps be a good scheme for phalaris to do this second A/B re-extraction with safer chemicals such as vinegar, lime and naphtha while the first crude extraction is done with citric acid, lye and xylene?
Sorry if I'm being a difficult read. I'll do better in future posts.
ED:
Orange oily stuff appearing! ^________^