To really get a handle on this you must read page 2 of the "idea for obtaining freebase" thread. I made a new topic because that project has changed into a very different chemical experiment (also hoping to attract more blue flask folk that may have gotten bored with the other thread....).
The summary is: I now have a 1000ml container with an alkaloid saturated solution that is ph 11.9. That ph was achieved using lye. It also may contain sodium carbonate, although it seems that most, if not all of the sodium carbonate crashed out of the solution in a previous step of this process when anhydrous IPA was added. When the lye was added to the solution, the ph jumped from 9.6 to 11.9 and the color changed from white and opaque (just like milk), to yellow/orange tinted and transparent.
I have added, mixed, and seperated 100ml of heptane two times hoping to pull the alkaloids from the solution. The heptane is in the process of evaporating and appears to be yielding crystals, how much I don't know yet (seems like it may be quite a bit
).
When adding the second 100ml of heptane, I noticed a layer on the bottom of the container of clear, jelly-like material. I shook the container vigorously to see if it would dissolve. It didn't really dissolve, but it did get pretty evenly distrbuted in the solution. I would describe it as being "suspended" or "in suspension" for lack of a better term. The viscosity of the solution changed radically; it got very thick.
This mystery goo seperates and falls to the bottom of the container when left undisturbed for a little while except for some that sticks to the sides- looks almost like crystals, but it isn't. I decanted the solution and nw have a container with about an inch (maybe 100ml) of the mystery goo at the bottom and a little bit stuck to the sides.
Any idea what it is or how I can figure out what it is?
Pokey the Curious