TEK - Purification of cocaine through an A/B extraction for the connoisseur

[epote]

The following posts are a dream a friend of mine had, not a real fact obviously. If moderators think it is redundant delete or move Also i am not a chemist, thus ill probably have gross mistakes in here, please someone cleverer inform me to correct them.

Aright, our own lejunk has made some very fine threads about purifying cocaine, either with acetone washes or the mighty A/B extraction. Also there is a marvelous pic tutorial by deckstruck 11, the man is a genious.

SWIM has searched and searched and found only empirical explanation regarding the chemistry of all those procedures so he decided to shut up and read up. SWIM is glad to inform that he can a) provide the theoretical background of the A/B extraction b) give some info that will result in a better final product c) in the coming week he will be able to post pictures of everything. The FAQ form is in SWIM's opinion the most readable of all forms so thats what he will follow here. (mind you it will be long and technical)

The cocaine connoisseur FAQ

Q: Why do i need to perform any kind of purification procedure in my cocaine?
A: You don't "need" but it is a pretty damn good idea. Cocaine nowdays is very contaminated with a hell lot of adulterants and manufacturing ipurities that not only can be harmfully to the nose and make you pay more for less but can dramatically alter the cocaine experience

Q: How is it different? I like it as it is already!
A: True cocaine is subtle, cerebrally euphoric, sexual, extroverted, talkative. It does not make you fiend, does not make you shake, does not make you feel like shit. Moderate use will not cause a crash (thats actually true). You will feel on top of everything, focused and able to tackle multiple activities at once (and actually do it!). It does not have that intense, forced upon, detached euphoria that street cocaine seems to have. Its a whole different drug actually, if you enjoy street cocaine by all means use it, just don't name it cocaine, its not the same thing, is something that has SOME cocaine alkaloid (no more than 30% usually).

Q: Ok so why is so addultered and what are the other psychoactive ingredients that cause the jittery, speedy fuckinnes a feel?
A: Thats not a simple question to ask. Frankly the most "efficient" cocaine cut is mannitol or inositol. Both are inactive, look like cocaine and have more or less the same properties (chemicaly) as cocaine. Actually mannitol is a renal vasolidator making cocaine absorption more efficient after the first couple of lines and helps with nose recovery! If everyone just cut cocaine with mannitol all would be good. Sadly thats not the case, the problems start at the manufacturing point. Due to profit margins, time restrains, ethics and pure stupidity several steps of the cocaine production are rushed. In order to understand this a small parenthesis must be made to outline the cocaine procedure:

Cocaine production the clandestine way:

The whole thing can be broken down to 1+3 steps ideally.
1) coca plant cultivation, harvest (obviously)
2) drying the leafs, and extracting cocaine paste
3) converting cocaine paste to cocaine base
4) converting cocaine base to cocaine hydrochloride

harvest to coca paste:
The cocaine plant is grown in several places mainly in peru, bolivia and colombia. It can produce 3-6 harvests a year and grows on high altitude, tropical climates. Not all coca plants have the cocaine alkaloid in their leaves, only two the erythroxylum coca and erythroxylum novogranatense have usable quantities of cocaine. And they dont even look alike all that much

Several plantations are harvested and the leaves are let to dry in the sun, then the cocaine alkaloid must be extracted from the leaves in order to form the cocaine paste. Given the sear volume of leaves needed to produce the paste the lab in which the extraction of the alkaloids is done is usually near the plantation. Its a fairly easy process so it is usually done by the farmer (and his family). Essentially the dried leaves are placed in large plastic container in which water and some alkaline material is added (sodium carbonate or ammonia typically). That forces the alkaloids to come out of the leaves and precipitate. A water imiscible solvent like kerosen is added to dissolve the precipitate. The water and leaves are then removed and the kerosene collected. Some acid is added to the kerosene (usually sulfuric acid) and an alkali is added to force the alkaloids to precipitate and be collected to form the coca paste.

The first problems start here actually, if the solution is over or under worked, over or under oxidized (and it usually is due to the rush) the cocaine alkaloid will either not be present or be destroyed producing poor quality of paste.

coca paste to coca base:

the crude paste is collected by some cartel individual from several different farmers. The coca paste to base proses requires more sophistication and is usually near rivers and/or an airstrip.

The coca paste is dissolved in an acid solution (sulfuric or hydrochloric usually). Potassium permaganate is added to oxidize (and thus remove) any other alkaloids present, specifically ciscinnamoylcocaine which is in very large concentrations in the paste. Any solid precipitate is discarded at this point, and ammonia is added, the resulting precipitate is filtered and dried, thats cocaine base.

The serious problems start here actually. In order to rush things up or to have a bigger weight (but not purity) of the final product, the cocaine base is not purified with the succesive acid/base extractions (ie not treated with sulfuric acid and ammonia or sodium bicorbanate at all). They go straight to the pottasium permaganate step. This results in a very crude, filled with impurities product. Most of the impurities are addinional alcaloids with mild psychoactive properties.

Even then an inexperienced "cook" will over or undeoxidise the solution either destroying the cocaine alcaloid or leaving too much of the other alcaloids in the cocaine.

cocaine base to cocaine hcl:

This is the final and most elaborate step. It is usually performed in labs in colombia called crystal labs.

The cocaine base (however impure it is...) is dissolved in a suitable solvent (ether or acetone) any solids are filtered out. Hydrochlorid acid is dissolved in a solvent with which it is miscible (aceton or methanol). Evertyhing is combined and cocaine hydrochloride crystals are formed, washed with acetone dried and served on a miror

Usually at this point the paste is already pretty "dirty". Because the proses is rushed and due to chemical controls and dangers the most fast procedure is utilized instead of the best. Instead of using ether (or even methanol) the cocaine base is dissolved in acetone, hydrochloric acid is just dumped in the sollution and an oily substance is formed at the bottom. Ethanol is then added and the crystallization begins. Usually some other -caine most likely lidocaine is added to increase the net weight. More over no acetone wash is performed and thus excess hydrochloric acid hygrine remain in the end powder.

Q: Aright, so i figure all those other alkaloids and even crap like lidocaine are present form the manufacturing point which fuck things up. Ok i get it, its fucked, does it end here?
A: Actually no, at this point a good butch of cocaine will be something like 70% pure a bad one less than 50% (and this is at Colombia, we havent even entered Mexico yet!). Usually the wholesailers/smuglers don't have the time to cut cocaine any more. Other cuts are made at the retail point, at the user/pusher or some small time (i.e in the region of 1-2 killograms a time) dealer. Several cuts are added, if we are lucky inactive like mannitol, if we are unlucky active like amphetamines or other -caines, if we are terribly unlucky crap like talk, flour and even glass are added. The final product will be at best 30% cocaine at worst no cocaine at all, just speed with procaine...

Reputation Comments on this post:

great write-up

[epote]

Q: Right, so how do i get rid of all these shit and get pure cocaine?
A: Actually you cant, but you can get prety damn close. Here come the A/B extraction

Acid Base extraction explained:

The acid base extraction is routinely used (and sadly routinely avoided...) at the cocaine manufacturing procedure. If you read what i wrote (and im sure you didn't so go back and read) at the cocaine extraction procedure you would see that the cocaine paste and/or base is frequently treated with some short of acid and then some short of base, with the resulting precipitate filtered. Thats what an acid base extraction is.

Essentially the cocaine alkaloid is a base, that is it makes the ph of water greater than 7. Bases are not soluble in polar solvents (like water) but are soluble in non polar solvents (like kerosene, ether etc, acetone is an exception i will explain later why). So the theory behind an acid base extraction is that when you add slowly in a basic solution (ie cocaine and alkaloids in kerosene etc) the stronger base will react first and precipitate. Depending on what is the stronger base you either discard or collect that precipitate (by filtering or by utilizing two imiscible solvents).

For example during extracting the alkaloids from the leaves, they dump the leaves in water and add some alkaline material. That forces the alkaloids to come out of the leaves into the water. Because they are bases they are not soluble in water and thus stick to the bottom. They then add kerosene witch is not miscible with water (that is it collects to the top in a separate layer). The kerosene dissolves the alkaloids and is extracted from the water.

That is the first step of an acid base extraction. The second is to add an acid. Specifically they add a relatively strong acid like sulfuric. Some alkaloids (including cocaine) form a sulfuric salt which is no longer soluble in acetone and they precipitate in the bottom. They are filtered out and collected. The point is that in that way some of the weaker bases do not react and do not precipitate, thus the end result is procedurally purer.

So what your flamingo need to perform an A/B extraction is these a) the substance to be made into base and salt b) a polar solvent (water) a non polar solvent (ether or methanol) c) a base (ammonia) d) an acid (hcl acid) d) glass beakers and rods, filters etc

Doing an acid base extraction of street cocaine

Specifically cocaine base can be dissolved in acetone which is polar. Thats an exception, but the solution is not very good, the cocaine base is dissolved in acetone but tends to concentrate on the bottom and not be completely homogeneous. Which is good for us, you will see why.

The basic steps of street cocaine purification with an acid base extraction are these:

1) dissolve cocaine in distiled water (1 gr cocaine in 60ml water ) in a glass beaker. Filter the solution to get rid of any water insoluble impurities. The 60ml water is kind of arbitrary, you just need enough water for the cocaine to properly dissolve and for the ammonia solution to be weak, i.e not overshoot the ph. Also you need enough water so that the basification proses will be easier (stirring wise)

2) titrate (i.e add very slowly, no more than a few drops each time) ammonia hydroxide solution of around 10%. It doesn't really matter actually you just need it to be very dilute (5-15. While vigorously stirring with a non porous rod (preferably coper but glass or plastic is good). At this point you must be very very careful. The theory is that the impurities will react with the ammonia BEFORE cocaine. In any case, when the first drops of ammonia hit the water the solution will get white, stir and stir for 3-4 minutes until the solution starts becoming clear. Quite possibly the impurities will start to get stuck to the walls of the beaker and the rod. A copper rod is preferable because it forces things to group up because of electrical affinity making them to stick on it instead of just precipitating also try not to touch the beaker while stirring, that tends to form crystallization nucleons that will precipitate, you don't want that. Keep adding ammonia and stirring like this. When the beaker and rod are visibly dirty by the impurities change beakers and clean up the rod. You do this in order to keep the impurities sticking to the rod and beaker instead of precipitating to the bottom. After enough ammonia is added you will observe a white crystal like deposit to the rod. It ought be like snow. This is cocaine base. At this point CHANGE BEAKERS and clean the rod. Some cocaine will be lost, but this is for the best. Keep adding ammonia and stirring you will see that when the rod and beaker are saturated the cocaine base will start falling like snowflakes to the bottom of the beaker. When the precipitation ceases (no more white cloud will be forming when adding ammonia) and the water smells strongly of ammonia the precipitation is done and you have cocaine base. Do a thorough water wash at this point. I.e add distilled water, stir and filter.

3) Filter out the precipitate which is cocaine base. Slightly press the the filter to rid of any redundant water. Use the filter to cover the cocaine base and dry it in a heat lump/the sun/or with cool air until dry to the touch, then dump the powder to a ceramic plate, chop it up and let it dry until fully dry (when it is like flour and chops up with no residue its dry, leave for a day or two). An efficient way to dry it up is using a desiccant like anhydrous magnesium sulfate. Just sprinkle some of that around the cocaine ceramic plate and cover everything air tight with a glass bawl or something, after a few hours it will be dry

Thats cocaine base, SOME impurities will have turned to their base form as well, for example amphetamine base is a stronger base (thus weaker acid in its salt form) than cocaine so it will react later, so you will not be able to get rid of it. BUT it IS slightly soluble in water (while cocaine is not) so the water wash of the cocaine base will get rid of it.

Converting cocaine base to cocaine hydrochloride:

there are several methods to do this, i will describe in detail the best in regards of end product quality and give an outline of the other.

1) dissolve the cocaine base in ether (1gr of cocaine base per 15ml ether). Filter it to get rid of any ether insoluble cuts that remained from the ammonia treatment
2) dissolve 38% lab grade hydrochloric acid in acetone (0.25ml of hcl acid per 15ml acetone per gram of base
3) add the acetone/hcl acid solution in the ether/base solution. A visible white reaction will form, crystals will start precipitating in the bottom. When the solution is no longer reacting (it will be clear no white clouds), gently stir it, leave it for a few hours for the crystals to properly grow. Run the rod up the beaker, over carrying some liquid, if no crystallization happens you are good, its done. In any case leave it 3-4 hours to properly crystallize.
4) discard the ether (leaving the cocaine in the beaker!) and do a very thorough acetone wash in order to remove any traces of ether left. After a few pours of acetone in the beaker filter out the cocaine base (just like le junk describes nothing fancy). Perform a final acetone wash over the filter. Fold the cocaine in the filter and let it dry for a couple of days. Thats called an empanada

voila cocaine as pure as it can get

the other method (ether free) is done by dissolving cocaine directly into acetone. Then dissolving hydrochloric acid (38% lab grade) in methanol. You use 0.25ml of hcl acid per gram of cocaine base and double that of methanol i.e a 1:2 solution of hcl acid/methanol. You gently swirl both beakers by hand (like rotating them) and mix them, cocaine will start precipitating. After 2 hours stir everything and let for another 4-5 hours. Then filter out the cocaine acetone wash and let it dry.

The art of crystallization

Q: Isn't ether dangerous?
A: YES! Very dangerous, i will explain later why, just bare in mind that it is, extremely flammable

Q: So assume i do this, why even use ether? Actually why not use just acetone?
A: The thing is, that you need an alcohol type (non polar) solvent in the procedure for the crystallization to happen. You see theory is that to produce crystals you must dissolve the base in a solvent in which the salt form will precipitate when you add the acid. Acetone is used because it dissolves cocaine and is miscible with hydrochloric salt. Problem is that it is polar and as an "exception" dissolves cocaine. But the way it dissolves it is problematic, and thus the crystallization CANNOT occur in just acetone. It will merely form an oily residue in the bottom when hcl acid is added. You thus need a pollar solvent that will force the cocaine base to be in solution and absorb the traces amount of water that are in the hcl acid. Ether alone cannot be used because its not miscible with hcl acid and methanol alone cannot be used because it will dissolve cocaine hcl. So a mixture is needed either ether acetone hcl acid or acetone and small amounts of methanol (or ethanol) and hcl acid. Ether is preferable because it does not dissolve many of the cuts that got away in the ammonia treatment, it properly dissolves cocaine base, is higly miscible with acetone and because it produces a visible white reaction. Simply put it produces faster, better quality, and visually pleasing crystals.

Q: Ok so do i need to stir?
A: If using ether, no you don't need to stir, although stirring will effect the size of the crystals, generally speaking more stirring = smaller more pure crystals

The science of crystal formation is that when a polar molecule is formed, other polar molecules gather close to it and form a crystal structure with self repeating patterns. The whole thing starts with the nucleation, where the solute molecules form clusters (nucleation is what happens around the straw when it enters a bubbly beverage). If the solute are not properly distributed in the solvent this will not happen properly (thus why you cant use acetone alone). If no stirring is present the nucleation spots will be few and the crystals larger, but large crystals tend to hold impurities even small amounts of solvents inside them. A fine balance between size and appearance and size and purity must be found.

Rapid changes in ph must be avoided, crystal growth must either happen all at once or very slowly, large ph differentials cause uneven and impure crystals. The finest looking crystals are those that are formed in the same time and let to grow slowly, thus the ether, acetone, hcl acid is best. Some stirring must be present to avoid uneven in size and impure crystals, though not too much because it will loose the mother of pearl sparkle that is so desirable by the connoisseure. Temperature and light conditions also effect crystal formation. Crystals grown in the dark and at stable SI temperature are far more equal in size while crystals grown with a rapid drop in temperature tend to be purer but smaller.

Experimentation is needed to find the proper procedure

a few notes about using ether

for starters everything you use during the base to hcl session must be anhydrous.

Same goes for ether.

And mind you ether is EXCEPTIONALLY dangerous. Overtime ether reacts with oxygen and form peroxides, peroxides are friction and movement unstable, meaning that the friction of the cap unscrewing can detonate them. Lucky for us, the procedure we use does not involve distillation or evaporation of ether, which makes things a bit safer. In any case store ether away from sunlight and anything that could produce a spark. If it is not stabilized do not keep it more than six months after opening.

If any visible precipitate exists in your bottle DO NOT MOVE IT, CALL SOME SPECIALIST

Ether produces vapors that are heavier than air and can concentrate in explosive amounts, and can creep up electric sockets. Always use ether in a WELL VENTILATED PLACE AWAY FROM SPARK SOURCES. Always take measures against static electricity, before handling a bottle of ether.

Finaly ether is rather intoxicating, be in a well ventilated place and breath as little of the fumes as possible.

Thanks people, if anything more comes to mind ill post, if i have any gross mistakes correct them

ill try to post pictures eventally

Reputation Comments on this post:

very useful, thanks for the write up

[SummerLove]

MOD DELETED /

this post is self incriminating and has to be edited and reposted by OP.
a little clarification wouldn't hurt either.

b

[Richi]

Originally Posted by epote

Essentially the cocaine alkaloid is a base, that is it makes the ph of water greater than 7. Bases are not soluble in polar solvents (like water) but are soluble in non polar solvents (like kerosene, ether etc, acetone is an exception i will explain later why). So the theory behind an acid base extraction is that when you add slowly in a basic solution (ie cocaine and alkaloids in kerosene etc) the stronger base will react first and precipitate. Depending on what is the stronger base you either discard or collect that precipitate (by filtering or by utilizing two imiscible solvents).

Bases not soluble in water? I understand that any salts are soluble in water, which includes acids and bases. Could you explain how this reaction occurs?

[epote]

i didnt really get your question.

the excess ammonia will be cleaned by the water wash of the base

[FlakeyPink]

wow great stuff. its a little clearer than destructs. but one question, how good is the cocaine after recrystalation(pure coke) and how does it make swiy feel?

[epote]

there will be a more detailed picture tutorial soon enough, SWIM is prepairing it. Along with some corrections in the procedure (not very important though) along with cuts and solubilities info etc etc.

deckstruck is the man seriously.

if your cocaine is good to begin with it will be excelent after the A/B if its absolute totaly crap (i.e has no cocaine in it, ie is speed with lidocaine or smt) it will still be crap.

if its average, (has 30-40% cocaine if you are lucky) then it will be prety damn good.

you have to realize that only GC/MS can identify every cut so that it can be removed

the slow A/B extraction will help but wont do miracle, for excample if your cocaine is cut with pseudoephedrine which has VERY similar physiochemical properties with cocaine the end product will still contain it. It wont be as much but it will still be there. You need multiple A/B extractions and recrystallizations under controled conditions (absence of light, low humidity, SLOW change of solvent solubility) to reach very pure cocaine (i.e more than 80-90%) if your sample is very cut, and even then some alkaloids will still remaine because they are so similar to cocaine.

The only way to produce USP (99%+) pure cocaine is by chemical synthesis via the eccgonine path.

Truth be told though very pure cocaine tends to be overwhelmingly strong and kind of speedy. Some amounts of alkaloids must remain to mellow out the high a bit.

cocaine after the AB procedure has nothing to do with what you started. If it was done carefully and the empanada is done the "master cook" way the visualls alone will cause a rush of dopamine SWIM shits you not

the high is smooth and cerebral, not detached and forced upon. It is not speedy (at low doses that is) and not paranoid. Do a couple of half inch lines every 45 mins for 3-4 hours and then there will be no notable crash (Assume you dont do cocaine four times a day:P).

its a completely different drug than what you think cocaine is

[FlakeyPink]

a picture tut would be great also is swim going to try this with atleast half oz or a quarter ounce? Swim just would think its not worth it with anything smaller, goodluck with everything

[epote]

half oz? god damn those imperial measurments, shit you have to have a phd in arithmetics just to do simple calculations. Half an oz is 7.5gr and quarter ounce is 7gr or something like that?

SWIM will do it with 5grams in any case.

[trptamene]

Originally Posted by epote

half oz? god damn those imperial measurments, shit you have to have a phd in arithmetics just to do simple calculations. Half an oz is 7.5gr and quarter ounce is 7gr or something like that?

SWIM will do it with 5grams in any case.

1 ounce = 28.3495231 grams

1 half ounce = 14.1747616 grams

[Saybin]

the blow in SWIM's area averages 97%. :]. There are other sources of course but this is some fine stuff.

[Benga]

Originally Posted by Saybin

the blow in SWIM's area averages 97%. :]. There are other sources of course but this is some fine stuff.

good for swim. but to make this post a little more worth keeping, as it's very tempting to delete straight away for being pointless bragging and potential dealing related hook, please do tell us what method was used to get such average measurements.

b

[stupidorange]

This is a very clear and well-written guide, but I have a question on the acetone method of recrystallization. You say that the hydrochloric acid must be dissolved into methanol, but page 161 of The Cocaine Handbook by David Lee seems to say that you need only dissolve hydrochloric acid into the acetone/base mixture. He mentions the "full-strength liquid hydrochloric acid is diluted with absolute methanol or acetone, or both", but on page 159 says that so little hydrochloric acid is used that as long as it's 38% or better there will be no problems.

Am I misreading? What is the function of the methanol? Scans or transcriptions of the relevant pages can be provided if needed.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Methticallion]

If doing the Acetone/Methanol/HCl method, would using Virgin Grade (99.95%) for biodiesel be suitable?

Thanks

Methticallion

Methticallion added 1 Minutes and 14 Seconds later...

I meant Virgin grade methanol btw.


Methticallion

Methticallion added 0 Minutes and 15 Seconds later...

I meant Virgin grade methanol btw.


Methticallion

[epote]

im prety sure that the cocaine handbook describes the procedure just as swim tells it. Actually this is where he learn the procedure:P

the handbook says specificaly that the WATER in the hcl acid is of no significance because you use so little of it.

in any case, if using only acetone+hcl acid the crystallization dosnt happen very well because hcl acid is VERY miscible with acetone and cocaine base is VERY soluble in acetone so no significant nuclei are formed to begin the crystallization. What happens is that something resembling a yellow oil will stick to the bottom of the beaker and to collect crystalls one must leave everything evaporate.

One needs some sort of non polar/alcohol type solvent to force the crystalls out of sollution and into proper crystallization

[stupidorange]

I see. In the pictures he does include a little jar with "1:2 methanol" or something like that written on it, but I thought maybe it was just an extra step. Thank you

One more question, o patient master :P:

What happens is that something resembling a yellow oil will stick to the bottom of the beaker and to collect crystalls one must leave everything evaporate.

So is it just slower, or actually of inferior quality?

Thanks again for the clarification!

[stupidorange]

Sorry, one final question and I can't figure out how to edit: methanol or ethanol? Is there a difference? I'd kinda rather use ethanol because it's less toxic, but I don't know if there's a reason methanol is better.

Thanks

[epote]

no its not slower, its lower quality a) because you will be left with impurities that would normaly get removed by the methanol or ethanol and b) any excess hcl acid will remain making the cocaine hcl probably quite acidic.

Swim has never tried it though...

If using ethanol use 1:1, not 2:1, ethanol is an azeotrope with water so at best one can find 95% pure ethanol, so some loss of cocaine will be inevetable. On the other hand methanol can become anhydrous...

[marxyz2]

Use sodium carbonate to free base coke. You do not have to heat it. Baking soda turns into sodium carbonate with heat. Heat however, is bad. Take free base coke off with diethyl ether, or other non polar solvent, and evaporate for free base. Free base is not naturally a hard rock unless heated with impurities trapped. This product will dry in snowflake patterns, very fluffy. Much better product that rocks fused when heating baking soda and water.

Remember, free base is not a term applicable to coke only, but the majority of alkoloids, litterly thousands. They can be free based, and then powdered with dry HCl.

[phillylocal]

Originally Posted by epote

no its not slower, its lower quality a) because you will be left with impurities that would normaly get removed by the methanol or ethanol and b) any excess hcl acid will remain making the cocaine hcl probably quite acidic.

Question about that....coudn't swim just Acetone wash afterwards to get rid of extra HCL, as stated in cocaine handbook? thanks epote for all the great info.

[epote]

that would probably work to some degree, but the fact that everything will crystallize in a completely soluble environment (i.e. no ether to be not miscible with the excess hcl acid) would probably cause quite a bit of hcl acid to be traped inside the crystall matrix, essentially making it unremovable.

It would still help though.

try it and inform please!

[phillylocal]

ah understood. will try when SWIM returns home...currently vacationing in Spain....

he is having a lot of troubles finding Diethyl Ether online, have SWIY ever used ether after extracting from starter fluid (SWIM thinks bad idea?). SWIM knows we can't discuss sources, and will try to use the search engine more here....any hints/suggestions...SWIM likes ether-egg-hunts.

[epote]

dont use ether

use acetone and methanol/hcl acid, its just as good.

Or use petroleum ether or toluene and acetone/hcl acid. Also just as good.

yes ether is a tad better, but its not worth the risk. SWIM ought change the FAQ accordingly...

[xxrtagxx]

SWIM is fearing that she is going to sound stupid asking this, but SWIM was told in 2nd grade that there isn't any such thing as a stupid questions.

SWIM is wondering if the acid base extraction method will get rid of the inositol & mannitol. SWIM is more concerned with the removal of the inositol.

SWIM likes doing foils and she says the inositol burns funny, smells & taste bad.

SWIM appreciates your help!

[barmybovine]

SWIM is having trouble finding 38% HCL and was wondering if there would be a big difference if 31.45% was used?

Thanks