Update and Warning: Pressure buildup could be dangerous in a sealed container with a lid like these, they could easily be forced open, also the flip type lids could also be quite dangerous if you are not careful, causing very caustic liquid to spray over your face when you close them.

Unless you know (not think) what you are doing it would probably be wise to not attempt anything suggested here. If you do, then do a few test runs with veg oil and plain water.

There appears to be some careless people about the nexus, for example i think someone made them self quite ill from solvent exposure, the last thing i'd want is someone hurting themselves from something i suggested.

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Gravy separators are much talked about, and for good reason, i haven't used one, but i am sure they work rather well.

Unfortunately they are not widely available everywhere, the glass ones are more than i'd want to pay.

A good alternative, although perhaps not for all solvents, taking the lid from a shampoo or soap bottle like this (below) and using it with a clear PET drinks bottle should work for heavy naphtha (white spirit - UK) and xylene at least.

One source claims that PET has marginal resistance to naphtha solvent, which puts me in doubt about using light naphtha, but i know for a fact heavy naphtha/white spirit is sold in PET bottles.



Of course you can use any type of plastic bottle you can squeeze that has at least some transparency so you can see what is happening inside. Always check the chemical resistance for the type of plastic used before attempting it. A HDPE or PP shampoo bottle will work best with the bottom cut off and used like a proper funnel.

Washing up liquid bottles with the pull to open lids also appear to be perfect.



The bottom can be cut off if you'd rather just let gravity do its thing.

Anyone interested by this idea, if you are intending to use the squeeze method, make sure you keep the pressure on until you have expelled the water otherwise air will bubble up through and bugger things up for a while.

Hmm, interesting. Thanks for posting!

Sounds like bad idea IMO. I would not use PET for any of these, and most certainly not for xylene. Xylene really eats through plastic. And as for naphtha, where did you see it sold in PET? And it wasnt sold for you to consume something coming from that naphtha, just use it to burn/clean/whatever, so the sellers would need to make no guarantee regarding the safety. HDPE is better at least for naphtha, but anyways I rather use glass, because of potential phthalates.

There would most likely be at least plasticizers leeching into your solvent and probably being in your final product. And just because one doesnt see any specific damage to the container doesnt mean there arent potentially toxic products going to your solvent

Use glass, or get a glass syringe which can do many ml at once, or try to find some cheap separatory funnel deal, im sure it is possible these days.

Here's a bit more info on the phthalates and extraction:
https://www.dmt-nexus.me...aspx?g=posts&t=26324

Thanks for the effort in trying to think of ways to improvise for extractions, this is definitely important. Just IMO this one is not worth it for the health risks.

Heavy naphtha (white spirit) is widely sold in the shops in PET bottles, rarely seen in anything else.

Pretty much all solvents anyone can buy for any reasonable money will come in plastic containers of some sort (in the UK at least).

The xylene i bought came in a PET bottle.

I didn't know about the phthalates, it sounds like a good idea for everyone who buys any solvent in plastic containers to go the FASA route.

But just because they came in plastic container doesnt mean its not leeching plastic or plasticizers to your product in some level. They arent selling you to consume the solvent, but to use it for "industrial" use. Also often the plastic containers arent considered for extended storage, and things such as temperature/etc can affect it. Better avoid it IMO.

This is a very thorough chemical compatibility chart: http://www.google.com/ur...y7DlMnLH5wQA&cad=rja

there's an app for that
http://blog.coleparmer.c...database-iphoneipad-app/

I suppose you can't be too safe.

Buying anything in glass though will pose a massive challenge (in the UK), talking at least double the price, probably double the delivery cost, and it will have to be a proper lab supply place, which wouldn't even dream of selling to the general public.

Edit:

Further reading would suggest PET/PETE is mostly free from Phthalates (they are not used in the manufacturing process), although contamination from recycling is not unheard of, but the levels will definitely be much lower.

Also HDPE is meant to be another one of the safer options, anything PVC derived is the main worry.

One way to be sure, contact the seller and/or manufacturer of the container and ask them if it has been recycled or not.

Quite ironic to think you get these people banging on about about how we need to recycle to save the planet, yet it is exactly this that is giving us a dose of phthalates in our food and drink.

Turns out there's at least one place that sell a range of solvents in metal containers, glass is out of the question but at least it looks like there's an alternative for the UK lot.

Anyway what is the stopper/lid made from in these glass solvent bottles, i'm pretty sure that's a plastic of some sort.

I bought parts of my glassware from a university they sometimes sell used equipment or older equipment they also sell new equipment for prices only companies or big institutions get. Try that first. I used a seperatory funnel today and it's even with that difficult to find the perfect spot to divide the two layers. But it was worth every cent. Also I realized during the extraction that the process is dangerous even if you have read a lot before because nearly everybody has a lack of experience with that equipment so don't take any extra risks.

Yea, that's not going to happen here, if i walked into a university and asked if they wanted to sell me glassware at best they'd tell me to bugger off.

I wouldn't be taking any extra risks by using my plastic separator funnel thing since all my solvents came in containers made from an assortment plastics including PET so if the plastic was to have a negative effect its already done, before the solvents arrived at my door/left the shop.

In future though i'll be keeping an eye out for reasonably priced solvents in non plastic containers.

I don't trust naphtha (especially the heavy stuff) to fully evaporate out of my crystals in a reasonable enough time anyway so i always FASA>Na2CO3 Paste>Acetone Pull now so i can't imagine there being too much rubbish left behind.

indeed.. there is an app for EVERYTHING.. i had to giggle when i saw that.. carry on..

For example if you do A/B and then use a light solvent pressure builds up. The cock can stand the pressure I don't believe one of these caps can stand the presssure. So maybe your turn it around and all of a sudden you have PH12 spills all over you.

But even if there wouldn't be any safety issues it's really hard to determine where to stop seperating. I think it's way easier with a real s. funnel you can adjust the speed and watch nearly exactly when the two layers meet. I would recommend the squibb ones.

why don't you get a tall beaker and couple of pipettes? you can easily get them on ebay...

Because i don't want to?

I can get a separatory funnel on ebay easily, i can buy one from a variety sites, when i start looking to spend a good amount of cash on equipment i'll just get the proper stuff.

DidMyTest, good point about the pressure build up, i've just removed the bottom from a glass vinegar bottle, going to use this as my funnel let gravity do its thing.

Theres no need to be really precise stopping the flow, i'll just let a small amount solvent pass through with the water, going to be doing a couple of pulls anyway.

I can see how its not a good idea for people without some sort of protection considering we are talking about pretty caustic stuff.

Was just an idea, not all of them work out.

Just saying... They are definitely cheaper than a separatory funnel.

I've seen a 1 L sep funnel for $39. I spent that much on a red pyrex 250 mL sep funnel (for photosensitive compounds)

in chemistry, you get out of it what you put into it, and you get what you pay for.

Benzyme remember that not every one lives in America, you'd be looking at more than that dollar price in £ for a 1l sep funnel here.

Anyway i'm probably going to not bother with my sep funnel idea anyway, it seems less and less workable once i got to testing the ideas out.

Dante, main reason i haven't gone for a pipette is i cant find any that hold a reasonable amount of liquid, i was looking for an easier and quicker method, and getting a flask an pipette isn't actually going to be that cheap so i'd be better off waiting and getting something more appropriate.

A large glass syringe is probably the best compromise.