Search for the non de-natured chemical.

[prism]

Good day all,

 

I am trying to extract hte essence of some herbs I grow possible working on a system to automate this too.

 

I am having trouble tracking down some 95% pure non de-natured ethanol within the UK, any help would be most appreciated.

[RyanJ]

The best I can say is good luck. Non de-natured ethanol can't be purchased without a lisance in the UK as far as I'm aware (and if it is possible then it will be hard to find).

 

Try a forum search, I think this has some up a few times in the past.

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[Prime-Evil]

It might be easiest to distill your own.

[prism]

Yes im beliving it may be best to go hill billy style and get a still or distill my own over spending pointless hours seaching for the stuff.

[xeluc]

If you can get ahold of reagent grade acetone, I believe in most cases it would be a better solvent than Ethanol. I've also heard of food grade, but havn't seen it myself. If these "essenses" were to be consumed, it would be a great idea to make positivly sure all Acetone has evaporated, although I don't think acetone is all that toxic as it is made in the body. Still, be careful. Depending on the boiling/decomposition point of your extract, you could heat on the lowest temperature of your oven. Just make sure you can't even smell acetone when you do this.

[scicop]

Um yeah, the body makes acetone (keytone bodies) under metabolic distress and it is extremely toxic, even at the doses that are made in the body. Do NOT consume acetone.

 

Second, I don't know what essensce you're trying to isolate and the degree of purity you're looking for and for the purpose. If you're isolating a particular compound (small molecules) and the protocol calls for 95% ethanol de-natured ethanol, then use that. Do not use acetone as a substitute,as its protic properties are different than ethonol.

 

As for getting your ethanol, you can try Fisher or Sigma. If you don't work in a lab ask a lab friend.

[prism]

Ah thank you, I was wondering about the toxidity of acetone as well still I have managed to get my 95% non de-natured alcohol. I just distilled it my self, to get it from a lab friend would mean she had to order a 10 gallon drum of the stuff, dont really need that much ;-)

[YT2095]

di-ethyl ether is good for extraction.

can you get Ever Clear alc?

 

also you have to be aware that SOME are polar some are not, so distilled water will serve you well also (depending upon what you wish to extract).

[prism]

im using the alcohol to digest plants, then running these through soxhlet equipment trying to extract the essential oil.

 

Everclear would cost a fortune to get imported from USA->UK alcohol tax in both countries would be crippling