DMT extraction using lye (sodium hydroxide) and naphtha
| DMT extraction using lye (sodium hydroxide) and naphtha | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Chemical Nomenclature | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common names | DMT, N,N-DMT, Dmitry, The Glory, The Spirit Molecule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Substitutive name | N,N-Dimethyltryptamine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Systematic name | 2-(1H-Indol-3-yl)-N,N-dimethylethanamine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Class Membership | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Psychoactive class | Psychedelic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chemical class | Tryptamine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Routes of Administration | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This guide is provided for informational and educational purposes only. We do not encourage you to break the law and cannot claim any responsibility for your actions. |
Objective
Acacia confusa root bark contains up to 1.15% DMT/N,N-Dimethyltryptamine [1]. If the steps of this extraction are followed precisely on 500g of acacia root bark, a maximum theoretical yield of 5.75g of DMT. Experimental yields are highly dependent on adherence to procedure, hence this extraction can produce a range of 0g - 4.5g. It is recommended to run a test extraction on a lesser amount of acacia confusa root bark, such as 200g. With experience, as one becomes familiar with the process, the extraction will produce higher yields.
Safety
- Naphtha – DANGER – extremely flammable. Naphtha is a petroleum solvent comparable in strength to paint thinner, but is more volatile. Naphtha has a low flash point making it highly flammable; it behaves similarly to lighter fluid. Harmful if inhaled, swallowed, or if liquid is aspirated into the lungs. Naphtha is an irritant to the eyes and skin. In the event of skin contact, washing hands with soap will prevent irritation. Harmful if swallowed, excessive inhalation can cause negative health effects. Naphtha can be handled safely, but should not be inhaled. To prevent exposure, allow the DMT to dry fully. Naphtha can be found in USA hardware or paint stores, i.e. VM&P Naphtha. [2]
- Sodium Hydroxide – Also known as lye or caustic soda. Very hazardous in case of skin or eye contact (corrosive, irritant), ingestion or respiration. Eye contact can result in corneal damage or blindsides, skin contact can produce inflammation and blistering. Sodium hydroxide solutions can readily decompose proteins and lipids in body tissues via hydrolysis, exposure can result in chemical burns. Exposure will leave skin feeling soapy, and will not immediately damage the skin. Wash hands thoroughly if this soapy sensation or irritation is felt. Wear gloves and protective eye wear when handling. Repeated or prolonged exposure can be toxic. When adding sodium hydroxide to the glass jar, it must be done gradually to prevent the strong exothermic reaction to crack the container. Sodium hydroxide is deliquescent and readily absorbs moisture from the air, keep container sealed. Sodium hydroxide can be found in USA hardware stores sold as Red Devil Lye. [3]
Theory
This extraction uses a traditional acid-base methodology to extract freebase DMT. The first steps, the acid wash using vinegar and water, acidify the solution to a pH of 4. Vinegar reacts with the DMT in the plant material to create DMT acetate, this stage is often called the de-fat. Converting DMT to a salt form allows for easier absorption by the polar solution. Basifying the solution to a pH of 13 in the following steps allows it to be extracted from the polar solution (water) to the nonpolar solution (naptha). The basic solution reacts with DMT acetate through deprotonation to produce the pure basic form of DMT, the freebase. A high pH solution reduces solubility of DMT. When naphtha is added, the DMT transfers into this nonpolar solution layer. DMT is virtually insoluble in this aqueous phase, so it precipitates out of the naphtha solution via crystallization when kept at freezing temperatures.
Reagents/Materials
- Naptha
- Lye/Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)
- Acacia confusa rootbark (shredded)
- Vinegar
- 2L glass container
- 2 large pots
- Turkey baster (glass)
- Chemical resistant gloves
- Safety googles
- Stove
Optional
- Funnel
- PH meter
Note: The measurements given are meant for an extraction using 500g acacia confusa root bark. They can be scaled up or down if running an extraction on a different amount of root bark.
Preparation
If possible, purchase shredded acacia confusa root bark if it is available. If you can not, use a coffee grinder or blender to shred the bark into fine pieces. However, a coffee grinder will not be sufficient for large root bark pieces. Hence it is advisable to purchase the bark shredded. Using shredded bark has a large impact on extraction yields. Finely shredded or powdered bark results in higher surface area for the chemical reactions to occur.
Freeze the root bark, then let it thaw out. Repeat this three times. Freezing and thawing causes the plant cells to undergo lysis. Lysis is the destruction of the cell wall and membrane, resulting in the disintegration of the cell. Decomposing the cell membrane allows for higher absorption of DMT from the plant matter in the following steps.
Procedure
1. In a large pot (pot 1), add 1800mL of water and 200 mL of vinegar. This brings the pH of the solution to approximately 4. This will convert the DMT in the plant material in its acid salts, which are soluble in water. Most other alkaloids from the plant material are not soluble and will not be absorbed by the solution. This step helps remove impurities by separating the DMT from other plant alkaloids. These other alkaloids are not physically harmful, however lower purity results in increased body load. Add the 500g of root bark, then boil with a lid on the pot for at least an hour and 30 minutes. This gives sufficient time to separate the DMT from the plant material.
2. Strain the solution into another large pot (pot 2). Fefill pot 1 with 1800mL of water and 200mL of vinegar then add the root bark back into pot 1. Boil for another cycle of an hour and 30 minutes. The desired end result is 1000mL, but some excess is fine.
3. Repeat step 2 one more time. Repeatedly transferring the solution to pot 2 and adding fresh water and vinegar to pot 1 encourages increased reaction of DMT with the solution. This helps prevent the reaction from reaching equilibrium with the solution, causing more DMT to react out of the plant material.
4. Now, reduce the contents of pot B (a total of somewhere around 4000mL) down to 1200mL by boiling without a lid. The liquid should now be a rusty red color while it is hot. This process will take approximately 40 minutes. Reducing the volume of liquid at this stage increases the concentration of DMT within the solution by evaporation. This serves to make the following steps easier by requiring less reagents.
5. Allow the liquid in pot B to cool, then pour into a 2L glass container and allow it to completely cool in the refrigerator. This will take at least two hours. Allowing the liquid to cool helps prevent excess heat from the sodium hydroxide reaction from damaging the jar in the following steps.
6. For the following steps, take appropriate safety precautions and wear safety goggles and chemical resistant gloves. Sodium hydroxide can cause chemical burns and blindness. Maximum care should be taken while handling.
7. Weigh out 120 grams of sodium hydroxide. Slowly add it in small increments to the solution in the glass container. The contents of the container will heat up rapidly with the addition of the sodium hydroxide. It is important to add it slowly to prevent the glass container from exploding from the exothermic reaction. A safe guideline is adding 20g every 2 minutes and stirring in between. The contents will turn grey then black as the pH increases. This step aims to reach a pH of 13, at this pH the solution will be black. This step converts DMT into its freebase form, which can be extracted with naphtha.
7a. (Optional) Measure the pH of the solution with a pH meter, for ideal results the solution should reach a pH of 13.
8. The contents of the jar should still be warm from the previous step. If not, double boil the jar to warm the solution. A double boil allow even heat distribution and prevents close proximity to the burner with the jar. Then add 500mL of naphtha to the jar and seal it.
9. Shake vigorously for 3 minutes the let the contents separate from 10 minutes. Repeat this step 4-5 times, keeping the jar contents warm. Shaking the jar encourages maximum dispersion of its contents, this allows more DMT freebase to be pulled into the naphtha layer.
10. Now allow the naphtha layer to separate fully, this may take up to several hours.
11. Using a glass turkey baster, carefully transfer the top naphtha layer into an appropriate sized crystallization jar. Avoid transferring any of the black basic layer, error on the side of caution as it is preferable to prevent contamination by leaving the remnant of the naphtha layer. It can be difficult to prevent contamination as the naphtha layer left in the solution jar is transferred to. A wide mouth jar for crystallization will be easier to scrape the DMT from.
12. Place the jar into the freezer for at least 48 hours. The DMT will gradually precipitate out off the naphtha solution. 72 hours gives ample time for it to crystallize completely. DMT is insoluble in the naphtha solution at low temperatures so it precipitates out. If the naphtha solution is left at room temperature before the DMT is separated from it, the DMT can potentially dissolve back into the naphtha.
13. To separate the DMT from the naphtha solution, pour the contents of the crystallization jar through a funnel with a pipe screen or coffee filter. Allow the extracted DMT to dry for ten hours. It will dry into powdery crystal or a waxy consistency based on the purity of the extraction. The remaining naphtha can be reused in addition pulls. Steps 7-13 can be repeated about 5 times for decent yields. A pull can result in 200mg-1g of dmt dependant on the success of the extraction. Using pH strips and accurate/sufficient equipment is beneficial to increase yields.
