100% Camphor

mrmacgoo4002 · Wed Sep 21, 2005 11:18 am

I've recently come across 100% camphor, which is a waxy crystalline solid, used to repel moths.

I've found 56g packages.

I was wondering if camphor oil can be extracted from this solid.

If so, would a simple distillation process be sufficient to extract this oil or would steam distillation or another process be favorable?

And what yield would be expected from a 56g sample?

Stinging_Nettle · Wed Sep 21, 2005 11:27 am

What do you u use the Camphor for? Is there some hidden drug that it is a precursor to?

joe_aldehyde · huxleys associate

if you have 100% camphor, what you'll end up with after distillation of any kind is - well, 100% camphor. you'll probably have about 56g yield.

mrmacgoo4002 · Wed Sep 21, 2005 3:24 pm

Makes sense...

I probably should have thought more before asking about a yield.....

Still, does this solid substance contain safrole and can it be extracted?

If so, would the regular distillation process be applicable?

joe_aldehyde · huxleys associate

i'm being a dick Smile

mrmacgoo4002 · Thu Sep 22, 2005 7:56 am

I'm new here and by my own admission know very little on the subject compared to most here.

However, I not an imcompetent f*ck that is coming to this board expecting for everybody here to answer all my questions and do nothing myself. I have googled safrole and camphor and know essentially the camphor oil is an essential oil plant extract which contains a fraction of safrole.

What I cannot find, and I have looked; is whether this solid camphor substance I have come across can be extracted of safrole via the same method as the oil.

On Rhodium I can only find extraction methods for plant matter and oil, so as nothing there hints that such an extraction is possible, I do not have my hopes up that this is a viable safrole source, however if I am wrong, it'd be be very, very nice to be wrong on this one. That's why I'm asking here.

All I would like to know, is either yes or no safrole can be extracted, and if yes would the oil method work fine, or is there a preferred method.

I ask here as I thought people here may have come across this same solid substance that I have, and what results they ended up with.

It would be greatly appreciated if somebody could shed some light on this situation, as otherwise I would most likely fork out cash for glassware and the like and perform the usual method, and it would be dissapointing if no safrole could be obtained.

The product says 100% camphor, I realise this and assume this could mean, it is a soild form of the oil with all impurities (eg: safrole) extracted. However in the very small chance, that it is a soild form of total camphor essential oil, and there is safrole contained within, a simple yes safrole exists in the product, perform a steam distillation to obtain it would be appreciated.

I am sorry I know to most of you this must be a stupid question, but I would be one very appreciative newbee if somebody could help me either here or via PM.

primathon · modified

Joe, quit being a dick. In all of your insightful commentary above, you didn't even go so far as to point him in the right direction (google doesn't count). It probably took you more time to type all that out than it would have to set him on a possibly fruitful course of action. Even if he does end up with only camphor in return, there's no way to know for sure unless he actually tries it.

Mrmacgoo, in response to your question, I believe that camphor and camphor oil are in fact two different things. Camphor is defined as a "Colorless, glassy solid with a penetrating, characteristic odor" by chemfinder, and appears to fit the physical properties fairly closely (e.g. MP of 177°C) of the substance you describe. If it's possible with the equipment you currently posess (even if quite ghetto-rigged), I'd say go for it. What do you have to lose?

mrmacgoo4002 · Thu Sep 22, 2005 12:08 pm

primathon, thankyou for pointing me in the way of chemfinder.

The chemfinder results state:

Camphor [76-22-2]
Synonyms: (±)-Camphor; 1,7,7-Trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]-2-heptanone; 1,7,7-Trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one; 1,7,7-Trimethylnorcamphor; 2-Camphanone; 2-camphonone; Bornan-2-one; Caladryl; Camphor; Camphor Oil; Gum camphor; Radian B;

So that's a plus, I'll see what I can do and report any results here.

Any advise on an extraction method would be appreciated.

I'll see how a steam distillation goes.

joe_aldehyde · huxleys associate

yea you're right primathon, i just sometimes assume that everyone is as smart as me and can distinguish between the terms "camphor" and "camphor oil". of course thats wrong.

hell...mrmacgoo...save the labour and source your desired product somewhere else. what you have is EXACTLY (±)-Camphor; 1,7,7-Trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]-2-heptanone in pure state and there will be NO safrole present, as it is from the other fraction of the essential oil of the camphor tree. i've recently seen pure camphor turn up on a variety of chem vendor's pages, there must be something about it. it can probably be used in the synthesis of a drug, probably a cocaine analogue since the bicyclic structure is also a feature of the tropane alkaloids. i urge you to perfect your googling skills.