Author Topic: Extraction from Coca leaf  (Read 1259 times)

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M3Psych

  • Guest
Extraction from Coca leaf
« on: March 30, 2004, 10:00:00 PM »
SWIM has a KG or so of Coca leaves SWIM's friend brought back from a trip to Peru that SWIM would like to use. SWIM is not interested in extracting and purifying cocaine from these leaves or trying to get high from them. SWIM is instead interested in methods which could easily and (somewhat) efficiently extract all of the various alkaloids from some of these leaves, perhaps into a tincture or powder which SWIM would add to food or beverages for use as a general purpose health tonic, appetite reducer, mood elevator, etc.

SWIM was thinking of drying the leaves, pulverizing and then triple extracting into a solution containing citric acid (pH <> 3) and hot 95% EtOH, then filtering off the plant material, followed by evaporation of the EtOH to yield the citrate salts of coca alkaloids.

Would this extract most of the good stuff from the leaves or would a more complex extraction bee required?

Thanks.

embezzler

  • Guest
there is a document on rhods site
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2004, 01:22:00 AM »
that details (slightly) the methods used in the illicit cocaine production industry same thing should apply. it depends greatly on the species of cocoa plant whose leaves you recieved though as to how much material can be extracted.


Step 1

Acetone or ether is added to dissolve the cocaine base and the solution is filtered to remove undesirable material.

Step 2

Hydrochloric acid diluted in acetone or ether is added to the cocaine solution. The addition of the hydrochloric acid causes the cocaine to precipitate (crystallise) out of the solution as cocaine hydrochloride. The HCl is then filtered out for drying.

Step 3

The remaining acetone/ether solvent can be discarded or reused.

Step 4

Cocaine HCl is dried under heat lamps, laid out to dry with the aid of fans, or dried in microwave ovens. The yield from 1 kg of base will vary widely, depending on quality of coca base and efficiency of processing, but should be approx. 1 pound.




https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/coca2cocaine.html






M3Psych

  • Guest
Thanks for the info, but the problem is that...
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2004, 01:41:00 AM »
Thanks for the info, but the problem is that I'm not interested in making pure or relatively pure cocaine. A crude extract of the alkaloids is all I desire. I'm just looking for a simple method with as little waste as possible.

Also, I'm confused. Natives chew coca with alkalinizing agents (powdered lime, etc) yet I thought an acidic condition was necessary to allow water solubility (and mucous membrance permeablity)?

Thanks again.

xbnmx

  • Guest
Simple
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2004, 02:48:00 AM »
Grind the leaves into a fine powder, place them in a jar and fill the jar with methyl alcohol, let it sit somewhere dark for about a week.  After a week is up, use a fine filter and pour of the solvent, let it evaporate off, and then use fresh methyl alcohol again to extract any remaining alkaloids from the ground plant material (three is the magic number).  That is about as simple and unrefined as extractions get.

biffman

  • Guest
1 pound from 1 kilo??
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2004, 12:51:00 AM »
Is it just me or does a yield of 1 pound yield from 1 kilo (2.2 pounds) seem rather ridiculous? That would imply that the cocaine content of coca leaves is about 45% !!
 I don't have any experience in coca extraction but that can't be right.

Rhodium

  • Guest
Illicit Production of Cocaine
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2004, 01:39:00 AM »
It is a yield of one pound of cocaine hydrochloride from 1 kg of cocaine paste, not the leaves.

Read up on your terms here:

https://www.thevespiary.org/rhodium/Rhodium/chemistry/cocaine.illicit.production.html