SWIM told me about a recipe he found for converting DPT HCl salt to a smokable freebase. The procedure began with an aqueous solution of DPT HCl basified with ammonium hydroxide. Then the freebase was extracted with chloroform.
SWIM told me he was going to consider trying something different for the base, such as lye. Would that be a bad thing? I told him that ammonium hydroxide is simply kitchen-sink ammonia, and maybe he should just stick with that. Am I right? After all, lye is a lot more dangerous, no?
SWIM was also complaining about having to obtain chloroform, and thought that using naphtha (Ronsinol) as a subsitute for the extraction would be easier. I told him to be careful with naphtha, for its flammability, but also to beware the possibility of decreasing the yield, damaging the product, or introducing impurities. Any thoughts on this? Are there other considerations to take into account when conducting an extraction with naphtha (specifically, with DPT)?
As I understand, DPT is not scheduled in the US, so I feel no worries about being curious... I'm just worried about SWIM's safety, as he is a renegade wannabe chemist with no formal education and little respect for the delicate nature of chemistry.