u/LegitimateTrust1161

The tek I followed: https://youtu.be/fFdi3V69GI0?si=to6AA2MtnnX32BC9

did not include a water wash, but I see that most of you do it here. Is it necessary?

I used lye for the bark and medicinal benzinum for the extraction. Is there any chance that some lye could get into the crystals during the extraction, or should I not worry about that? The end product has a slight smell similar to the base solution.

If I need to do this wash, should I dissolve it in fresh benzine and then mix it with water?

This is what chatgpt says about it :

is a highly purified light petroleum solvent, similar to what is internationally called: • petroleum ether • light naphtha (highly refined grade)

It is used in medicine and households mainly for cleaning purposes.

What’s inside it

It is not a single chemical, but a mixture of light hydrocarbons, typically: • C5–C7 alkanes (like pentane, hexane, heptane isomers)

The exact composition depends on the refining process, but the key idea is: • very volatile (evaporates quickly) • non-polar solvent • highly purified to remove heavier, toxic fractions found in industrial fuels

What it is used for • Removing glue, grease, adhesive residues from skin • Cleaning sensitive surfaces • Sometimes used in pharmacies and cosmetics preparation (historically more common)