"tech grade hexane"

MSDS Hexane.pdf - Torbot Group Inc.

60-70% hexane ~25-30% isohexane/methylcyclopentane ...

Read the msds that came with it in the mail and got to the last page. Said it contains benzene which is a known carcinogen. Is this solvent usable and will benzene evap with the etoh??

No stay away from benzene.

That's crap, no benzene! The tech grade at eBay actually is 'pure' hexane, as you can see from this Certificate of Analysis, it distills off completely at <165F,

http://sierrachemicalcompany.com/in...product_id=121&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hexane-5-Ga...077?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d946764d

Benzene's boiling point is 176.2F, so it's almost completely eliminated, but I strongly suggest only using Reagent Grade or better to get the benzene level down further.

If only the seller would have advertised that it had benzene before saying "great for MMJ extractions"..

Time to make a return and get the pharma grade

^ who said that??? down right evil mf'er!

Someone should start a MSDS-based religion, blind faith is built in.

Hexane is the most toxic alkane and inhalation unquestionably causes nerve damage to workers, but you're worried about ppb benzene. The MSDS is not a COA, and the MSDS for bottled water probably says the same. What isn't benzene in?

Benzene was found in all foods except American cheese and vanilla ice cream. Benzene levels ranged from 1 to 190 ppb, with the highest level found in fully cooked ground beef. Benzene was found in 12 samples of cooked ground beef, with an average of 40 ppb. Benzene levels above 100 ppb were also seen in at least one sample each of a cola (138 ppb), raw bananas (132 ppb), and cole slaw (102 ppb). This compares to a maximum contaminant level of 5 ppb set by the U.S. EPA for drinking water.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf0303159

That's proof that ice cream and processed cheese are healthy and preferred extraction solvents.

detaildevil said:

MSDS Hexane.pdf - Torbot Group Inc.

60-70% hexane ~25-30% isohexane/methylcyclopentane ...

Read the msds that came with it in the mail and got to the last page. Said it contains benzene which is a known carcinogen. Is this solvent usable and will benzene evap with the etoh??

Click to expand...

If the MSDS acknowledges that it contains benzene, I wouldn't use it.

We use a HPLC grade of Hexane, but sparingly, because Hexane it self can be converted by our livers to 2.5 Hexane Dione, a neurotoxin.

n-Pentane works for extraction and alchemy, is easier to purge, and isn't turned into a neurotoxin by our livers.

We get our reagent grades at the local American Scientific.

G.O. Joe said:

Someone should start a MSDS-based religion, blind faith is built in.

Hexane is the most toxic alkane and inhalation unquestionably causes nerve damage to workers, but you're worried about ppb benzene. The MSDS is not a COA, and the MSDS for bottled water probably says the same. What isn't benzene in?

Benzene was found in all foods except American cheese and vanilla ice cream. Benzene levels ranged from 1 to 190 ppb, with the highest level found in fully cooked ground beef. Benzene was found in 12 samples of cooked ground beef, with an average of 40 ppb. Benzene levels above 100 ppb were also seen in at least one sample each of a cola (138 ppb), raw bananas (132 ppb), and cole slaw (102 ppb). This compares to a maximum contaminant level of 5 ppb set by the U.S. EPA for drinking water.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf0303159

That's proof that ice cream and processed cheese are healthy and preferred extraction solvents.

Click to expand...

Would the benzene in the food analyzed come from pesticides? Is it naturally in foods or did humans add it through their processes.

The benzene in sodas became a news item later on, they said it's from benzoate preservative. Maybe the benzene in cole slaw comes from the shredding action - but I'd never eat cabbage or mayo, so I don't really care, or know much beyond that some of the chemicals they found must have an entirely natural origin. The authors mention chlorinated cleaner showing up in dairy products, and gave large differences between the min. and max. concentrations for some chemicals in multiple samples - but no explanation is provided.

If you smoke pot, you inhale benzene.

If a MSDS doesn't mention 10-10,000 ppb of benzene, that doesn't show that it's not there. A COA with a benzene specification does that.

If you used 100% benzene as the extraction solvent, on evaporation you'd be left with some ppm of benzene. But with adding ethanol and evaporating like the OP asked, you'd get rid of 99.99999% of that, wouldn't you? Repeating that again and again the benzene and yes, some of your terpenes would be undetectable. But let's say the hexane has 100 ppb benzene - your extract's solvent residue is 0.00001%, and 0.000001% of that is benzene. Now, add ethanol and evaporate 99.9999% of the volatiles. So, without a COA from the manufacturer on the MSDS, I'm saying the hexane is the problem and the benzene is like - oh, come on.

The winterization step has a bonus in removing residual benzene - dry ethanol forms a binary azeotrope which is 68% benzene, and there's a ternary azeotrope with water and ethanol, 74% benzene and 7% water. Both of these are low-boiling, 68 and 65C.

Thank you GO Joe for your insight.

It is from Sierra Chemicals in West Sac, ca. I will continue my research..

Now please notify excuse my ignorance, but is n-pentane as insoluble and effective as hexane?

MSDS are very helpful guidelines for people with questions willing to figure it out for themselves. To a certain degree we will be risking our lives and breaking our backs for our patients and consumers until we quit or take a break

The COA is right there on their hexane page, a pinch more than 100 ppb, 0.04 ml per liter. Winterize with ethanol and boil off 99.9% of it, and you'll lose at least 99.9% of the benzene and hexane in the extract - possibly all of it. Hexane also forms an azeotrope with ethanol - under vacuum or not, same as benzene.

detaildevil said:

MSDS are very helpful guidelines for people with questions willing to figure it out for themselves.

Click to expand...

That kind of thinking is what's wrong with the MMJ biz. Chemistry consultants who know cannabis should be fought over for their insight and so valued that even techs from as far away as Ditchweed City are well compensated for every minute of their time.

SkyHighLer said:

That's crap, no benzene! The tech grade at eBay actually is 'pure' hexane, as you can see from this Certificate of Analysis, it distills off completely at <165F,

http://sierrachemicalcompany.com/in...product_id=121&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hexane-5-Ga...077?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d946764d

Benzene's boiling point is 176.2F, so it's almost completely eliminated, but I strongly suggest only using Reagent Grade or better to get the benzene level down further.

Click to expand...

G.O. Joe said:

The COA is right there on their hexane page, a pinch more than 100 ppb, 0.04 ml per liter. Winterize with ethanol and boil off 99.9% of it, and you'll lose at least 99.9% of the benzene and hexane in the extract - possibly all of it. Hexane also forms an azeotrope with ethanol - under vacuum or not, same as benzene.



That kind of thinking is what's wrong with the MMJ biz. Chemistry consultants who know cannabis should be fought over for their insight and so valued that even techs from as far away as Ditchweed City are well compensated for every minute of their time.

Click to expand...

Sierra Chemical's hexane's Certificate of Analysis is what I linked you guys to... states 0.004% benzene.

0.004% divided by 100, and then times 1,000,000 is 40 ppm.


Reagent grade or better pentane's the way to go imo, but you can get a product that's almost all pentane with some hexane called low boiling point (~35-60C) petroleum ether for less moola... here's an example,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Petroleum-E...905?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a826f1bf9

"Petroleum Ether, A.C.S. Reagent, 500ml (16oz)
For Research & Development
Not for drug, clinical use in humans, for food or food additive use

Specifications:
Meets ACS Specifications
Boiling range 35 degrees - 60 degrees C Pass
Maximum limits of impurities
Color (A.P.H.A.) 10
Acidity Pass
Copper corrosion Pass
Doctor test Pass
Residue after evaporation 10ppm
Sulfur 5ppm
Benzene (GC) 2ppm

CAS: 8032-32-4"


As an interesting side note to the "Residue after evaporation 10 ppm" stated above, the best canned butanes I've tested are at about 6 ppm to 60 ppm of non-volatile residue.