DIY Kitty Crack: ultra-potent catnip extract

Step 11 Dry the toluene solution

To get the last little bit of water and other insoluble junk out of the toluene, we're going to dry it and pass it through a filter. Add a small amount of table salt to the toluene and stir it up really well. This helps to sequester water and dry the toluene. In a chemistry lab, you would use magnesium sulfate for this purpose.* If you can get hold of that, even better.

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Comments

[moep]

NOTE: Epsom Salt is magnesium sulfate! :)

[woertink]

It is but usually in the form of the hydrate. You need anhydrous magnesium sulfate in order to remove water.

[talbotron22]

Yeah, the epsom salt that you get at walgreens for soaking your feet (why do people do that anyway?) is magnesium sulfate heptahydrate. But if you bake it in the oven for a while you can drive off the water and get anhydrous MgSO4. Powder it and you'll have a pretty decent DIY drying agent.

[Grimarr]

Primarily, magnesium sulfate's inclusion in foot baths was that it reduced pruning caused by long periods of soaking in water. Apparently it also gets absorbed in small amounts and helps with inflammation.

[sqeeek]

I've had better results with smashing up lortab and bathing my feet in a solution of that.... Just kidding ;)

[kutz]

hooray for kitty crack! =3