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What's the best procedure for making salicylic acid?
Is it possible to make salicylic acid from aspirin using pretty common household gear?
If not, what would be the procedure for deriving it from willow? and what kind of willow to use?
Would it be more cost effective to buy crystalline salicylic acid?
Bonus Question: What ppm would be good for using it as a facial cleanser and an anti-dandruff shampoo? or rather, what ppm would be bad?
If it matters, I've done a year of chemistry and a year of organic chemistry with labs. I sucked at the classes but rocked the labs like KISS at an assisted-living activity day.
If not, what would be the procedure for deriving it from willow? and what kind of willow to use?
Would it be more cost effective to buy crystalline salicylic acid?
Bonus Question: What ppm would be good for using it as a facial cleanser and an anti-dandruff shampoo? or rather, what ppm would be bad?
If it matters, I've done a year of chemistry and a year of organic chemistry with labs. I sucked at the classes but rocked the labs like KISS at an assisted-living activity day.
Comments
Best Answer 11 years ago
Yes, buying it is greener: ASA is made from SA anyway, so if you were to extract ASA from aspirin, then hydrolyze it to SA, you've wasted a lot of reagents and solvents for nothing. Good info for your app here:
personalformulator.com/wvss/product_info.php
Answer 11 years ago
And ya, I've made aspirin before in an organic chem lab. Absolutely horrific yield if I remember correctly. I think I got a 3% yield or worse. lol
10 years ago
Salicylic acid is the main ingredient in "Bar Keeper's Friend" and also most wood bleaches (Lowes, Home Depot, etc). It is obtainable in much larger quantities than what most people would think about making w/aspirin.
Reply 2 years ago
Caution, do not confuse oxalic acid in Barkeepers Friend with salicylic acid.
11 years ago
It's not going to be hard to obtain from Aspirin - but you've got the product to purify afterwards. Possible yes, but if you can buy it that would be easier.
The skin-destroying formulations for wart-removal are ~ 10% w/v, so you'd want much less than that or a short exposure.
DIY acid-peel?
L
Answer 11 years ago
Buying it would most definitely be easier.
Answer 11 years ago
It's a pretty-strong phenolic acid, but I didn't know it was in those things. Start it below 0.01% w/v and knock it up an order of magnitude at a time if you don't think it's enough?
L
Answer 11 years ago
Answer 11 years ago
Bi-carb' rather than peroxide I think. I didn't know the 'poo was that much, but I'm learning here...
L
Answer 11 years ago
Salicylic acid is pretty amazing stuff, and it helps with a lot of different skin conditions.
11 years ago
http://www.crscientific.com/article-aspirin.html
Answer 11 years ago