Straining resin from the alcohol?

[Chris333]

There has to be a way to use some ultra fine mesh to strain the thick resin from the very thin alcohol.

Any ideas?

[AlwaysSolutions]

Are you looking to re-use the alcohol?  If so - I use the same type of filters that I use to drain the vat back into the bottles to clear out most of the gunk in the alcohol.  I suppose you could also use coffee filters for a finer mesh.  The alcohol will still be discolored but I've been re-using alcohol for months with no apparent ill effects on my initial clean tub.  Right now it's super muddy (switching from green to gray to black it gets real murky) so I need to clean it again.  I have two cleaning containers, one is pretty dirty, then a "clean" one for final rinse. I keep the alcohol in covered containers so they don't evaporate away.

[Mark W]

I noticed with the gray resin, it slowly separates and settles.  Perhaps after a week being completely undisturbed, then we can come back with the UV lamp and solidify the washed resin and re-use the IPA?  Might have to try that this week.

[Chris333]

The filters are the same ones that the resin goes right through, would only catch solids.

I tried curing the alcohol once and it just turned to jello.

I haven't tried freezing it yet though.

[narrowminded]

What strength alcohol are you guys using?  I wonder if the pigments and ?? are the solids that you're seeing and if so, is the remaining some sort of compound of the alcohol and ?? and maybe not able to be separated by filtering?  Really wondering, even with filtering removing solids, if there isn't some point when it's time to get rid of it and how you might know when that time is.  If nothing else, maybe an evaporation of a measured sample at some point and checking the volume of the remains would afford an indicator. If it's near a full evaporation maybe that's an indicator that it's still pretty effective as a solvent.   I'm really out of my realm on this.

[AlwaysSolutions]

What strength alcohol are you guys using? [...] Really wondering, even with filtering removing solids, if there isn't some point when it's time to get rid of it and how you might know when that time is.

I'm using crappy ole 91% that's available in just about any drug store.  I've been recycling it since I began using the Photon back in May, topping off as needed with no problems.  I do rinse with water after an alcohol bath and soak in the alcohol twice for good measure (I give it 15 mins a pop, but I haven't experimented up or down, 15 minutes just works for me).  When it fails to clear out uncured resin that will be time to do a complete recharge.  Haven't hit that point yet though..

[Chris333]

I'm  also using 91%, but have started using denatured alcohol as well.

[narrowminded]

I ordered a case of twelve 16 ounce bottles of 99% isopropyl alcohol.  I suspect I will use up to two washes much as you guys have described and then a spray bottle of fresh solvent held over one of the other washes to give a final wash.  Seems like the safest way to accomplish a reasonably assured cleaning.  I may find that I don't need such a concentration of alcohol and can add water if that proves to be true.

This seemed to be an acceptable price without going bonkers with a search.  They had 91% at a decent number too if I recall correctly.
https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Falls-Isopropyl-Antiseptic-Technical/dp/B0793KYR9W/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1543195370&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=99%25+isopropyl&psc=1

[peteski]

I ordered a case of twelve 16 ounce bottles of 99% isopropyl alcohol. 

I pick up 99% IPA in gallon cans at my local True Value hardware store. They have it in the paint solvents section.  If your hardware store doesn't have it in stock, then can special order it for you.

[narrowminded]

I pick up 99% IPA in gallon cans at my local True Value hardware store. They have it in the paint solvents section.  If your hardware store doesn't have it in stock, then can special order it for you.

I figured that but after contemplating it I thought that the 16 oz. bottles might be much more manageable and for that convenience I would be willing to spend a little extra.   But then I found that the price was even better than buying 1 gal. containers.  They were about $20 or more for a gallon and that case is about $20 for 1 1/2 gal.  With the convenience of the smaller individual bottles I looked no further.

[peteski]

I figured that but after contemplating it I thought that the 16 oz. bottles might be much more manageable and for that convenience I would be willing to spend a little extra.   But then I found that the price was even better than buying 1 gal. containers.  They were about $20 or more for a gallon and that case is about $20 for 1 1/2 gal.  With the convenience of the smaller individual bottles I looked no further.

Sounds  like you found a good deal. I just hope that it is not one of those too-good-to-be-true deals, and that what you are paying is really 99%.

[narrowminded]

Sounds  like you found a good deal. I just hope that it is not one of those too-good-to-be-true deals, and that what you are paying is really 99%.

I'll take a sip and let you know.  If you don't hear anything soon, watch the obituaries.

[Chris333]

I have some old alcohol in the freezer now.   

[SandyEggoJake]

@Chris333

Not sure what filters you have tried.  Different filters will show different flow rates and particulate capture. Of course, depending on the resin, it may elute as well, which sounds like what you are seeing. 

Best solution is actually not without serious flame risk.... distillation.  Isopropyl alcohol forms an azeotrope with water, which gives a boiling point of 80.37 °C (176.67 °F) and a composition of 87.7 wt% (91 vol%) isopropyl alcohol.  Of course the extreme requirement for safety and doing such without any open flame should go without  saying. 

Such a small still (hotplate, evap flask, water cooled condenser) will set you back about $200-300.  You can buy A LOT of fresh IPA before you hit the labor free break even.

BTW, anhydrous (99%) IPA is great stuff, but understand it pulls water from the air (or your skin, etc) until it reaches 91%. 

IPA also has an interesting separation feature in that it can be pulled from water with the addition of sodium chloride.  Would require some experimentation, but might be interesting to see if addition of saturated NON IODIZED salt (most Kosher salt isn't iodized) and minimal water draws the resin into the salt water layer, and then IPA can be drawn off the surface?  See https://psychonautwiki.org/wiki/Salt_out_IPA  Honestly, I suspect this resin in not very water soluble (especially in salt water) so don't get your hopes up too high...  but if might work... and if the cost is a little salt, what's the harm.

[peteski]

Is it worth all this effort?  To me using double bath (2 jars) would work well enough for quite some time without need for straining the resin out. When the first bath gets really contaminated, dump it and make the 2nd one the 1st bath, then use fresh IPA for the new 2nd bath.  Basically shift your jars.