All Methods at Ankhenaten Lab are disclosed with the intent of providing aid and direction to those who wish to learn. Each method has been tested and reproduced within the small group of alchemists associated with Ankhenaten Lab.

The information regarding methods is for research and enlightenment purposes only, and should not be attempted by persons without decent knowledge and understanding of Chemistry. We offer these methods to you for information only; any other use is at your own liability.

Please be careful and use safety equipment with all chemical processes.

A NaOH or KOH (hydroxide) solution appropriate for these uses can be made by dissolving a volume of NaOH or KOH dry material into a volume of Distilled Water 8X the volume of the dry hydroxide.

Remember when working with strong acid or base solutions as with these processes, to wear Protective Eyewear, and preferably Gloves and clothing protection. If any of the acid or base solutions contacts the skin, wash immediately and thoroughly.

There seems to be a large number of people who have concern with using HCl in the acid titration steps for processes such as these. Keep in mind that NaOH + HCl = NaCl (table salt) + H2O (water). When properly used HCl with NaOH leaves nothing but salt in the water. Vinegar however, may leave an associated flavor.

Salt Alchemy - Extraction of M-State Elements from Water Soluble Salts

Salt Alchemy, as we shall use it herein, pertains to the use of Salts as the starting material. The basic processes may be described in the following series of steps.

Dissolution - The source Salt must first be dissolved into solution. Since Salt is naturally soluble in water this phase is easy; simply dissolve an amount of Salt into an amount of distilled Water such that the solution is near saturation. The amount of salt in the solution may be increased by heating the salt to aid in its dissolution, but this really isn't recommended unless the salt is very low in M-state content, as determined from a prior run with as much salt as will dissolve at room temperature.
One may wish to filter the solution at this point, especially if there is apparent un-dissolved matter in the solution. Filtering can consist of anything from pouring through several coffee filters to a full sub-micron vacuum filtration depending upon how concerned you are about un-dissolved contaminates in the solution. I consider filtration optional for most good salts. Bokek brand Dead-Sea Salt, for example seldom appears to need filtration; Celtic Salt, however, can certainly use a few passes through some coffee filters.

Separation - Since this is an Extraction process, and not a Conversion process, as with Gold, disaggregation is not necessary., rather we must consider Separation. The Separation phase consists of separating out any Heavy Metals from the ORMUS containing solutions. However if Separation is utilized the Precipitation step must be adjusted accordingly.
To perform a separation we can take advantage of the fact that most Heavy Metals will precipitate out at a high pH above 12.0, and yet the M-state Elements will go back into solution at high pH.
Titrate upward with NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide) or KOH (Potassium Hydroxide) solution, stirring continuously, until the pH reaches and exceeds 12.0. Target about pH=12.5 as a good point to stop. A precipitate may, or may not form. Any apparent clouding of the solution indicates precipitate formation and it then becomes important to let the solution settle for at least 24 hours to completely allow the Heavy Metal components to settle out. If one proceeds through this step it is a good idea to do so anyway.
Once the solution has settled, decant off the clear top water solution very very carefully -- if there is noticeable precipitate one should lean to being conservative and it is best to leave clear top water behind than pour over any of the precipitate.

Precipitation - There are two different titrations which may need to be performed in this phase, depending upon whether one performed a Separation in the previous step.
If one did NOT perform a separation, the solution is just Salt and Water so we will be titrating with a basic solution, preferably NaOH or KOH solution. Titrate slowly upward while observing pH. Though several instructions on the internet recommend a target point of 10.78, this seems, at best, an arbitrary but probably safe value.
The proper way to perform the titration is to watch how much the pH changes as fixed amounts of the hydroxide solution is added, stirring continuously. A point will be reached where the pH will seem to not change at all as more and more hydroxide solution is added. This is normal, and may be referred to as a plateau. One's goal is to continue titrating through the plateau until the pH just begins to change sharply again, and then STOP. One needn't proceed any further, as it can be observed that all of the precipitation has occurred during the reactions which caused the plateau.
If one did perform a Separation per the description of the previous step, the solution is at pH 12+, so we will need to titrate downward with an acidic solution. One can use a diluted HCl (Hydrochloric Acid, or Muriatic Acid) solution or straight White Vinegar. Personally I recommend using HCl (32% HCl from Home Depot or a Pool Supply, diluted 1:2 with water), as the Vinegar taste often remains in solution.
This titration should proceed downward to about 7.5-8.0. The final stopping point is not critical, but again, one can closely watch the pH as more acid is added, and stop once the titration has proceeded beyond the plateau.

Second Separation and Wash - Once the Titration and Precipitation is complete. Transfer the solution to the desired container to allow the M-state precipitate to settle out. A tall narrow jar allows for easier decanting off the clear solution later, but any container will work. Allow the precipitate to settle at least four hours, though it has been observed that settling will continue for at least 24 hours or longer.
Decant, or carefully siphon off, the salty clear top water from the precipitate. Refill the container back up to the original level with fresh clean water of your choice. This needn't be distilled water, as our primary aim is to rinse the precipitate of the salt remaining in the solution.
Repeat the above wash a few times. The number can be as few as one wash, to as many as you like to reduce the salt. Some small amount of precipitate may, however, be lost in each wash, though the amount is insignificant.