In the process where you reduce phenyl-2-nitropropene (P2NP) to amphetamine,
you can use aluminum foil, in quite a large scale, more so than the amphetamine you are making.
I know aluminum is part of the reaction, but is it consumed entirely or are there still aluminum residues remaining in the product?
If the product is not purified correctly, by simple acid/base extraction with lye, dilute phosphoric/sulfuric acid, and a nonpolar solvent like ether or hexane or naptha, then aluminum salts could still remain.
Worse, the aluminum process often uses
elemental mercury or its salts as a "starter" to amalgamate the surface of the aluminum foil and let it react... this is worse than aluminum.
Metal salts will usually precpiptate out (become a solid that does not dissolve) when they form hydroxides in alaklaine water environment. They won't dissolve in naptha or other non-polar solvents either. (amphetamine freebase willl dissolve just fine in non-polar, but not in water)
The way to purify it -
1. Dissolve in distilled water. Add lye until pH 11. Add some non-polar solvent, mix it well, take the solvent off the top & keep it in a new vessel. Leave the water & any precipitates.
2. Make some 20% acid (sulfuric, phosphoric) in water. Add it to your non-polar solvent and shake well.
3. Seperate the water out into a tray or something. Discard the solvent. Let the water evaporate, or gently warm it to help - it should turn into crystals and you have cleaned your speed up of any heavy metals.