Solvent questions

[ZeroFries]

I have a few basic solvent questions. First of all, does anyone have a clear explaination of how solubility works?

For example, if you had 50mg codeine/caffeine mixed powder, and added 1 mL water, and somehow isolated the 1mL water, what would it contain (solubility of caffeine 22mg/mL, codeine much higher)? Is it a priority based system, or more of a first-come-first serve (whichever molecule binds to the water molecule first)?

Another example being, you have 1mL of water with 15mg caffeine 100mg codeine. 0.5mL of water evaporates; what are you left with in the remaining?

On a semi-unrelated note, would ethanol based rubbing alcohol be a good solvent? 95% ethanol and the rest appear to be just bittering agents (camphor, diethyl phthalate, diethyl benzyl benzoate, sucrose octaacetate).

 

[Kurrupt]

You may want to try ADD for more science based questions, just a suggestion. I'm interested to see answers to the first to questions too, and for the third question, what do you want to use the solvent for exactly?

 

[JamtasticX]

In your first question you're going to end up with codeine/caffiene/water. The molecules are not binding to the water, that would be creating a new substance, and likely unstable. It's just splitting the + and - parts of the salt in half, and then when water evaporates they get fused back together.

The second question, you'll be left with .5ml of water, 15mg of caffeine and 100mg codeine. Generally speaking when anything evaportates only that substance is evaporated, anything that is disolved in it with bind back together and remain, or juts remain. Unless you are evaporating at the boiling point of the drug, in which case you're turning it to a gas and it will leave the solution.

If you had ethanol based rubbing alcohol you'd be fine. Doesn't matter what alcohol you use if you evaporate it all off completely, however, of course ethanol would be far safer than methanol or even isopropyl.

 

[ZeroFries]

You may want to try ADD for more science based questions, just a suggestion. I'm interested to see answers to the first to questions too, and for the third question, what do you want to use the solvent for exactly?

I was using the ethanol to dissolve the caffeine and aspirin in AC&C tabs, then I dried the gunk left in the filter and did a standard CWE after that. Seemed to work really well, no caffeine, except I swear some of those bittering agents have some affect on enzymes because it was way stronger than normal (or I'm just not used to codeine without caffeine, or some codeine removed from boiling down or activated carbon)

Thanks for the ADD tip, I may do so if it doesn't get answered here.

In your first question you're going to end up with codeine/caffiene/water.

Yes I realize but what quantity of each? What I'm trying to say is at what point does water reach max saturation, and when it does would it take more of the substance with higher water solubility or what. Is it possible to calculate water's max saturation point to determine what quantity of each substance would theoretically be dissolved in the water?