heroin

[Junk Editor]

From: rachamim18 at yahoo.com
Newsgroups: sci.chem
Subject: Re: How is heroin made?
Date: 13 Dec 2004 01:19:55 -0800
Message-ID: <1102929595.953777.230860 at z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>

to extract morphine you put the "pod putty" into a clean drum with the
appropriate amount of water. Raise the temp. until reaching optimum
temp. As the "pod putty" redissolves in the heated water more
impurities will float to the top. These are skimmed off and
discarded.At optimum temp. calcium hydroxide in the form of slaked lime
or a high lime content fertilizer is added to leech the alkaloids. the
lime converts the water insoluble morhine alkaloid into the water
soluble calcium morphenate. The other alkaloids do not react with the
calcium to form water soluble calcium salts as does morphine. codeine
is an alkaloid that is slightly water soluble and as such some residual
codeine will be carried over into the calcium morphenate in liquid. For
the most part, all other alkaloids will be carries over into the
sludge.

As the solution cools the morphine solution is scooped from the drum
and pured in small portions through a burlap rice or coffee sack used
as a filter. At times, liquid saponated cresol [Lysol] is added to the
solution to facilitate filtering. The morphine solution is pressed from
the filter/sacks upon finishing the pouring off in order to obtain as
much of the yield as possible.

the morphine solution is divided into enamel cooking pots and reheated,
but not boiled. Alkalinity is adjusted to pH 8.5 by adding ammonium
chloride powder to the solution. the pots are then allowed to cool.
Within 1 to 2 hours morphine base crashes [precipitates] out of the
solution and settles on the bottom of the pots.

the solution is again poured off through burlap filters. This time
chunks of morphine base will be left in the filters as the solution
filters through. The morphine base is removed from both the pot and the
filter cloth, wrapped in clean burlap and squeezed to dryness and then
sun dried. upon drying the crude morphine base is coffee colored and
coarse powdered. Depending on the set up it is either pressed into
blocks for transport to off site labs for further refinement or is left
as is to be refined on site.

This crude base is sometimes further refined into morphine
hydrochloride by dissolving in hot water and hydrochloric acid.
Activated charcoal [bone charcoal] is added and the solution is
reheated and then finally filtered. This filtering is repeated several
times and the solution is finally allowed to cool. As the solution
cools the morphine hydrochloride precipitates out of the solution and
settles onto the bottom of the vessel. This precipitate is trapped
[captured] via filtration. Again, it may be pressed into bricks for
transport or left as is for on site refinement.The process takes a full
day.

The next step is the conversion of the morphine base [or hcl.] to
heroin base. This step is simple and inexpensive and not altogether
time consuming only taking from 4 to 6 hours tops.

The morphine base [or hcl.] is thoroughly pulverized and placed into an
enamel cooking pot. A glacial acetic acid is added [usually acetic
anhydride] and a wet rag is placed over the top of the pot to act as a
crude gasket. Over the rag the pot's lid is placed firmly on the pot.
The lid is clamped firmly on [or tied on] and the pot is heated for 2
hours at a constant temp. of 85 degrees C. [185 F.]. The temp is
absolutely crucial. The pot must never be allowed to boil or it risks
exploding. During this heating the pot is periodically agitated by
tilting and swirling to ensure a total dissolution of the morphine.
After 2 hours the pot is cooled by letting stand and carefully opened.
The morphine has bonded with the the acid to form heroin acetate.

The next step is to refine the acetate to base. Water is added to the
heroin acetate which will be a thick, soup like mixture. this mixture
is stirred as the heroin acetate dissolves. Take a clean pot. Fill with
hot water and then add sodium carbonate in crystalline powder form
until dissolved thoroughly in the water.This  carbonate solution is
then added very slowly to the heroin solution until effervescence
ceases. This will precipitate the heroin base which is then filtered
and dried via steam bath. The heroin base will be tan colored and about
70% pure. this heroin base is either packed for transport to an off
site refining lab or left as is. this base is known as "Heroin # 2."

The next step is to refine it to a commercial product. In most parts of
the world that would simply be the brown heroin known as "Heroin # 3"
but in S.E. Asia they often refine it as much as possible to " Heroin #
4" which is a fine white powder and currently the best illicit heroin
in the world.

For # 3 the # 2 is mixed with hydrochloric acid, resulting in heroin
hydrochloride. # 3 is made for smoking so they usually add some
dilutents and adulterants towards that goal. For each kilogram of # 2 a
kilogram of caffeine is used. Optionally strychnine hcl. and/or quinine
hcl. are used as well. This wet paste is heated via a steam bath. A t
times upoon drying barbitone is added as a potentiator before
distribution.The dried product will be large lumps of granular dark
brown powder. This is usually crushed and put through a sieve so that
the yield resembles grains of rice. This is then distributed. it takes
8 hours for 1 person to refine 1 kilo of # 3.

# 4 is usually refined directly from acetate as opposed to the
intermediate base [# 2 ]. To the heroin acetate in the pot, add water
and stir thoroughly. Next add a small amount of chloroform and again
stir. This will dissolve all the colred impurities which will be left
in a red, greasy sludge that covers the bottom and side of the pot. The
aqueous layer is carefully poured off into a clean pot, leaving the red
sludge behind for discarding. In the clean pot activated charcoal is
stirred into the aquous solution and is then filtered to remove solid
impurities. The decolorizing and fiktering of the chloroform and
charcoal will leave a light yellow solution. the charcoal is repeatedly
applied until the liquid is colorless.

In a seperate container sodium carbonate in a crystalline powder is
added to hot water and dissolved. This added slowly to the heroin
solution until the effervescence ceases. This precipitates the heroin
base which is then filtered, then dried via steam bath. Upon drying the
powder should be very white. If not white the powder is redissolved in
diluted acid, treated as necessary with activated charcoal,
reprecipitated and dried. The ultimate purity and colr of the heroin
hcl. is dependant on the initial quality of the heroin base.

The heroin base is then dissolved in ethyl ether. Hydrochloric acid in
ethanol is added to the heroin mixture to convert the base to a slat
which then precipitates. The mixture becomes almost totally solid after
an hour. It is then filtered and the solids are collected onto a filter
paper. The clean filter paper is then wrapped around the crystals and
placed on wooden trays, usually over lime rock to dry. The yield is 85
to 95% pure heroin hcl. in a very fine, very white odorless powder.

For licit heroin, it is produced from opium or from the entire plant a
la the "Hungarian Method."