Extraction Metal tubes for extraction

[pop22]

Over and over again, I read: Don't use steel tubes only stainless steel. Yet not one shred of supporting evidence has been presented in anything i have read anywhere. First,Butane is NOT leeching anything from a steel pipe. Second, butane come is a STEEL can, so right there you've defeated the reasoning. Third, I'm willing to bet you consume ( unless you are drinking RO water, which is not all that healthy for you ) more metals, radon, arsenic, calcium, magnesium, etc etc, than you ever get from smoking BHO processed thru a steel tube. So if anyone has documented evidence that refutes my statement, I would love to see it. Otherwise, you'll never get me to trust a glass tube! you can't over pressurize a glass tube? hmmm, I just read right on here: https://www.autoflower.org/f14/beware-cheap-glass-tubes-21359.html

that it is possible. Enough material packed into the tube can, obviously, cause a pressure spike. However, butane in an open ended tube cannot create enough pressure to affect a steel pipe in anyway. I don't care how good your glass is, all it would take is a microscopic fracture to lead to eventual trouble. So unless I can see evidence that metal is being leached/eroded in a quantity that would matter ( I'd be more worried about that amount of butane that is all but impossible to remove, volume wise ), I'll stay away from glass tubes.
Also, has anyone considered the fact that glass is a great static electricity collector? Black powder comes in a steel can for a reason, it will disapate static electricity. But, DON'T invite me to your house, if you store your black powder in a glass jar....

 

[robwars]

Did you have a bad experience with glass or something? I never have had an issue using glass. :smokebuds:

 

[pop22]

Not with tubes for used for BHO but i have had a nasty experience with an object exploding in my face in a work environment. Once that happens, and you couldn't see for a few days, you tend to look at things a bit differently.... So which am I going to trust, metal or glass....

 

[cres]

316 is the only stainless that is food grade. Impurities can be leached from steel and thats is the reason they started coating cans with BPA, because the zinc was being leached. Now BPA is worse than zinc, I realize, but regardless steel will definitely corrode and begin leaching impurities. So how safe is it? or can be, is an unknown.

There is a reason us homebrewers use only 316 or copper. Anything else is considered unsafe for alcohol. I figure if it is unsafe for drinking, it has to be unsafe for smoking.

The general consensus between us mods is that steel is a poor choice.

 

[pop22]

Interesting. I would think copper would be even worse. And I'm only talking butane extraction

 

[cres]

Interesting. I would think copper would be even worse. And I'm only talking butane extraction

knowone said to use copper. copper is used in homebrew of booze or beer.

 

[A4]

I wouldn't use anything but 316 stainless for BHO extraction if I wasn't going to use glass.

The only reason copper was brought up is because it is the only other material widely recognized as safe for alcohol production. Alcohol being a solvent just as n-butane. I wouldn't consider it safe for BHO either.

I understand you are only talking about BHO but you have to consider that anything that is extracted in the process is going to be inhaled, which is the quickest was to get something into your blood stream other than intravenous. Have you ever looked at the steel piping that is sold at Lowes or Home Depot? Most are soaked in oil to prevent rust, some are painted and some are oil quenched in order to harden them. In all cases, the butane will extract the oil from the pipe that you are using.

The other problem with saying I would recommend using steel pipe is, there are so many different types of steel. You have black iron, alloy steel, black steel, carbon steel, iron steel, mild steel, galvanized steel, stainless steel and the list goes on. None of them are considered food grade except stainless and if it isn't food grade then I wouldn't use it.

I don't expect you to believe me but I would say this. Call up a reputable piping dealer or if you have a friend that works as a pipe fitter or boiler maker in a local around you area, call them and ask them. Tell them you are considering using a pipe to extract essential oils for aromatherapy and you want to know what would be the best piping to use in this case. Something that someone will be breathing on a regular basis. See what they say.

 

[pop22]

What i was looking for is someone to say what you just did. I've read many posts, without anyone giving reason. Too many just sounded like "don't do it because my third cousin's wife's best friend said so"...LOL! We both know there are a lot of "experts" and I'm a skeptic when I'm given nothing to support a statement. If your for or against something, at least tell me why! I actually know a bit about metals, I was a welder at one time ( jack of all trades.. ) I actually agree with you.