Its not iSoBuTaNe! A theory for cause of "Medusa"

Thanks, @Myrrdin… I just hope it helps folks narrow it down for purposes of trace analysis. Now that they have a class and size of compounds to target, they can install the right chromatography columns and employ proper methods for extraction and/or chromatographic separation of analytes from the butane, as well as subsequent detection via triple-quad MS and concise software libraries of ion spectra for secondary/tertiary amines.

REMEDIATION
Water washing works well. So does proper media filtration.
I quickly wrote a potential gas phase butane / water bubbler system description in the private medusa group, which I can now copy here. I’ll also describe the correct media and approximate amounts necessary to clean up (and DRY) masses of freshly delivered butane and blends.


☆BUBBLER☆
A bubble column for vapor phase butane:
Run the filtered liquid butane from a tank, down into a heated floor-level assembly that is filled with pure DI water… I considered adding acid to salt the amine, but see *NO Acid… below
Something like a “Hochstrom” SS table-top Buchner on a heating pad, with a fine sintered SS disc as the membrane support, a hydrophobic 0.1μm pore PTFE membrane, and maybe a 36" tall column holding 30" of water over it, which is capped over the headspace with another hydrophobic PTFE membrane “Hochstrom” assembly, piped over to a bottom-up, high-capacity drying column… bottom ⅓rd filled with desiccant grade activated alumina beads, topped with good ol’ 13X.

Alternatively, you could sparge butane gas into water with a dip tube and diffuser, then run the vapor up, out, and through a 4Å molecular sieve bead drying column… Same concept, maybe easier to implement.

:warning:*NO Acid… Salt buildup would be horrible for such a thing! Even if it took a long time, it would eventually clog the membrane. :warning:


☆SPE☆ (Solid Phase Extraction)
The best solid media-based medusa & fast-crash remediation method so far is running all fresh LIQUID butane (and any blends with propane) through columns of Carbon Chemistry’s granular activated alumina (or Alumicel A for best performance), then 10Å (13X) molecular sieves in equal amounts by volume… That is, about a 12"L × 6"Φ spool of each media per 100 to 200lbs of butane.

Alumicel A is especially important for fast-crash issues… I.e., butane with higher concentrations of the offending organic amine.


☆SYSTEM HYGIENE☆
Regardless of the remediation method used, your BHO CLS MUST BE THOROUGHLY CLEANED, either by running clean solvent through it a few times and RE-washing the solvent, or a complete tear-down and clean-up.


☆Solvent Cylinder FILL FILTER☆
It is beneficial to ALWAYS filter your solvents as you charge them into your CLEAN system from the delivery cylinders, no matter how clean they claim to be. It’s relatively simple and safe to do this, so I always recommend it!

A few stainless parts:
2x male jic to male npt flare fittings and
2x female npt “bell” adapters up to 1" OR
A pair of expensive ‘hydraulic’ jump size 1" Fnpt to ?" Mflare adapters (these are hex bodied for easier wrench :wrench: use)
1x 1" npt × 2" length pipe nipple
Some large ss “tobacco” pipe screens
Also:
A roll of thick nickel-impregnated ptfe pipe tape
A bag of “Jumbo” size 100% cotton balls

Assembly:
*Clean the parts well with acetone and ethanol.
*Wrap both npt male ends of pipe nipple and flare adapters with ptfe tape.
*Insert a ss pipe screen or two into the larger opening of each bell adapter.
*Assemble one end with flare & bell adapter, using pipe wrench and crescent or 2nd pipe wrench as needed.
*Gently push up to 3 cotton balls into open end of pipe nipple; a spiral ‘flat’ side facing you for each.
Assemble remaining end of pipe nipple as should be obvious at this point.
*Etch arrows pointing :arrow_right: only one direction into the steel, and fill the marks with black crayon :crayon: or grease pencil. This is your flow direction.
*Affix the flare at the back end of the arrow to a short ptfe hose with ss braid armor and female flare ends. This hose will attach to your solvent cylinders’ fittings.
*Affix another hose of required length and fitting to the flare at the pointy end of the arrow. This hose attaches to your solvent distillation boiler.

:stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: And after all that, it is much simpler to just buy some inline refrigerant “core” dryers to use as filters. Bonus: These core dryers are made of mol-sieve, which pre-dries the solvent. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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