If the ephedrine or pseudoephedrine isn't already in pure powder form, then it must be separated from the tablets of cold medicine that contain it. To do this, the cold medicine tablets are mixed with a solvent and the solution is then filtered and exposed to low temperatures to separate and remove the inert material of the tablet.
The pure pseudoephedrine is then mixed with red phosphorus and hydriodic acid.
The red phosphorus is then filtered out (and later reused), and the remaining acid is neutralized by adding a lye solution.
A substance is added that will bind to the meth, and the liquid meth is then drained out.
Hydrogen chloride gas is bubbled through the liquid meth, making it a crystalline hydrochloride salt.
This is poured through a filter cloth, and the meth that is left on the filter is then dried.
Once dry, the meth is "stepped on" (mixed down with inert filler in order to maximize profits), weighed and packaged for shipment or sale.
This process generally takes about two days' time and can result in hundreds of thousands of methamphetamine doses.
1. 37% hydrochloric acid. One can try hardware store muriatic acid if it is 30% or better.
2. One will need 200ml of 70% nitric acid in order to make aqua regia.
3. About 3 kg of sodium or potassium nitrate. This is our oxidizer, and it is used at a 10:1 weight ratio with ammonium chloroplatinate (which we will make) It is also used to manufacture 70% nitric acid. Sodium nitrate is preferred, but only because this writer has used it extensively. Use the powdered form as it requires less grinding and seems to work better than the beaded form often found in university labs.
About 3 kg of ammonium chloride will be used. This common salt is used for metal preparation and making chilling solutions. It should not be difficult to find. Try the drugstore or pharmacy.