I read on the net that to extract caffeine from coffee beans you use a series of chemicals the first of which is hydrochloric acid (i am aware of other methods used in the actual industry)..........
my first question is what does the hydrochloric acid do?
second one is why doesn't it damage the caffeine as well, surely it must be reacting with all the substances?
As a part time learner I am also interested in the general processes to be encountered in chemistry, to refine something a chemist can go through a series of acids and bases, mix other substances at various yet specific points and then eventually reach the intended outcome. Anyone wishing to comment on how this works, how it doesn't damage (or does) the thing you are trying to extract and if what you are actually creating is something new that happens to be the intended result?
general comments on this side of chemistry welcome to an interested learner.....