Bismuth (Bi), from the German word for white mass, wismuth, is a heavy metallic element that forms iridescent crystals. Its two primay uses are for white pigments and stomach and intestinal issues. It is found in significant quantities in Pepto Bismol as bismuth subsalicylate.

The metal can be extracted from Pepto Bismol rather easily, although large quantities of bismuth can be purchased rather cheap online. The tablets are far easier to work with than the liquid.

This is an easy at home reaction, but it takes time. Between foam and dissolving aluminum, it took me two full days to go from medicine to metal.

Begin by crushing about 250 tablets into a powder. Add hydrochloric acid and stir. Allow it to dissolve, then strain through a coffee filter. Expect plenty of foam and a lot of slow additions. Filtration will take several hours of slow pouring. You will be left with an opaque piss yellow liquid. I suggest at least two independent filtrations. At this point I decided to reduce the liquid on a stove top, which turned it a deep forest green and made my house smell like peppermint. In the future I may boil some down completely to see what colour it becomes. For the record, this is the colour that pepto will turn your stool.

Add aluminum foil to the solution, which will cause the bismuth to precipitate to the bottom. Add aluminum until it no longer dissolves. Remove any pieces left floating. Filter it again, rinse with water, then methanol (to remove any remaining salicylic acid). Allow to dry, then melt.

There is a video demonstrating this process on YouTube.