Potassium tartrate, dipotassium tartrate or argol has formula K
2C
4H
4O
6. It is the
potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (from Neo-Latin ''kalium'') and atomic number19. Potassium is a silvery-white metal that is soft enough to be cut with a knife with little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmosph ...
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
of
tartaric acid
Tartaric acid is a white, crystalline organic acid that occurs naturally in many fruits, most notably in grapes, but also in bananas, tamarinds, and citrus. Its salt, potassium bitartrate, commonly known as cream of tartar, develops naturally ...
. It is often confused with
potassium bitartrate
Potassium bitartrate, also known as potassium hydrogen tartrate, with formula K C4 H5 O6, is a byproduct of winemaking. In cooking, it is known as cream of tartar. It is processed from the potassium acid salt of tartaric acid (a carboxylic ac ...
, also known as cream of tartar. As a
food additive, it shares the
E number E336 with potassium bitartrate.
Potassium bitartrate, also referred to as potassium acid tartrate or cream of tartar, is the potassium acid salt of l-( + )-tartaric acid. It is obtained as a byproduct of wine manufacture during the fermentation process. Approved by the FDA as a direct food substance, potassium bitartrate is used as an additive, stabilizer, pH control agent, antimicrobial agent, processing aid, or thickener in various food products. Potassium bitartrate has a long history of medical use as a laxative administered as a rectal suppository and is an approved third-class OTC drug in Japan.
Potassium bitartrate was one of active ingredients in Phexxi, a non-hormonal contraceptive agent that was approved by the FDA on May 2020.
Manufacturing
Potassium tartrate is produced by the reaction of
tartaric acid
Tartaric acid is a white, crystalline organic acid that occurs naturally in many fruits, most notably in grapes, but also in bananas, tamarinds, and citrus. Its salt, potassium bitartrate, commonly known as cream of tartar, develops naturally ...
with potassium sodium tartrate (
rochelle salt
Potassium sodium tartrate tetrahydrate, also known as Rochelle salt, is a double salt of tartaric acid first prepared (in about 1675) by an apothecary, Pierre Seignette, of La Rochelle, France. Potassium sodium tartrate and monopotassium phospha ...
), and
potassium sulfate
Potassium sulfate (US) or potassium sulphate (UK), also called sulphate of potash (SOP), arcanite, or archaically potash of sulfur, is the inorganic compound with formula K2SO4, a white water-soluble solid. It is commonly used in fertilizers, prov ...
, followed by filtration, purification, precipitation and drying.
Other compounds
Tartar emetic is produced when potassium tartrate is heated with
antimony trioxide. Tartar emetic causes intense nausea, prostration and vomiting by irritating the gastrointestinal mucosa.https://go.drugbank.com/drugs/DB11107
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Potassium Tartrate
Potassium compounds
Tartrates
Food acidity regulators
Food antioxidants
E-number additives