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Potassium tartrate
Encyclopedia
Potassium tartrate, dipotassium tartrate or argol has formula K2C4H4O6. It is the potassium
salt of tartaric acid
. It is often confused with potassium bitartrate
, also known as cream of tartar. As a food additive
, it shares the E number
E336 with potassium bitartrate.
. Tartar emetic causes intense nausea, prostration and vomiting by irritating the gastrointestinal mucosa. Potassium sodium tartrate
(Rochelle salt) is produced by heating together solutions of potassium hydrogen tartrate and sodium carbonate
.
Potassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
salt of tartaric acid
Tartaric acid
Tartaric acid is a white crystalline diprotic organic acid. It occurs naturally in many plants, particularly grapes, bananas, and tamarinds; is commonly combined with baking soda to function as a leavening agent in recipes, and is one of the main acids found in wine. It is added to other foods to...
. It is often confused with potassium bitartrate
Potassium bitartrate
Potassium hydrogen tartrate, also known as Potassium bitartrate, has formula KC4H5O6, is a byproduct of winemaking. In cooking it is known as cream of tartar. It is the potassium acid salt of tartaric acid, a carboxylic acid.-Occurrence:...
, also known as cream of tartar. As a food additive
Food additive
Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance its taste and appearance.Some additives have been used for centuries; for example, preserving food by pickling , salting, as with bacon, preserving sweets or using sulfur dioxide as in some wines...
, it shares the E number
E number
E numbers are number codes for food additives that have been assessed for use within the European Union . They are commonly found on food labels throughout the European Union. Safety assessment and approval are the responsibility of the European Food Safety Authority...
E336 with potassium bitartrate.
Other compounds
Tartar emetic is produced when potassium tartrate is heated with antimony trioxideAntimony trioxide
Antimony trioxide is the inorganic compound with the formula Sb2O3. It is the most important commercial compound of antimony. It is found in nature as the minerals valentinite and senarmontite...
. Tartar emetic causes intense nausea, prostration and vomiting by irritating the gastrointestinal mucosa. Potassium sodium tartrate
Potassium sodium tartrate
Potassium sodium tartrate is a double salt first prepared by an apothecary, Pierre Seignette, of La Rochelle, France. As a result the salt was known as Seignette's salt or Rochelle salt....
(Rochelle salt) is produced by heating together solutions of potassium hydrogen tartrate and sodium carbonate
Sodium carbonate
Sodium carbonate , Na2CO3 is a sodium salt of carbonic acid. It most commonly occurs as a crystalline heptahydrate, which readily effloresces to form a white powder, the monohydrate. Sodium carbonate is domestically well-known for its everyday use as a water softener. It can be extracted from the...
.