Potassium bitartrate

Potassium bitartrate

Names
Other names potassium hydrogen tartrate cream of tartar potassium acid tartrate monopotassium tartrate
Identifiers
CAS Number	868-14-4
ChemSpider	12783
Jmol 3D image	Interactive graph
PubChem	13352
InChI InChI=1S/C4H6O6.K/c5-1(3(7)8)2(6)4(9)10;/h1-2,5-6H,(H,7,8)(H,9,10);/q;+1/p-1/t1-,2-;/m1./s1 Key: KYKNRZGSIGMXFH-ZVGUSBNCSA-M InChI=1/C4H6O6.K/c5-1(3(7)8)2(6)4(9)10;/h1-2,5-6H,(H,7,8)(H,9,10);/q;+1/p-1/t1-,2-;/m1./s1 Key: KYKNRZGSIGMXFH-APGVQJISBP
SMILES [C@@H]([C@H](C(=O)[O-])O)(C(=O)O)O.[K+]
Properties
Chemical formula	KC4H5O6
Molar mass	188.177
Appearance	white crystalline powder
Density	1.05 g/cm^3 (solid)
Solubility in water	0.37 g/100mL (20 °C) 6.1 g/100mL (100 °C)
Solubility	soluble in acid, alkali insoluble in acetic acid, alcohol
Refractive index (nD)	1.511
Pharmacology
ATC code	A12BA03 (WHO)
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references

Potassium bitartrate, also known as potassium hydrogen tartrate, with 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

Potassium bitartrate in an empty white wine bottle

Potassium bitartrate crystallizes in wine casks during the fermentation of grape juice, and can precipitate out of wine in bottles. The crystals (wine diamonds) will often form on the underside of a cork in wine-filled bottles that have been stored at temperatures below 10 °C (50 °F), and will seldom, if ever, dissolve naturally into the wine.

These crystals also precipitate out of fresh grape juice that has been chilled or allowed to stand for some time.^[1] To prevent crystals forming in homemade grape jam or jelly, the prerequisite fresh grape juice should be chilled overnight to promote crystallization. The potassium bitartrate crystals are removed by filtering through two layers of cheesecloth. The filtered juice may then be made into jam or jelly.^[2] In some cases they adhere to the side of the chilled container, making filtering unnecessary.

The crude form (known as beeswing) is collected and purified to produce the white, odorless, acidic powder used for many culinary and other household purposes.

Applications

In food

Folger's Golden Gate Cream Tartar, first half of 20th century

In food, potassium bitartrate is used for:

• Stabilizing egg whites, increasing their warmth tolerance and volume
• Stabilizing whipped cream, maintaining its texture and volume
• Anti-caking and thickening
• Preventing sugar syrups from crystallizing
• Reducing discoloration of boiled vegetables

Additionally it is used as a component of:

• Baking powder, as an acid ingredient to activate baking soda
• Sodium-free salt substitutes, in combination with potassium chloride

A similar acid salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate, can be confused with cream of tartar because of their common function as a component of baking powder.

Household use

Potassium bitartrate can be mixed with an acidic liquid such as lemon juice or white vinegar to make a paste-like cleaning agent for metals such as brass, aluminum or copper, or with water for other cleaning applications such as removing light stains from porcelain.^[3] This mixture is sometimes mistakenly made with vinegar and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), which actually react to neutralize each other, creating carbon dioxide and a sodium acetate solution.

Cream of tartar was often used in traditional dyeing where the complexing action of the tartrate ions were used to adjust the solubility and hydrolysis of mordant salts such as tin chloride and alum.

Cream of tartar, when mixed into a paste with hydrogen peroxide, can be used to clean rust from some hand tools, notably hand files. The paste is applied and allowed to set for a few hours and then washed off with a baking soda/water solution. Another rinse with water, a thorough drying and a thin application of oil will protect the file from further rusting.

In many households, one of the most common uses for cream of tartar is for homemade play dough.

Medicinal use

Cream of tartar has been used internally as a purgative. Use as a purgative is dangerous because an excess of potassium, or hyperkalemia, may occur.^[4]

Chemistry

Potassium bitartrate is NIST's primary reference standard for a pH buffer. Using an excess of the salt in water, a saturated solution is created with a pH of 3.557 at 25 °C (77 °F). Upon dissolution in acid, potassium bitartrate will dissociate into acid tartrate, tartrate, and potassium ions. Thus, a saturated solution creates a buffer with standard pH. Before use as a standard, it is recommended that the solution be filtered or decanted between 22 °C (72 °F) and 28 °C (82 °F).^[5] Potassium carbonate can be made by igniting cream of tartar producing "pearl ash". This process is now obsolete but produced a higher quality (reasonable purity) than "potash" extracted from wood or other plant ashes.

See also

• Tartrate
• Tartaric acid
• Potassium tartrate (K₂C₄H₄O₆)

References

Notes

1. Lloyds Vinyard FAQs
2. National Center for Home Food Preservation
3. Michigan State University Extension Home Maintenance And Repair - Homemade Cleaners - 01500631, 06/24/03
4. Daniel E. Rusyniak, Pamela J. Durant, James B. Mowry, Jo A. Johnson, Jayne A. Sanftleben, Joanne M. Smith (2013). "Life-Threatening Hyperkalemia from Cream of Tartar Ingestion". Journal of Medical Toxicology 9 (1): 79–81. doi:10.1007/s13181-012-0255-x. PMC 3570668. PMID 22926733.
5. Harris, Daniel C. (17 July 2006), Quantitative Chemical Analysis (7th ed.), New York: W. H. Freeman, ISBN 978-0-7167-7694-9

External links

• Description of Potassium Bitartrate at Monash Scientific
• Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for Potassium Bitartrate at Fisher Scientific
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Ward, Artemas (1911). The Grocer's Encyclopedia.