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Overview
Potassium bitartrate (poe-TAS-ee-yum bye-TAR-trate) is a colorless crystalline or white powdery solid with a pleasant, slightly acidic taste. The compound is a by-product of the fermentation of grape juice and, as such, may have been known to humans for as long as seven thousand years. An article in the journal Nature reported some years ago that traces of the calcium salt of tartaric acid, a cousin of potassium bitartrate, was found in remnants of a pottery jar in northern Iran dating to about 7,000 BCE. Potassium bitartrate was used by ancient people in a wide range of household uses, from cooking and baking to cleaning. The true chemical nature of the substance long known as cream of tartar was determined in 1770 by the Swedish chemist Karl Wilhelm Scheele (1742–1786).
Key Facts
Other Names:
Potassium hydrogen tartrate; potassium acid tartrate; cream of tartar
Formula:
KHC4H4O6
Elements:
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This section contains 560 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) |
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