Kaliumhydrogentartrat

BeschreibungL (+)-Potassium hydrogen tartrate (also known as potassium bitartrate) is the potassiumacid salt of tartaric acid (a carboxylic acid). It is the byproduct during the winemaking process. It can be used in baking or as a cleaning solution. When mixed with an acidic liquid such as lemon juice or white vinegar, it can be made of a paste-like cleaning agent for metals or some other cleaning applications. It can also be used as a pH buffer component in chemistry. It has been recently shown that it is capable of treating breast cancer. 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.

OccurrencePotassium 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 , 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. To prevent crystals forming in homemade grape jam or jelly, fresh grape juice should be chilled overnight to promote crystallisation. The potassium bitartrate crystals are removed by filtering through two layers of cheesecloth. The filtered juice may then be made into jam or jelly. 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.

VerwendenLargely in baking powders; coloring metals, galvanic tinning of metals; reducer of CrO3 in mordants for wool.

synthetischepotassium bitartrate is mainly produced from the mother liquor of Seignette's salt. These decolorized, purified, and filtered solutions are acidified to pH 3.5 with hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. Since cream of tartar is sparingly soluble, it precipitates and is recovered by centrifugation, dried, and ground before being packaged as fine powder.