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Home › Miscellaneous Chemicals › Bitartrate of Potassa
Bitartrate of Potassa
This is well known under the name of cream of tartar, and is found deposited as a crust on the sides of the casks and vats used for the fersium. Mix thoroughly 8 ounces of dry ferrocyanide of potassium and 3 ounces dry carbonate of potassa; throw the mixture into a deep red-hot earthen crucible, the heat being sustained until effervescence ceases, and the fluid portion of the mass becomes colorless; after a few minutes' rest, to allow the contents mentation of grape juice. The deposit from to settle, the clear portion is poured from the white wine is white tartar; that from red heavy black sediment at the bottom on a wine is red tartar, or argol. It is purified by clean marble slab; and, while yet warm, broken up and placed in well-closed bottles. from sulphate of soda. The ashes of marine When pure, this salt is colorless and odorless, plants have been long an article of commerce, its crystals are cubic or octahedral, and are under the names of barilla, barilla ashes, kelp, anhydrous. If it effervesces with acids, it blanquette, &c., but the carbonate made from contains carbonate of potassa. If it be yellow, them is of a very impure description. That it contains iron. (Liebig.)