What Is a Diprotic Acid?

The main ingredient of tartar is tartaric acid in wine. When the temperature drops to a certain level, tartaric acid will appear in the form of crystals. The more ripe the grapes, the higher the proportion of tartaric acid. The reason is that the longer the grapes mature on the vine, the longer it takes for the minerals to be absorbed from the soil, and the more tartar will be produced when the minerals encounter tartaric acid.

English: tartar, wine stone

The wine crystal is called tartar. ^[1]

The shape of tartar crystals is not regular, and sometimes a little sticky, usually attached to the bottom of the bottle, the shoulder of the bottle, or the bottom of the cork.

1. The crystallization in wine is not a quality problem. It is not only harmless, but it will definitely occur during the fermentation and maturation of wine.

Many wineries in order to avoid the presence of tartar to affect the appearance of the wine, after several filtering treatment before bottling, but at the same time, some of the original flavor (taste) and aroma (fragrance) of the wine body will be filtered out. In Europe, the existence of tartar is generally accepted, and most people think that seeing tartar is a good thing because it represents a responsible attitude of the winemaker to the quality of his own wine, and does not hurt the wine because of some appearance Quality behavior. But in the United States and other places where wine awareness is relatively weak, customers are very taboo about tartar. ^[1]

Tartaric acid, an alpha-carboxylic acid, a diprotic acid, is found in many plants, such as grapes, bananas and tamarind, and is one of the main organic acids in wine. It is usually combined with baking soda to act as a flour leavening agent. As an antioxidant added to food, it can make food taste sour. Tartrate It is a dihydroxy derivative of succinic acid. Around 800 AD, the first tartaric acid was isolated from potassium tartaric acid by alchemist Jabil. The modern process was developed in 1769 by Swedish chemist Karl William Scheler. The discovery of chemical chirality played an important role in tartaric acid. Tartaric acid has two mutually symmetrical chiral carbons and has three optical isomers: L-tartaric acid, D-tartaric acid, and meso-tartaric acid. Among them, dartrate is the most common. ^[2]

Basic information on tartar

Chinese name tartaric acid

Chinese alias: 2,3-dihydroxysuccinic acid

English name: L-tartaric acid

English alias: D (-)-Tartaric acid; DL-Tartaric acid;

CAS number: 526-83-0

Molecular formula: C ₄ H ₆ O ₆

Molecular weight: 150.08700

Exact mass: 150.01600

PSA: 115.06000 ^[2]

Physical and chemical properties of tartar

Appearance and properties: white crystal

Density: 1.886g / cm ³

Boiling point: 399.3ºC at 760mmHg

Flash point: 209.4ºC ^[2]

Tartar First Aid Measures

Inhalation: If inhaled, remove patient to fresh air.

Skin contact: Remove contaminated clothing and rinse skin thoroughly with soap and water. Seek medical attention if you feel unwell.

Eye contact: Separate the eyelids and rinse with running water or saline. Seek medical attention immediately.

Ingestion: Rinse mouth and do not induce vomiting. Seek medical attention immediately.

Advice for protecting rescuers: Move patients to a safe place. Consult a doctor. Show this chemical safety data sheet to the doctor at the scene. ^[2]

Tartar fire protection measures

Extinguishing media: Extinguish with water spray, dry powder, foam or carbon dioxide. Avoid using DC water to extinguish the fire. DC water may cause the splash of flammable liquid and spread the fire.

Fire Fighting Precautions and Protective Measures: Firefighters must wear portable breathing apparatus, full-body fire protection clothing, and extinguish fire in the upwind direction. Move the container from the fire to the open space as much as possible. Containers in the fire must be evacuated immediately if they have changed colour or made a sound from a safety pressure relief device. Isolate the scene of the accident and prohibit unrelated personnel from entering. Contain and handle fire fighting water to prevent environmental pollution. ^[2]

Emergency treatment of tartar leakage

Protective measures for workers, protective equipment and emergency procedures: Emergency handlers are recommended to wear portable breathing apparatus, antistatic clothing, and rubber oil-resistant gloves. Do not touch or cross spillage. All equipment used during work should be grounded. Cut off the source of the leak if possible. Eliminate all ignition sources. The area affected by liquid flow, vapor, or dust diffusion is designated as a warning area, and irrelevant personnel are evacuated from the crosswind and upwind to the safe area.

Environmental protection measures: contain leaks and avoid polluting the environment. Prevent spills from entering sewers, surface water and groundwater.

Methods and materials for containment and cleaning up of spilled chemicals:

Small leaks: Collect leaking liquid in sealable containers if possible. Absorb with sand, activated carbon or other inert materials and transfer to a safe place. Do not rush into the sewer.

Large spills: build dikes or dig pits for containment. Close the drainage pipe. Cover with foam to suppress evaporation. Use explosion-proof pump to transfer to tanker or special collector, recycle or transport to waste disposal place for disposal. ^[2]

Handling and storage of tartar

Precautions for operation: The operators should be specially trained and strictly abide by the operation regulations. Operation and disposal should be carried out in a place with local ventilation or full ventilation ventilation facilities. Avoid contact with eyes and skin. Avoid breathing steam. Away from fire and heat sources, smoking is strictly prohibited in the workplace. Use explosion-proof ventilation systems and equipment. If canning is required, the flow rate should be controlled and a grounding device should be provided to prevent static electricity accumulation. Avoid contact with incompatible materials such as oxidants. Handle with care when handling to prevent damage to packaging and containers. Empty containers may be harmful residues. Wash hands after use and do not eat or drink in the workplace. Equipped with the corresponding variety and quantity of fire fighting equipment and leakage emergency treatment equipment.

Storage precautions: Store in a cool, ventilated warehouse. The storage temperature should not exceed 37 ° C. It should be stored separately from oxidants and edible chemicals. Keep container tightly closed. Keep away from fire and heat sources. The warehouse must be equipped with lightning protection equipment. The exhaust system shall be provided with a grounding device to conduct static electricity. Adopt explosion-proof lighting and ventilation settings. Never use spark-prone equipment and tools. The storage area should be equipped with spill emergency treatment equipment and suitable containment materials. ^[2]