ON  THE  MANUFACTURE  OF  TARTARIC  ACID,  ETC.  327 
of  impure  bitartrate  of  potash  contained  in  crude  argol  or  crude 
tartar.  After  having  distilled  off  the  ammonia  or  volatile  am- 
moniacal  salts,  the  tartrate  of  lime,  or  tartrate  of  baryta,  or 
tartrate  of  strontia  formed,  is  to  be  separated,  and  the  solution 
containing  tartrate  of  potash  may  be  decomposed  with  nitrate  of 
soda,  as  hereafter  mentioned,  or  may  be  decomposed  with  either 
sulphate  of  lime,  or  chloride  of  calcium,  or  nitrate  of  lime,  or 
chloride  of  barium,  or  nitrate  of  baryta,  or  nitrate  of  strontia,  as 
to  be  after  mentioned.  The  decompostion  is  to  be  effected  in  the 
same  manner  as  tartrate  of  potash  is  now  decomposed  in  the 
manufacture  of  tartaric  acid  by  sulphate  of  lime  and  chloride  of 
calcium.  The  tartrate  of  lime,  or  tartrate  or  baryta,  or  tartrate 
of  strontia  thus  obtained,  is  separated  from  the  salts  of  potash 
produced,  and  may  be  decomposed  with  sulphuric  acid^  as  is  now 
done  in  the  manufacture  of  tartaric  acid  from  tartrate  of  lime, 
and  the  solution,  containing  the  potash  salts,  either  sulphate  or 
nitrate  of  potash,  or  chloride  of  potassium,  be  evaporated  and 
crystallized.  The  apparatus  and  vessels  now  employed  in  manu- 
facturing citric  or  tartaric  acids,  or  in  manufacturing  sulphate  of 
ammonia  and  ammonia,  also  employed  in  saltpetre  refineries, 
are  applicable  to  the  processes  described. 
Dr.  Price's  further  improvements  in  the  manufacture  of  tar- 
taric acid  consists  in  combining  bitartrate  of  potash  existing  in 
crude  argols,  crude  tartar,  and  impure  bitartrate  of  potash,  with 
potash  or  soda,  and  in  decomposing  the  tartrate  of  potash  and 
tartrate  of  potash  and  soda  with  salts  of  lime,  baryta,  or  strontia. 
Having  placed  impure  bitartrate  of  potash  in  a  suitable  vessel, 
it  is  first  neutralized  with  a  solution  of  sulphide  of  potassium  or 
sulphides  of  potassium,  and  after  separating  the  insoluble  impu- 
rities, the  solution  is  placed  in  a  convenient  vessel  and  decomposed 
with  either  sulphate  of  lime  or  chloride  of  calcium,  or  chloride  of 
barium,  or  nitrate  of  baryta,  or  nitrate  of  lime,  or  nitrate  of 
strontia,  in  a  similar  manner  and  in  similar  apparatus  to  that  in 
which  tartrate  of  potash  is  now  decomposed  with  sulphate  of  lime 
or  chloride  of  calcium.  With  the  exception  of  sulphate  of  lime, 
the  baryta,  strontia,  and  lime  salts  may  be  added  in  solution  or 
otherwise  in  about  the  following  proportions,  by  weight,  viz.,  208 
parts  of  chloride  of  barium,  or  160  parts  of  chloride  of  strontium, 
or  112  parts  of  chloride  of  calcium,  or  166  parts  of  nitrate  of 
