Titanitartrates and Allied Salts

Titanic hydroxide dissolves in a concentrated solution of tartaric acid, and alcohol precipitates from this solution the tartrate Ti(C₄H₄O₆)₂.4H₂O; whilst solutions, of alkali hydrogen tartrates dissolve the same hydroxide and form gelatinous substances of the composition 2M₂'O.2TiO₂.3C₄H₄O₅.xH₂O. The basic tartrate Ti₂O₃(C₄H₄O₆).7H₂O has also been obtained. The titanitartrates, as well as many other salts of complex acids formed by the combination of feebly acidic oxides with organic hydroxy-acids, have been studied by Henderson, Orr, and Whitehead, who record the previous preparation of titanicitrates, TiO(C₆H₆O₇M')₂, titanitartrates, TiO(C₄H₄O₆M')₂ and TiO:C₄H₃O₆M', and titanimucates, TiO:C₆H₇O₈M', and have obtained the following salts in a pure, crystallised state:

Sodium titanitartrate	TiO(C4H4O6Na)2.8H2O
Potassium titanitartrate	2TiO(C4H4O6K)2.9H2O
Ammonium titanitartrate	2TiO(C4H4O6NH4)2.7H2O
Barium titanitartrate	TiO(C4H4O6)2Ba.5H2O
Potassium titanicitrate	TiO(C6H6O7K)2.H2O
Potassium titanimucate	TiO:C6H7O8K.3H2O

All these salts are prepared by dissolving titanic hydroxide in a solution of the corresponding metal hydrogen salt of the hydroxy- acid. They are thus analogous to tartar emetic; and the constitutions of the complex acids may thus be represented:

Titanitartaric acid:
Titanicitric acid:
Titanimucic acid:

Since these acids contain the radicle TiO'', the prefix titanyl- is perhaps preferable to titani-. A peroxidised titanitartrate of the composition TiO₂.C₄H₄O₆.2C₄H₅O₆K.9H₂O has also been prepared.