Potassium sodium tartrate tetrahydrate, also known as Rochelle salt, is a double salt of Tartaric Acid first prepared by an apothecary, Pierre Seignette, of La Rochelle, France. Potassium Sodium Tartrate and monopotassium phosphate were the first materials discovered to exhibit piezoelectricity.This property led to its extensive use in "crystal" gramophone pick-ups, microphones and earpieces during the post-World War II consumer electronics boom of the mid-20th Century. Such transducers had an exceptionally high output with typical pick-up cartridge outputs as much as 2 volts or more. Rochelle salt is deliquescent so any transducers based on the material deteriorated if stored in damp conditions.
APPLICATIONS
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Food
Used as baking powder in food industry;
It can be used as a laxatives and food additives (E Numbers for E337);
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Medicine
It is used in medicine, reagent, mirror industry as reducing agent, the monitoring of the raw sugar in the food;
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Telecommunication
Widely used to produce telecommunication equipment such as crystal loudspeakers， crystal microphones and piezoelectric element;
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Industry
Used in chemical fertilizer industry as ADA desulfurizer.