what would happen to rawhide steeped in water with salt of tartar
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I woould think it would still be brined rawhide.
Is another name for Pottassium Carbonate, what it would do I dont know, but here is a link to its properties.
http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/P5609.htm
Gerry
The US Dept of Agriculture has done extensive experiments with potash (Salt of Tartar - Potassium Chloride [Kcl]) in an effort to find a reasonable substitute for salt in the tanning process.
Their research shows that KCl is not only just as effective as salt, it is actually of more benefit to the environment and it suppresses archaebacteriums which can flourish in salt pickles.
Potassium Chloride is a bit more expensive than salt, but other than the price, there is no difference in the final leather product. I use KCl exclusively, and have for some time as a salt substitute.
I left out a paragraph:
Like Gerry says, Salt of Tarter is Potassium Carbonate, not Potassium chloride. I meant to say that you may be confusing the two. Potassium Carbonate is normally used as a drying agent. It may have some use in dehydration of a green hide, but is probably of no use in solution to replace salt. Potassium chloride will effectively replace salt in solutions and will work in pickles.