Information about Matches
A match is a consumable tool for lighting a fire under controlled circumstances on demand. Matches are readily available, being sold in tobacconists and other shops. Matches are rarely sold singly; they are sold in multiples, packaged in match boxes or matchbooks. A match is typically a wooden stick (usually sold in match boxes) or stiff paper stick (usually sold in matchbooks) coated at one end (the match head) with a material often containing the element phosphorus, which will ignite from the heat of friction if rubbed ("struck") against a suitable surface.[1]
There are two main types of matches: safety matches, which can be struck only against a specially prepared surface; and strike-anywhere matches, for which any sufficiently rough surface can be used.
Match-type compositions may also be used to produce electric matches, which are fired electrically. These items do not rely on the heat of friction..
Historically, the term match referred to lengths of cord, or later cambric, impregnated with chemicals, and allowed to burn continuously.[1] These were used to light fires and set off guns and cannons. Such matches were characterised by their burning speed, e.g. quick match and slow match; depending on their formulation, they could provide burning rates of between, typically, 4 milliseconds and 15 seconds per centimetre.
The modern equivalent of this sort of match is the simple fuse, still used in pyrotechnics to obtain a controlled time delay before ignition. The original meaning of the word still persists in some pyrotechnics terms, such as black match (a black powder–impregnated fuse) and Bengal match (a firework producing a relatively long-burning, coloured flame). But, when friction matches were developed, they became the main object meant by the term.
The first modern, self-igniting match was invented in 1805 by K. Chancel, assistant to Professor Louis Jacques Thénard of Paris. The head of the match consisted of a mixture of potassium chlorate, sulfur, sugar, and rubber. They were ignited by dipping the tip of the match in a small asbestos bottle filled with sulfuric acid. This kind of match was quite expensive and its usage was dangerous, so Chancel's matches never gained much popularity.
The first "friction match" was invented by English chemist John Walker in 1827. Early work had been done by Robert Boyle in the 1680s with phosphorus and sulfur, but his efforts had not produced useful results. Walker discovered a mixture of antimony(III) sulfide, potassium chlorate, gum, and starch could be ignited by striking against any rough surface. Walker called the matches congreves, but the process was patented by Samuel Jones and the matches were sold as lucifers. The early matches had a number of problems - the flame was unsteady and the initial reaction was disconcertingly violent; additionally, the odor produced by the burning match was unpleasant. It is described as a firework odor. Despite these problems, the new matches were responsible for a marked increase in the number of smokers . Lucifers reportedly could ignite explosively, sometimes throwing sparks at a considerable distance.
In 1830, Frenchman Charles Sauria added white phosphorus to remove the odor. These new matches had to be kept in an airtight box but were popular. Unfortunately, those involved in the manufacture of the new matches were afflicted with phossy-jaw and other bone disorders, and there was enough white phosphorus in one pack to kill a person. There was a vociferous campaign to ban these matches once the dangers became known.
The search for a replacement for white phosphorus led to what was known as the safety match. However, this term is now confusing as it covers both the modern safety match and the modern strike anywhere match. These two different types of matches are discussed separately below.
Both of these types of matches were more expensive to make than white phosphorus-based matches, and customers continued to buy white-phosphorus based matches. Laws prohibiting the use of white phosphorus in matches generally had to be passed before these safer types of matches came into widespread usage. Finland banned white-phosphorus based matches in 1872; Denmark in 1874; Sweden in 1879; Switzerland in 1881 and Netherlands in 1901.
An agreement, the Berne Convention, was reached at Berne, Switzerland, in 1906 to prohibit the use of white phosphorus in matches. This required each country to pass laws prohibiting the use of white phosphorus in matches. Great Britain passed a law in 1908 prohibiting its use in matches after 31 December 1910. The United States did not pass a law, but instead placed a punitive tax on white-phosphorus based matches in 1913. India and Japan banned them in 1919; and China in 1925.
The safety match was invented in 1844 by the Swede Gustaf Erik Pasch and was improved by John Edvard Lundström a decade later.
Their safety is due to the separation of the combustible ingredients between the match head and a special striking surface, and the replacement of white phosphorus with red phosphorus. The striking surface is composed of powdered glass and red phosphorus, and the match head is composed of antimony(III) sulfide and potassium chlorate. The act of striking converts some of the red phosphorus to white by friction heat. The small amount of white phosphorus then ignites, and this starts the combustion of the match head.
The Lundström brothers - John Edvard and Carl Frans - had obtained a sample of red phosphorus from Arthur Albright at The Great Exhibition, held at The Crystal Palace in 1851, and made safety matches with it.[4] They misplaced the matches and did not try them until just before the Paris Exhibition of 1855. They were still usable.[4]
The Swedes long held a virtual world-wide monopoly on safety matches, with the industry mainly situated in Jönköping.[4] They sold their French safety match patent to Coigent père & Fils of Lyon, but Coigent contested the payment in the French courts, on the basis that the invention was known in Vienna before the Lundström brothers patented it.[4] The British match manufacturer Bryant and May visited Jönköping in 1858 to try to obtain a supply of safety matches but were unsuccessful. In 1862 they set up their own factory and bought the rights for the British safety match patent from the Lundström brothers.[4]
Safety matches are classed as dangerous goods, U.N. 1994, and are not forbidden on aircraft, but must be declared as dangerous goods.
In 1901 Albright and Wilson started making phosphorus sesquisulfide at their Niagara Falls plant for the U.S. market, but American manufacturers continued to use white phosphorus based matches.[4] The Niagara Falls plant stopped making it until 1910, when the United States Congress forbade the shipment of white phosphorus matches in interstate commerce.[4] At the same time the largest producer of matches in the USA granted free use, in the USA, of its phosphorus sesquisulfide safety match patents.[4] In 1913 Albright and Wilson also started making red phosphorus at Niagara Falls.[4]
Strike-anywhere matches are classed as dangerous goods, U.N. 1331, and are forbidden on aircraft.
Bengal matches are small hand-held fireworks akin to sparklers. They are similar to storm matches in form but include compounds of strontium or barium in the compound on the stick to produce a red or green flame respectively.
The development of a specialised matchbook with both matches and a striking surface did not occur until the 1890s with the American Joshua Pusey, who later sold his patent to the Diamond Match Company. The Diamond Match Company was later bought by Bryant and May.
The hobby of collecting match-related items, such as matchcovers and matchbox labels, is called phillumeny.
Mucus is a slippery secretion of the lining of the mucous membranes in the body.
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There are two main types of matches: safety matches, which can be struck only against a specially prepared surface; and strike-anywhere matches, for which any sufficiently rough surface can be used.
Match-type compositions may also be used to produce electric matches, which are fired electrically. These items do not rely on the heat of friction..
History of the term match
match: 1350–1400; Middle English macche (wick) < Middle French meiche, Old French mesche < Vulgar Latin *mesca (lamp wick), metathetic variant of Latin myxa < Greek mýxa, μυχα, (mucus, nostril, nozzle of a lamp)[2]Historically, the term match referred to lengths of cord, or later cambric, impregnated with chemicals, and allowed to burn continuously.[1] These were used to light fires and set off guns and cannons. Such matches were characterised by their burning speed, e.g. quick match and slow match; depending on their formulation, they could provide burning rates of between, typically, 4 milliseconds and 15 seconds per centimetre.
The modern equivalent of this sort of match is the simple fuse, still used in pyrotechnics to obtain a controlled time delay before ignition. The original meaning of the word still persists in some pyrotechnics terms, such as black match (a black powder–impregnated fuse) and Bengal match (a firework producing a relatively long-burning, coloured flame). But, when friction matches were developed, they became the main object meant by the term.
History of the modern match
A predecessor of the match, small sticks of pinewood impregnated with sulfur, was developed in Egypt in 3500 B.C..The first modern, self-igniting match was invented in 1805 by K. Chancel, assistant to Professor Louis Jacques Thénard of Paris. The head of the match consisted of a mixture of potassium chlorate, sulfur, sugar, and rubber. They were ignited by dipping the tip of the match in a small asbestos bottle filled with sulfuric acid. This kind of match was quite expensive and its usage was dangerous, so Chancel's matches never gained much popularity.
Friction matches
)
Ignition of a match
In 1830, Frenchman Charles Sauria added white phosphorus to remove the odor. These new matches had to be kept in an airtight box but were popular. Unfortunately, those involved in the manufacture of the new matches were afflicted with phossy-jaw and other bone disorders, and there was enough white phosphorus in one pack to kill a person. There was a vociferous campaign to ban these matches once the dangers became known.
Noiseless matches
The noiseless match was invented in 1836 by the Hungarian János Irinyi, who was a student of chemistry. In 1836 an unsuccessful experiment by his professor, Meissner, gave Irinyi the idea to replace potassium chlorate with lead dioxide in the head of the phosphorus match.[3] He liquefied phosphorus in warm water and shook it in a glass foil, until it became granulated. He mixed the phosphorus with lead and gum arabic, poured the paste-like mass into a jar, and dipped the pine sticks into the mixture and let them dry. When he tried them that evening, all of them lit evenly. Irinyi thus invented the noiseless safety match and sold the invention to István Rómer, a match manufacturer. Rómer, a rich Hungarian pharmacist living in Vienna, bought the invention and production rights from Irinyi, the poor student, for 60 forints. The production of matches was now fully underway. István Rómer became rich off Irinyi's invention, and Irinyi himself died poor and abandoned in Vértes.Reformulation to remove white phosphorus
The early matches, including the Noiseless match, were dangerous to both the users and the people making them. This was due to the use of white phosphorus.The search for a replacement for white phosphorus led to what was known as the safety match. However, this term is now confusing as it covers both the modern safety match and the modern strike anywhere match. These two different types of matches are discussed separately below.
Both of these types of matches were more expensive to make than white phosphorus-based matches, and customers continued to buy white-phosphorus based matches. Laws prohibiting the use of white phosphorus in matches generally had to be passed before these safer types of matches came into widespread usage. Finland banned white-phosphorus based matches in 1872; Denmark in 1874; Sweden in 1879; Switzerland in 1881 and Netherlands in 1901.
An agreement, the Berne Convention, was reached at Berne, Switzerland, in 1906 to prohibit the use of white phosphorus in matches. This required each country to pass laws prohibiting the use of white phosphorus in matches. Great Britain passed a law in 1908 prohibiting its use in matches after 31 December 1910. The United States did not pass a law, but instead placed a punitive tax on white-phosphorus based matches in 1913. India and Japan banned them in 1919; and China in 1925.
Safety matches
)
Household safety matches, including one burnt match
The safety match was invented in 1844 by the Swede Gustaf Erik Pasch and was improved by John Edvard Lundström a decade later.
Their safety is due to the separation of the combustible ingredients between the match head and a special striking surface, and the replacement of white phosphorus with red phosphorus. The striking surface is composed of powdered glass and red phosphorus, and the match head is composed of antimony(III) sulfide and potassium chlorate. The act of striking converts some of the red phosphorus to white by friction heat. The small amount of white phosphorus then ignites, and this starts the combustion of the match head.
)
A box of safety matches, some of which are greatly prized by phillumenists
The Swedes long held a virtual world-wide monopoly on safety matches, with the industry mainly situated in Jönköping.[4] They sold their French safety match patent to Coigent père & Fils of Lyon, but Coigent contested the payment in the French courts, on the basis that the invention was known in Vienna before the Lundström brothers patented it.[4] The British match manufacturer Bryant and May visited Jönköping in 1858 to try to obtain a supply of safety matches but were unsuccessful. In 1862 they set up their own factory and bought the rights for the British safety match patent from the Lundström brothers.[4]
Safety matches are classed as dangerous goods, U.N. 1994, and are not forbidden on aircraft, but must be declared as dangerous goods.
Strike-anywhere matches
Two French chemists, Savene and Cahen, developed a safety match using phosphorus sesquisulfide. They proved that phosphorus sesquisulfide was not poisonous, that it could be used in a "strike anywhere" match and that the match heads were not explosive.[4] They patented a safety match composition in 1898 based on phosphorus sesquisulfide and potassium chlorate.[4] Albright and Wilson developed a safe means of making commercial quantities of phosphorus sesquisulfide in the United Kingdom in 1899 and started selling it to match makers.[4]In 1901 Albright and Wilson started making phosphorus sesquisulfide at their Niagara Falls plant for the U.S. market, but American manufacturers continued to use white phosphorus based matches.[4] The Niagara Falls plant stopped making it until 1910, when the United States Congress forbade the shipment of white phosphorus matches in interstate commerce.[4] At the same time the largest producer of matches in the USA granted free use, in the USA, of its phosphorus sesquisulfide safety match patents.[4] In 1913 Albright and Wilson also started making red phosphorus at Niagara Falls.[4]
Strike-anywhere matches are classed as dangerous goods, U.N. 1331, and are forbidden on aircraft.
Special purpose matches
Storm matches (also known as lifeboat matches or flare matches), a component of many a survival kit, have a strikeable tip like a normal match but much of the remainder of the stick is coated with a combustible compound which will keep burning even in a strong wind. They have a wax coating to make them waterproof.Bengal matches are small hand-held fireworks akin to sparklers. They are similar to storm matches in form but include compounds of strontium or barium in the compound on the stick to produce a red or green flame respectively.
Matchbooks
)
A juvenile Smokey Bear warns about forest fires
The hobby of collecting match-related items, such as matchcovers and matchbox labels, is called phillumeny.
Fires due to lit matches
- The Cocoanut Grove was a nightclub in Boston, Massachusetts. On November 28 1942, the nightclub burned in what remains the deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history, killing 492 people and injuring hundreds more. An artificial palm tree caught fire when 16-year-old busboy Stanley Tomaszewski struck a match for illumination while changing a light bulb. The case was reopened in 1997, and it was determined that the flash fire was accelerated by methyl chloride leaking from a faulty refrigerator near the Melody Lounge.
- The King's Cross fire was a devastating underground fire in London on 18 November 1987 which killed 31 people. It was caused by rubbish and grease beneath wooden escalators being ignited, probably by a discarded match.
Notes
References
- Beaver, Patrick, (1985). The Match Makers: The story of Bryant & May. London: Henry Melland Limited. ISBN 0-907929-11-7.
- Emsley, John, (2000). The Shocking History of Phosphorus: A biography of the Devil's element. Basingstoke: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-333-76638-5.
- Threlfall, Richard E., (1951). The story of 100 years of Phosphorus making: 1851 - 1951. Oldbury: Albright & Wilson Ltd.
- Oxford (1999). Concise Oxford Dictionary. Tenth Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Steele, H. Thomas (1987). Close Cover Before Striking: The Golden Age of Matchbook Art. Abeville Press.
See also
- Ivar Kreuger
- Lighter
- London matchgirls strike of 1888
- Permanent Match
- Phossy-jaw
- The Little Match Girl, a Danish fairy tale related to matches
- Vesta case
External links
- History of Chemical Matches. Chemistry.about.com.
- The History of Matches. Inventors.about.com.
- History of matchbooks. Matchcovers.com/first100.htm.
- The Rathkamp Matchcover Society. Matchcover.org.
- A site demonstrating jet propulsion using matches and foil
tool or device is a piece of equipment which typically provides a mechanical advantage in accomplishing a physical task, or provides an ability that is not naturally available to the user of a tool. The most basic tools are simple machines.
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Fire is an oxidation process that releases energy in varying intensities in the form of light (with wavelengths also outside the visual spectrum) and heat and often creates smoke. It is commonly used to describe either a fuel in a state of combustion (e.g.
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A tobacconist is an expert dealer in tobacco and the related accouterments.
Tobacco accouterments include pipes, pipe holders, pipe lighters, pipe reamers, pipe cleaners, pipe tampers, pipe pokers, pipe ashtrays, cigar bits, cigar cutters, cigar lighters, cigar holders,
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Tobacco accouterments include pipes, pipe holders, pipe lighters, pipe reamers, pipe cleaners, pipe tampers, pipe pokers, pipe ashtrays, cigar bits, cigar cutters, cigar lighters, cigar holders,
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The WOOD callsign may refer to:
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Paper is thin material used for writing upon, printing upon or packaging, produced by the amalgamation of fibres, typically vegetable fibers composed of cellulose, which are subsequently held together by hydrogen bonding.
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5, 4
(mildly acidic oxide)
Electronegativity 2.19 (Pauling scale)
Ionization energies
(more) 1st: 1011.8 kJmol−1
2nd: 1907 kJmol−1
3rd: 2914.1 kJmol−1
Atomic radius 100 pm
Atomic radius (calc.
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(mildly acidic oxide)
Electronegativity 2.19 (Pauling scale)
Ionization energies
(more) 1st: 1011.8 kJmol−1
2nd: 1907 kJmol−1
3rd: 2914.1 kJmol−1
Atomic radius 100 pm
Atomic radius (calc.
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Friction is the force of two surfaces in contact. It is not a fundamental force, as it is derived from electromagnetic forces between atoms. When contacting surfaces move relative to each other, the friction between the two objects converts kinetic energy into thermal energy, or
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In pyrotechnics, an electric match is a device to ignite the end of a fuse under control of an externally applied electrical current. They are widely used in professional fireworks displays to control firing from a panel of manually operated switches, or from a computer interface.
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Middle English}}}
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Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of 1066
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Middle English is the name given by historical linguistics to the diverse forms of the English language spoken between the Norman invasion of 1066
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A candle wick is a wick specifically adapted for use in a candle. A candle wick works by providing a mechanism, known as capillary action, to transport the fuel, typically melted candle wax, to the flame. When the liquid fuel reaches the flame it then vaporizes and burns.
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Middle French (French: le moyen français) is a historical division of the French language which covers the period from (roughly) 1340 to 1611 [1].
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Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories corresponding roughly to the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from around 1000 to 1300.
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Vulgar Latin (in Latin, sermo vulgaris, "common speech") is a blanket term covering the vernacular dialects and sociolects of the Latin language until those dialects, diverging still further, evolved into the early Romance languages — a distinction usually made
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oil lamp is a simple vessel used to produce light continuously for a period of time from a fuel source. The history of oil lamps extends for about 10,000 years, from prehistory to as late as the 19th century, or even until now in some rural remote communities.
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Metathesis (pronounced "mə-'tæ-thə-sis") is a sound change that alters the order of phonemes in a word. The most common instance of metathesis is the reversal of the order of two adjacent phonemes.
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Latin}}}
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
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Official language of: Greece
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Writing system: Greek alphabet
Official status
Official language of: Greece
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highly specialized aspect of its associated subject.
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Mucus is a slippery secretion of the lining of the mucous membranes in the body.
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nostril (or naris, pl. nares) is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbinates, whose function is to warm air on inhalation and
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A nozzle is a mechanical device designed to control the characteristics of a fluid flow as it exits (or enters) an enclosed chamber or pipe.
A nozzle is often a pipe or tube of varying cross sectional area, and it can be used to direct or modify the flow of a fluid (liquid
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A nozzle is often a pipe or tube of varying cross sectional area, and it can be used to direct or modify the flow of a fluid (liquid
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rope (IPA: /rəʊp/) is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength (i.e.
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Cambric is a lightweight cotton cloth used as fabric for lace and needlework. Cambric, also known as batist in a large part of the world, was invented by Jean-Baptiste CambraiFrance, which gave the fabric its name, as early as 1595; It is a closely woven, firm fabric with a
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gun is a common name given to an object that fires high-velocity projectiles. The projectile is fired through a hollow tube known as the gun's barrel. The projectile's caliber is usually designated in fractions of an inch or in millimeters.
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cannon is any large tubular firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a long distance. They were first used in China, and were the archetypal form of artillery. The first cannon in Europe probably appeared in Islamic and Christian Spain.
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1 centimetre =
SI units
010−3 m 0 mm
US customary / Imperial units
010−3 ft 0 in
A centimetre (American spelling: centimeter, symbol cmSI units
010−3 m 0 mm
US customary / Imperial units
010−3 ft 0 in
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fuse (or fuze) is the part of the device that initiates function. In common usage, the word fuse is used indiscriminately. However, when being specific (and in particular in a military context), the term fuse
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Pyrotechnics is a field of study often thought synonymous with the manufacture of fireworks, but more accurately it has a wider scope that includes items for military and industrial uses.
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In pyrotechnics, black match is a type of crude fuse, constructed of cotton string fibers intimately coated with a dried black powder slurry.
When black match is confined in a paper tube, called quick match or piped match
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When black match is confined in a paper tube, called quick match or piped match
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firework is classified as a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display.
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