The story of the matchbox
In day-to-day life, we are using matches for several kinds of things. Especially housewives to light the stoves. In a house, at least one match will be lighted up in a day. But a lot of us don’t know the story behind the matches or the matchbox. So I decided to find about what is the actual mechanism and history behind this matchbox.
History of
match
The invention of fire was a turning point for humankind. So in history, people try to get provided fire in a convenient method in several phases.
In 1828, an Englishman, Samuel Jones patented
one of the first kinds of matches. It consists of a glass bead with sulfuric
acid and a sugar coat with an oxidizing agent. To ignite the match the bead
should be broken using a pair of pliers. Then the acid will release and
ignition will happen due to an exothermal reaction in the surrounding combustible
materials.
Due to the expenses, these kinds of chemical
matches were unable to make. So later a friction match was invented by John Walker.
‘Walker, who had
been experimenting with explosives, discovered this match one day when he tried
to remove a small glob of a dried mixture of antimony sulfide and potassium
chlorate from a stick. He rubbed the stick on the floor and was surprised when
it burst into flame. Jones called his matches “Lucifers.” They were well named;
when lighted, they gave off a shower of sparks and smoky fumes with the acrid
odor of sulfur dioxide. Jones had every box inscribed with the warning “Persons
whose lungs are delicate should by no means use Lucifers.”’
Then later
Charles Sauria, a Frenchman invented the white phosphorus match. The match ignites
easily when rubbed on a rough surface, and also it smelled better than Lucifers.
The match head
contained a yellowish-white, waxy white phosphorus. This looked like a crayon. White
phosphorus can ignite in the air spontaneously. Generally, white phosphorus is
stored underwater.
When the
friction match was made white phosphorus was held in the match using the gum. This
gum is also purposed to protect white phosphorous from the air.
Unfortunately because
of the poisonous white phosphorous workers in matches factories were sick and
show the agonizing symptoms of “phossy jaw”. Due to this issue, the manufacturing of white
phosphorous matches was outlawed in the early 1900s.
Present-day matches
Now the matches
are continuing with the relatively nontoxic tetraphosphorous trisulfide, P4S3,
and potassium chlorate, KClO3. Rubbing the match head against a rough
surface may create a heat that can ignite tetraphosphorous trisulfide and burn
in the air in a very exothermic reaction.
P4S3 (s) + 8O2
(g) → P4O10
(s) + 3SO2 (g); delta H = - 3676 kJ
Manufacture process of match
A match is
consist of two parts. First the tip with chemicals, and the stick which is the
base. To make the stick wood has been used. But the type of wood should be porous
enough to absorb chemicals and pine and aspen trees have been used to make
sticks. And also papers are used to make the base of the stick but they are
dipped into hot paraffin wax which will help the match to ignite for several
seconds.
When sticks are
made at a proper length they are positioned over a tray filled with a liquid
solution of the match head chemicals. Then they are allowed to dry slowly.
Then matches may
pack in cardboard boxes with two rough surfaces.
Future of match
Even though in
Sri Lanka, we are using matchboxes lot of developed countries have stopped
using matches for several years. They are using lighters and automatic lighting
devices for gas-fired stoves. So in the future, it will be hard to find matches
in our country also as we will also use automatic lighting devices.
Read more..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Match.html
Written by : Rashmi Premathilake
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