Match

A match or a match, match burns out of date, is a wooden stick (sometimes made ​​of cardboard or paper consisting ) for kindling a fire. By rubbing on a rough surface to ignite the fuse head attached to one end, thus bringing the wooden sticks for burning.

The first practically usable matches came in the early 19th century on the market. In the initial stages they contain toxic substances such as white phosphorus or lead compounds. Since the 1850s, there are safety matches, as they are still in use today. Matches have the advantage that they work even with hard frost to gas lighters.

• 3.1 matchstick Museums
• 3.2 handicrafts

History

With sulfur -impregnated pine sticks, there were at least 950 in China, but probably in the 6th century. These sticks can be at the slightest touch ignite with fire and were common in the 13th century, at least in Hangzhou. In the Middle Ages like of matches in Europe were widespread at the same time with smoldering tinder fungus, which was ignited by sparks, inflamed.

The conditions for the development of the matches were the discovery of white phosphorus by working up of urine in 1669 by the Hamburg alchemist Hennig Brand and potassium chlorate in 1786 by the Frenchman Claude Louis Berthollet -. Beginning of the 19th century, the Tunkzündhölzer appeared on the market, which enabled the first safe chemical ignition. In this firing head matches move potassium chlorate and sugar, which inflamed with a drop of sulfuric acid were. Since they were immersed into practice in the corrosive acid spray to were possible. The Tunkzündhölzer were therefore gradually replaced by the matches.

On November 27, 1826, the English chemist John Walker invented the first modern match. He discovered that a mixture of antimony (III ) sulfide, potassium chlorate, gum, and starch ignited by friction on a rough surface. These matches have had several problems - the flame burned irregular and the burning matchstick caused an unpleasant odor. To patent the mix 1828 by Samuel Jones under the name Lucifer was filed.

The Frenchman Charles Sauria could resolve these drawbacks in 1831 by the addition of phosphorus. Industrial phosphorus matches manufactured since 1833 by the German Jacob Friedrich Kammerer. The problem was their slight Self. This problem was solved in 1836 by the Hungarian chemist, János Irinyi patented silent, potentially weak match. He had not mixed the phosphorus with potassium chlorate, but a rubber -phosphorus emulsion with lead dioxide in the head of a match. Because admixtures white phosphorus manufacturing of matches was extremely harmful to health, to the Swedish chemist Gustaf Erik Pasch and Karl Frantz Lundström 1844 white phosphorus replaced completely by red phosphorus. The shift of phosphorus from the firing head to the friction surface led in 1848 to the development of safety matches by Rudolf Christian Boettger. He sold his patent to the Swedish match industry.

The Bern Convention (1906 ) introduced in 1906 banning of white phosphorus in the manufacture of matches.

From 1930 consisted of the German Empire and from 1949 to 1983 in the Federal Republic of Germany a state Zündwarenmonopol, which was created at the instigation of the Swedish " Zündholzkönigs " Ivar Kreuger.

Types

Friction match or -anywhere match

Friction matches or Everywhere - Zündholzer can catch fire on any rough surface. They contain tetraphosphorus trisulfide and potassium chlorate that react when rubbed together and ignite the match. Since they can also unintentionally ignite, for example by pressing together the match head formulation in the matchbox, they are now almost entirely supplanted by safety matches. Everywhere - matches are not allowed into security restricted areas and on board an aircraft (as of April 2011) of passengers.

Safety match

Safety matches can ignite only on special friction surfaces. A self-ignition is thus almost impossible. The firing head containing sulfur (sulfur wood) or antimony (V ) sulphide as reducing agent and potassium chlorate as an oxidizing agent, as well as additives such as glue, paraffin, or dye. The striking surface is composed of a laminated mixture of glass powder and red phosphorus. The wooden sticks, usually aspen wood is impregnated with paraffin to improve the combustibility. The impregnation with water-soluble phosphate salts such as ammonium hydrogen phosphate (see also extinguishing powder ) prevents afterglow.

Due to the strike of the firing head on the friction surface traces of phosphorus stick to the firing head. The mixture of red phosphorus and chlorate is even with light pressure high explosive ( Armstrongsche mixture ), but results in these tracks just for the safe ignition of combustible materials and finally the piece of wood.

Storm match

Storm matches the length with a mixture of oxidizer and a combustible substance are at about ⅔ coated so they do not go out in strong winds; to be additionally waterproof, they are treated with wax. Initially, they were designed to ensure a safe ignition of fuses in an explosive charge in the mining industry and the military. They are therefore also called Pionierzündhölzer. This form of the match is now also used quite often when they go camping or trekking.

Other variants

In addition to the usually with little sulfur or antimony sulfide coated ignition heads, there are other variants, such as long oven matches (up to 30 cm long), the so-called " Bengal match " or the " Security Storm match ", which is one of the length ordinary oven matchstick has, but is coated half with reducing material (sulfur or antimony (III ) sulfide ).

Storage

Matches must be kept away from moisture and heat. Because of the fire a great fascination but also predicts risk for children, the fire department recommends, " ... let not matches lying around ( to ) ". [Note 1]

Boxes

Matchboxes consist of a load and a sleeve with friction surface. They formerly consisted of wood, today they are usually made ​​of cardboard. Besides the usual parallelepiped boxes there are, for example, those in the form of a triangular prism. For storage in your pocket, there used to matching metal sleeves in the area of ​​rough surface had cutouts on the side.

Note

In matchbooks (also matchbook called ) the matches are combined in a timber or Pappkamm. The matches can be canceled individually. They are protected by a small cardboard booklet, which also bears the striking surface. Matchbook be used as an advertising medium or as part of emergency rations or field equipment.

Others

• During the Tehran conference three matches symbolized a shift in the state borders of Russia, Poland and Germany. A request Stalin replied to Winston Churchill with the fact that he put three matches side by side (symbolic of Russia, Poland and Germany ) and then pushed a match to the left. He pushed the other two aside.
• The collection of matchboxes and Booklets is called Phillumenie.
• The collection of large quantities of scraped priming of the sticks can be sometimes persecuted in Germany as an offense against the Explosives Act.
• The most easily accessible matches are used for recreational games. These include puzzles, is where to find by flipping of the solution timber. Also as a reminder and play chopsticks for the puzzling matches are used.

Match Museums

Matchstick museums are there in Europe in Jönköping ( Sweden), in Sušice (Bohemian Forest) (Czech Republic), in Graf Meadows ( Germany ), in Tomar ( Portugal) and in Bystrzyca Kłodzka and Częstochowa (Poland). Since 2012 also exists in the ( Switzerland ) in Schönenwerd a Zündholzmuseum.

Crafts

For many crafts and matches are used.

Ship Models from glued matchsticks