DESIGN MATCHBOOK

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Matches (sometimes called hoops or pematik) are a tool to light a fire in a controlled manner. Matches sold freely in stores in the form of packs of boxes of matches. A match consists of a log whose one end is covered with a material generally phosphorous which will produce a flame due to friction when rubbed against a particular surface even if there is a type of match that can be ignited on any rough surface. Types of matches that use liquids, such as naphtha or butane, are called gas lighters.

The Chinese people since 577 have developed simple matches made of wooden stems containing sulfur. The first modern matches were discovered in 1805 by K. Chancel, assistant Professor L. J. Thénard in Paris. The head of a match is a mixture of potassium chlorate, sulfur, sugar and rubber. This match is lit by slipping it into an asbestos bottle containing sulfuric acid. Lighters are quite expensive at the time and its use is dangerous so it does not gain popularity.

The first lit by the swipe was first discovered by the English chemist John Walker in 1827. The discovery was initiated by Robert Boyle in the 1680s with a mixture of phosphorus and sulfur, but his efforts at that time had not achieved satisfactory results. Walker found a mixture of antimony (III) sulphide, potassium chlorate, natural gum, and starch can be ignited by rubbing it on a rough surface.