The invention of matches is not so many years old. With the age of humanity can not be compared. Meanwhile, the question of their invention is almost a question of the taming of fire. The need to make the fire a portable, portable option, if necessary, removed and flared up, probably arose quickly - after all, getting it and maintaining the hearth “in working order” among the ancient people was vital, but very tiring and troublesome.
Very first matches
Today we know how the ancients received the flame. They rubbed pieces of wood against each other - until smoldering dust turned out. Then they found suitable stones, which sparked when struck.
The ancient Romans and Greeks used concave lenses. On a sunny day, they focused rays that heated suitable material until it ignited.
But some similarity to the first matches appeared only in medieval Chinese. According to hand-written sources of the XIII century, they used thin slivers with tips on which sulfur was applied. But these sticks did not serve to produce fire, but only to facilitate the process of lighting a flame. Fire in those days was obtained using tinder and flint.
Some time later, when a Chinese novelty entered Europe, they began to use these sulfur pads there too. However, not for long: the subsequent discoveries in chemistry improved them so much that they lost their original purpose and began to serve directly for the production of fire.
Consider the history of the creation of matches in more detail.
Gankwitz, Chansel and Walker
In the absence of patent law, today we can name the names of scientists, but who was the first to invent these sticks of fire? European powers disputed the rights to a variety of discoveries - and some inventions appeared almost simultaneously. Science did not stand still.
As early as the end of the 17th century, German scientists Hankwitz succeeded by friction on a piece of phosphorus sticks with a sulfur head to achieve the appearance of a tongue of flame. But, as usual, all innovations have their drawbacks, sometimes quite destructive or dangerous to health. Gankwick matches burned little and exploded when ignited.
And in 1805, the next match modification, the “incendiary device,” was invented by the Frenchman Jean Chansel. A resin with sulfur and bertholeth salt added to it was applied to a stick. It was enough to dip this wand in sulfuric acid and - voila! - there you have the fire. But who will carry concentrated acid with them? In addition, the reaction of the components of the mixture was so violent that it threatened the producing fire with serious burns.
And the year 1826 was marked by the appearance of a kind of almost real match. An Englishman, John Walker, a pharmacist by profession, once mixed chemicals and got a fire, accidentally striking a stick on the emery surface, the end of which was coated with a mixture of sulfur compound, berthol salt and acacia gum.
Such an invention could bring commercial benefits, but the reckless Walker did not bother to get a patent and demonstrated his experience to everyone.
"Lucifer"
And the baton was intercepted by Samuel Jones - he reduced the length of the stick, named the new product "Lucifer", set up production and organized sales. Matches were packed in tin boxes and sold 100 each.
However, as before, the mixture of potassium chlorate (as chemists called Berthollet salt) with sulfur was distinguished by unpredictability in handling - fire sticks were sensitive to friction and shock, which threatened with explosions and, at least, with a bulk of sparks. In addition, smoke was released during their use.
The appearance of unexploded matches
Unfortunately, the inventive French guy Charles Soria could not find 1,500 francs to patent his invention. His family was poor and there was nowhere to take money. But it is Soria who belongs to the honor of inventing spontaneous flames. Observing school experiences and experimenting at his own peril and risk, one day he struck the wall on which phosphorus was smeared, a splinter with bertolet salt and sulfur deposited on it. Lucina immediately flared up.
What was new in this invention was that matches did not explode now. All that was needed was a phosphorus-treated surface.
And a year later, in 1831, self-igniting splinters were "invented" once again, this time officially by the German Kamemerer, and in 1836 with an additional coating with lead oxide - the Hungarian Janos Irini.
Swedish matches
So, the necessary components in the production of sticks of fire were applied not to its head, but to the surface of the box. But white phosphorus, which was poisonous, was still used in the manufacture. Statistics of that time testified to the excess of diseases and mortality among workers in match factories.
The Swede Johan Lundstrom in 1855 proposed to get rid of poisonous white phosphorus both in the head and in the sticker, replacing it with red. He was also combustible, but not toxic. So there were Swedish matches.
In addition, the sticks themselves were additionally saturated with ammonium phosphate. What did it give? After attenuation, they did not smolder, as it was before, and did not ignite spontaneously - which means that they ceased to be fire hazardous.
These Swedish matches can be considered prototypes of modern ones. Their production was not particularly expensive and safe, which enabled Sweden at that time to turn into a real match empire. And Lundstrom was subsequently awarded a medal at the world exhibition in Paris.
In Russia
In the 30s of the XIX century, the price of matches for 100 pieces was a ruble in silver. And the packaging for them was made of wood or tin.
But only by the end of the 19th century did a small colorful picture begin to stick on each box of matches. The subject of labels was diverse, and over time they became the subject of collections of a special kind of collectors - philumenists.
How are matches made today? In Russia, they were made and are made from aspen. But in terms of the chemical composition of the head, this is practically the same Swedish match: it includes sulfur, Bertolet salt, manganese oxide and glass powder. The components have changed somewhat so that the wand does not flash, quickly goes out, and burns as slowly as possible.
Matches are being produced today for a wide variety of needs. For example, gas and fireplace - in order to make it more convenient to light a gas stove burner or fireplace. Signal matches give a bright and noticeable flame from afar. Photographic flare up brightly, but also burn out instantly. Households are produced in large packages. There are matches designed to light cigars and pipes. There are also specially created for hunters - they are not afraid of either rain or wind and light up in the most extreme weather conditions.
The price of matches currently amounts to an average of 1 ruble per ordinary box (40 pieces, for domestic use) or 20 rubles (large format boxes, 500 pieces). From 29 to 35 rubles (depending on the length of the product) there are matches for igniting gas burners, ovens and fireplaces. Cigars cost about as much, but the filling box is less - 20 pieces. For the same number of long burning matches intended for outdoor enthusiasts, you will have to pay from 80 to 100 rubles.
We talked about how they did and are doing matches.