THE EVOLUTION OF THE PHOSPHOROUS MATCH.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 196, 18 August 1900, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE EVOLUTION OF THE PHOSPHOROUS MATCH.

"Engineering1," referring1 to the French State monopoly in the manufacture of matches, says that it seems difficult to realise that flint and steel were the only means of procuring light in the days of the First Empire. This primitive contrivance, which had been in use for centuries, was displaced as a doubtful luxury, by the hydrogen briquette of Doberein, and later by the compressed air device that ignited finder. -About 1813 thei'e was introduced the clumsy contrivance of a jar filled with asbestos saturated with concentrated sulphuric acid, and into which the match, tipped with sulphur and chlorate of potash, was plunged. In 1816 came the phosphorus device due to Derrisne and Cagniard de Latour. The phosphorus was contained, in a flask usually hermetically closed. Into this the sulphur-tipped match could be dipped, and on its withdrawal came into contact with roughened surface that caused ignition. The Congreve match was of a later date., It was a splint coated at the end with sulphur and then tipped with, chlorate of potash and sulphate of antimony. All these devices were costly, and more or less dangerous in manufacture and use. They were largely employed, but by no means displaced the primitive flint and steel. It was in. 1833 that, the prototype of the modern match was introduced. The splints were tipped with a mixture of chlorate of potash and white phosphorus. This was a dangerous and explosive affair, modified by Preschell, of Vienna, in. 1837. He substituted peroxide of lead for chlorate of potash, and thus removed "the explosive characteristic. This method, with grafl,ual improvements and modifications, was adopted generally throughout Europe. New machinery had been brought into use both in the United states and Sweden, and a new igniting paste was sought without white phosphorus, and at the same time free from the danger of explosion. Both these problems *have now been solved. Continuous and very perfect machinery is in use, and the igniting paste in France is a mixture of sesqui-sulphide of phosphorus'and chlorate of potash, practically harmless both in manufacture and use. During the nine years of the French Government monopoly, "Engineering" adds, the gross receipts have been over 236 .millions of francs (about £9,500,000), The cost of working has been 59,897,000 francs, so that a profit to the State of about six and a half millions sterling- has accrued.