paraffin in match production
Introduction about match
A match is a tool for starting a fire. Typically, new matches are made of small wooden sticks or stiff paper. Wooden matches are packaged in matchboxes, and paper matches are partially cut into rows and stapled into matchbooks. There are two types of matches: safety matches, which can be struck only against a specially prepared surface, and strike-anywhere matches, for which any suitably frictional surface can be used. Some match-like compositions, known as electric matches, are ignited electrically instead of friction.
HISTORY OF MATCH PRODUCTION
John Walker was invented the first chemical match in 1827. These matches were narrow woods that one end first was coated with sulfurized and subsequently impregnated with potassium chloride and Oxygenated sulfur, and finally immersed in a sulfuric acid solution. In 1830, Frenchman Charles Sauria invented a phosphorus compound that was made with white phosphorus. He accidentally rubbed one of them into a wall covered with white phosphorus and realized that the match was immediately ignited. Later, the match became a match that burned through rubbing with glass paper. Today, almost millions of matches used in the world are lit by rubbing the fire. Kammerer german established the first world matching factory in 1832.
Role of paraffin wax in match
From 1830 to 1890, the composition of these matches largely fixed, although some improvements were made. In 1843 William Ashgard replaced the sulfur with beeswax, reducing the pungency of the fumes. This was replaced by paraffin in 1862 by Charles W. Smith, resulting in what were called “parlor matches”. Paraffin wax also used for preparing of wood. Wood is cut, into small matches, soaked in fire retardant ammonium phosphate and left to dry. Striking end of the stick is then soaked in hot paraffin wax, which will provide small amount of fuel to the wood, enabling it to burn more easily and ensuring the flame burns down past the head to the wooden stick.
Make waterproof matches with paraffin!
Regular matches that get wet turn into little wet sticks that do nothing in any time flat. To avoid having your matches become useless due to moisture, you’ll want some waterproof matches. You can purchase waterproof matches, or if you want to save a few bucks you can waterproof your own matches. There is a way to waterproof matches with paraffin that is really easy and work very well.
Step 1: Melt your wax. If you have a candle, lit it and make some molten paraffin wax around the wick. Candles in jars work really better for this since none of the melted wax escapes as the candle burns and you can get quite a nice pool of wax for dipping. If you have wax from bits of old candles or from a block of paraffin wax, you can melt it in a double boiler setup. Wax doesn’t wash out of pans well, so just use an empty clean veggie can or soup can to melt your wax in instead of your favorite pot. Put the wax chunks in the can and the can in a pot of water, then heat the water pot over the stove until the wax melts.
Step 2: Dip your matches in the melted wax and let them cool. If you want to be extra safe, blow the candle out first. You may need to re-light it occasionally to keep the wax nice and hot. Set the matches with their heads hanging over the edge of a box or the table or something similar so the wax can cool and harden. That’s it. They cool pretty quickly, and then they are waterproof. To use these, it needs to scrape the wax off with fingernail before lighting them.
