In the year 1805, the modern form of matchsticks came into existence. It was invented by K. Chanel in Paris but failed to gain popularity since it turned out to be expensive and also hazardous. The form in, which we know matchsticks today, the friction matchsticks, came into existence in the year 1827 thanks to John Walker, an English chemist. Next in line were the safety matches, which were first invented by Swede Gustaf Erik Pasch in 1844 and then these were improved by John Edvard Lundstorm. There have been controversies surrounding matchsticks when they were made out of white phosphorus. Later, this was replaced with red phosphorus in safety matches. The match strikes when the phosphorus present in the head mixes with a small amount of chlorate which ignites something very similar to the Armstrong mixture which is explosive. This ignition occurs due to the friction between the match head and the special surface present on the matchbox.
Matchstick
