OXYGEN AND OXIDATION 



TINDER 



Box, FLINT, AND 

 STEEL 



flint-stone and steel, by which a spark was ms,de to fly 

 on fine kindling material called "tinder." During the 

 Colonial days of America fire was also carried in earthen 

 buckets from house to house. 

 During the second quarter of 

 the nineteenth century the first 

 form of our modern match came 

 into use. 



37. Friction Matches. - 

 Matches are made to be used in 

 the same general way as the 

 ancient method of making fire 

 by friction. The difference is that the match is made 

 of material with a low kindling temperature. One 

 stroke of the match on the proper surface will produce 

 enough heat to raise it to the kindling point and so it 

 burns into a flame. The match is made of pine, dipped in 

 oil, and then into a mixture of phosphorus, sulphur, and 

 glue. The phosphorus has a low kindling point and is 

 held on the match-wood by the glue. The common 

 matches were made of yellow phosphorus. This will 

 catch fire in the air at a temperature of 95 F. That is 

 why the matches smoke when held between the fingers. 

 Yellow phosphorus is also extremely poisonous. Because 

 matches made of this phosphorus are dangerous, the 

 safety matches are very widely used. Some are made of 

 red phosphorus, which will not burn till heated to $00 F. 

 The safety match-head commonly contains a mixture of 

 potassium chlorate, potassium bichromate, powdered 

 glass, and glue or dextrine sugar. The friction surface 

 on the box is made of a mixture of red phosphorus, anti- 

 mony sulphide, manganese dioxide, and glue. The pow- 

 dered glass is used to produce more friction and thus make 



