Friction match
Cerilla de fricción
- Date
- 1826-1827 · confidence high
- Place
- Stockton-on-Tees, England, United Kingdom
- Credited to
- John Walker
- People
- 👤 John Walker1744–1809
- Field
- Tools
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A stick tipped with antimony sulphide and potassium chlorate that ignited when struck. It replaced the tinderbox and flint: making fire became instant and cheap.
Walker did not patent it; Samuel Jones marketed them as 'Lucifers' in London (1829), and Charles Sauria introduced white phosphorus in France (1830).
What it led to
- Fire on demand in the home (cooking, lighting, tobacco)
- White phosphorus matches and 'phossy jaw' among female workers
- The London matchgirls' strike (1888)
- The Swedish safety match
Built on
- Döbereiner's lamp1823
- Discovery of phosphorus (Brand, 1669)
- Potassium chlorate (Berthollet)
Made possible
- Irinyi's noiseless match1836
- Kerosene lamp1853
- Safety match1844-1855
- Industrial cigarette