With the old and improved lighter, you will always have a flame.
- Lighters are small mechanical items used to create a small flame, and have been available in various forms since the 1820s.
- Lighters usually have a small canister that is made of metal or plastic, that contains a flammable liquid or liquid gas.
- The first mechanical device used for lighting, technically a lighter, was a flintlock pistol filled with gunpowder.
- The metal substance used in many modern lighters is ferrocerium, originally a combination of cerium and iron that was made for the purpose of creating sparks, and was first patented in 1903 by Carl Auer Von Welsbach, an Austrian scientist.
- The majority of lighters are manufactured in Thailand and China, both in Asia.
- Lighters produce a flame by ejecting a flammable compound which ignites due to a spark.
- Up until the 1950s, the most common fuel used in lighters was naphtha, however butane became more popular and commonly replaced naphtha due to the reduced odour of butane and increased flame control.
- In many countries it is illegal to target lighters towards children, as they are a fire hazard and can cause death in children.
- Lighters are most commonly shaped like a rectangular prism, although some have long necks so that the flame can be positioned into a hard to reach area.
- Disposable lighters are the most commonly available and were invented in the 1960s, and quickly became very popular.
Bibliography:
Dutton F, A Brief History of Matches and Lighters, 2011, Vintage Cigarette Lighters, http://www.toledo-bend.com/VCL/articles/index.asp?request=lighterHistory
Lighter, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighter
Lighters were invented before the match, 2011, Today I Found Out, http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/10/lighters-were-invented-before-the-match/
