Doc Beaker Sulphur Matches

[QDanT]

I've got the Laboratory Oops ! I mean Kitchen to myself for a few days. So this morning produced a batch of Sulphur Matches. Starting out with a bundle of pipe spills from the local tobacconist I cut them to a point at each end with scissors, then holding a Pyrex test tube in the middle with a sprung holder I could melt the Sulphur over the Bunsen flame but also control it's temperature by moving it, in and out of the heat. Dipping the spills in with the other hand, this was far more controlled than last time melting it in a tin over a stove outdoors, which produced loads of acrid fumes and indeed caught fire a couple of times and the match heads were allot darker i.e. burnt sulphur.

This time there was no fumes at all. The copper pipe was just a rest for the hot tube and holder while I put more Sulphur in. The holder is shown at the bottom of the tube just to get it to stand up for the photo. Just thought I'd share.
cheers all Danny

 

[tombear]

Nice one! but inside?

A braver man than I, Gunga Din! I never heard the last of liquidising the mutton fat indoors, let along making matches!

ATB

Tom

 

[QDanT]

I first tried it outside but moved in when there was no fumes.The bunsen was turned up for the photo but when on low it's really easy to just keep the Sulphur liquid you can see it start to solidify and a quick pass or two through the flame and it's fully liquid again. All the time dipping matches with the other hand. There's more fumes lighting the fire with one, lit from flint, steel and char cloth than making the whole batch. The sulphur in the test tube in the photo has been molten and has now set but is still yellow so you can see it's not been too hot.
Melting point - 112.8*C
Boiling point - 444.6*C
cheers Tom and all -- Danny