János Irinyi, inventor of silent and non-explosive matches

May 18, 1817, Albis (Romania) - December 17, 1895, Vértes (Hungary)

Little is known about his personal life, but it is well known that after extensive research, he succeeded in mixing phosphorus with lead dioxide instead of using potassium chlorate, as had been the practice up to that time. Thus, he invented a silent, non-explosive phosphorus. He patented it on October 24, 1836, and sold his invention to a match manufacturer.

He studied at the Agricultural College in Berlin (Germany), returned to his native country, and founded the first match factories in the city of Pest (present-day Budapest).

In addition, he published several articles on chemistry and a textbook for schools entitled ‘The Elements of Chemistry’.

In 1848, he played a leading role in the revolution, directing the manufacture of arms and gunpowder and supervising Hungarian factories. In the end, the revolution failed and Irinyi was imprisoned. After his release from prison, he retired from politics and devoted himself entirely to science.

He is best known as the inventor of matches. Still, he was also one of the first to spread general chemistry knowledge and to influence the development of the language of chemistry in his country.