View source for Lighter

{{Short description|Handheld device used to generate a flame}}
{{About||the vessel|Lighter (barge)|other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
[[File:White lighter with flame.JPG|thumb|An ignited lighter]]
[[File:CreativeTools.se - PackshotCreator - Blå tändare (5077886065) (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Disposable lighter]]
A '''lighter''' is a portable device which uses mechanical or electrical means to create a controlled [[flame]], and can be used to ignite a variety of flammable items, such as [[cigarettes]],  [[butane gas]], [[fireworks]], [[candles]], or [[campfire]]s. A lighter typically consists of a metal or [[plastic container]] filled with a flammable liquid, a compressed flammable gas, or in rarer cases a flammable solid (e.g. rope in a trench lighter); a means of [[Combustion|ignition]] to produce the flame; and some provision for extinguishing the flame or else controlling it to such a degree that users may extinguish it with their breath.  Alternatively, a lighter can be one that uses electricity to create an [[electric arc]] using the created [[Plasma (physics)|plasma]] as the source of ignition or a [[heating element]] can be used in a similar vein to heat the target to its ignition temperatures, as first formally used by [[Friedrich Wilhelm Schindler]] to light cigars and now more commonly seen incorporated into the [[automobile auxiliary power outlet]] to ignite the target material. Different lighter fuels have different characteristics, which is the main influence behind the creation and purchasing of a variety of lighter types.

==History==
[[File:Codex Loeffelholz F 27v - wheellock - rotated 90° CCW.png|thumb|Concept of a wall-mounted automatic [[wheellock]] lighter, that can be activated by opening a door from Löffelholz-Codex, Nuremberg 1505]]

The first lighters were converted [[flintlock pistol]]s that used gunpowder. In 1662, Turkish traveler [[Evliya Çelebi]] visited Vienna as a member of an Ottoman diplomatic mission, and admired the lighters being manufactured there: "Enclosed in a kind of tiny box are tinder, a steel, sulphur, and resinous wood. When struck just like a firearm wheel, the wood bursts into flame. This is useful for soldiers on campaign."<ref>Evliya Çelebi, ''Evliyâ Çelebi Seyahatnâmesi'' eds. Seyit Ali Kahraman, Yücel Dağlı, [[Robert Dankoff]], Yapı Kredi Yayınları, Istanbul, 2006, v. 7, p. 100. {{ISBN| 975-08-0578-X}}.</ref> One of the first lighters was invented by a German chemist named [[Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner]] in 1823, and was often called [[Döbereiner's lamp]].<ref name="Hoffman">{{cite journal |author=Roald Hoffmann |date=August 1998 |url=http://www.americanscientist.org/article/dobereiners-lighter |title=Döbereiner's Feuerzeug |work=American Scientist |volume=86 |issue=4 |doi=10.1511/1998.31.326 |access-date=2010-05-21|url-access=subscription }}</ref> This lighter worked by passing flammable hydrogen gas, produced within the lighter by a chemical reaction, over a platinum metal catalyst, which in turn caused it to ignite and give off a great amount of heat and light.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Metrowebukmetro|date=2009-03-03|title=Weird Fact of the Day (that you probably didn't know) – May to June 2009 |url=https://metro.co.uk/2009/03/03/weird-fact-of-the-day-that-you-probably-didnt-know-may-to-june-2009-502753/ |access-date=2021-12-23 |website=Metro|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Hamburg Museum 2010-1207-217.jpg|thumb|upright|left|A [[Döbereiner's lamp]]]]

The development of [[ferrocerium]] (often misidentified as [[flint]]) by [[Carl Auer von Welsbach]] in 1903 has made modern lighters possible. When scratched, it produces a large [[spark (fire)|spark]] that is responsible for lighting the fuel of many lighters, and is suitably inexpensive for use in [[disposable]] items.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Using Carl Auer von Welsbach's flint, companies such as [[Ronson (company)|Ronson]] were able to develop practical and easy-to-use lighters. In 1910, Ronson released the first Pist-O-Liter, and in 1913, the company developed its first lighter, called the "Wonderlite", which was a permanent match-style of lighter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.finepipes.com/articles/ronson-lighter.html |title=Dutch Ronson Collector's Club, 'History of the Ronson Lighter' |publisher=Finepipes.com |access-date=2010-05-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100726164102/http://www.finepipes.com/articles/ronson-lighter.html |archive-date=26 July 2010 }}</ref>

During WWI, soldiers started to create lighters out of empty cartridge cases. During that time, one of the soldiers came up with a means to insert a chimney cap with holes in it to make it more windproof.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}}

[[File:Zippo 1.jpg|thumb|right|Two [[Zippo]] lighters, one open, one closed]]

The [[Zippo]] lighter and company were invented and founded by [[George Grant Blaisdell]] in 1932. The Zippo was noted for its reliability, "Life Time Warranty" and marketing as "Wind-Proof".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lightermall.com/history-of-zippo.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127013319/https://www.lightermall.com/history-of-zippo.htm |archive-date=27 November 2020 |title=The Early History of Zippo: The Birth of the Zippo Lighter |year=2020<!--copyright date--> |publisher=Lightermall.com}}</ref> Most early Zippos used [[naphtha]] as a fuel source.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

In the 1950s, a switch occurred in the fuel of choice from naphtha to [[butane]],<!-- {{citation needed|date=April 2016}} --> as butane allows for a controllable flame and has less odour.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bugstores.com/shop/History_of_Lighters.html |author=Jason Virga |title=The Laureate Lighter – A chronological history of the amazing invention |date=2006 |publisher=Bugstores.com |access-date=2015-09-25}}</ref> This also led to the use of [[piezoelectric]] spark, which replaced the need for a flint wheel in some lighters and was used in many Ronson lighters.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Around the end of the 20th century, most of the world's lighters were produced in France, the United States, China, and Thailand.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jHWuAAAAIAAJ&q=disposable+lighters+market&pg=SA11-PA22 |title=United States International Trade Commission, "Disposable Lighters from the People's Republic of China and Thailand", Bug Stores Lighters |year=1994 }}</ref>

==Operation==
[[File:FRAD022 - " Artisanat de tranchée ", item 4.jpg|thumb|A [[trench art]] lighter from the [[Battle of Verdun]] (1916)]]
Earlier lighters mostly burned "lighter fluid", naphtha, saturating a cloth [[candle wick|wick]] and fibre packing to absorb the fluid and prevent it from leaking. The wick is covered by an enclosed top to prevent the [[volatility (chemistry)|volatile]] liquid from evaporating, which is opened to operate the lighter, and extinguishes the flame when closed after use.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Later lighters use liquefied butane gas as fuel, with a valved orifice that allows gas to escape at a controlled rate when the lighter is used.{{cn|date=February 2020}}

[[File:Lighter diagram.PNG|thumb|upright|left|Schematic diagram of a lighter's inside workings]]
Older lighters were usually ignited by a spark created by striking metal against a [[Ferrocerium|lighter flint]]. Later, [[piezo ignition]] was introduced; a [[piezoelectricity|piezoelectric]] crystal is compressed on pressing a button, generating an [[electric spark]]. In naphtha lighters, the liquid is sufficiently volatile, and flammable vapour is present as soon as the top of the lighter is opened. Butane lighters combine the striking action with the opening of the valve to release gas. The spark ignites the flammable gas, causing a flame to come out of the lighter that continues until either the top is closed (naphtha type) or the valve is released (butane type).{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

A metal enclosure with air holes, designed to allow mixing of fuel and air while making the lighter less sensitive to wind, usually surrounds the flame. The gas jet in butane lighters mixes air and gas using [[Bernoulli's principle]], requiring air holes in that are much smaller and further from the flame.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

Specialized "windproof" butane lighters are manufactured for demanding conditions, such as shipboard, high altitude, and wet climates. Some dedicated models double as synthetic rope cutters. Such lighters are often far hotter than normal lighters (those that use a "soft flame") and can burn in excess of {{convert|1100|C}}. The windproof capabilities are not achieved from higher-pressure fuel; windproof lighters use the same fuel (butane) as standard lighters, so develop the same vapour pressure. Instead, windproof lighters [[Bunsen Burner#Operation|mix the fuel with air]] and pass the butane–air mixture through a catalytic coil. An electric spark starts the initial flame, and soon the coil is hot enough to cause the fuel–air mixture to burn on contact.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

==Other types==

=== Jet lighter ===
As opposed to lighters of the naphtha or standard butane type (whether refillable or disposable), which combust incompletely and thus create a sooty, orange "safety" flame, jet lighters produce a blue flame that in some cases is almost invisible and invariably burns at a far higher temperature.  The spark in such lighters is almost always produced by an electric arc (as seen below), but some jet lighters burn with incomplete combustion. Disadvantages of the jet lighter include a "roaring" noise in operation and higher fuel consumption.{{cn|date=May 2022}}

=== Electric arc lighter ===
Arc lighters use a spark to create a [[Plasma (physics)|plasma]] conduit between electrodes, which is then maintained by a lower voltage. The arc is then applied to a flammable substance to cause ignition.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Plasma Lighters Are Better Than Butane—Here's the Proof
|author=Courtney Linder |date=March 2, 2021 |publisher=Hearst Magazine Media |journal=Popular Mechanics |url=https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a31133313/how-plasma-lighters-work/ |accessdate=July 12, 2022}}</ref>

=== Automobile lighter ===
{{see also| Automobile auxiliary power outlet#Lighter}}

Some vehicles are equipped with an electric lighter located on the dashboard or in the well between the front seats. Its electric heating element becomes hot in seconds upon activation.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

=== Match lighter ===
[[Image:Mechero.JPG|thumb|Traditional Spanish match lighters.]]

Not to be confused with the meaning of "match" as in [[matchsticks]] or the "permanent match" (see below), this type of lighter consists of a length of [[slow match]] in a holder, with means to ignite and to extinguish the match. While the glowing match does not generally supply enough energy to start a fire without further [[Firelighting|kindling]], it is fully sufficient to light a cigarette. The main advantage of this design shows itself in windy conditions, where the glow of the match is fanned by the wind instead of being blown out.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

=== Permanent match ===
[[File:Open permanent match.jpg|thumb|left|A permanent match lighter with the metal "match" leaning against the shell]]

A typical form of lighter is the permanent match or everlasting match, consisting of a naphtha fuel-filled metal shell and a separate threaded-metal rod assembly—the "match"—serving as the striker and wick. This "metal match" is stored screwed into the fuel storage compartment - the shell.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

The fuel-saturated striker/wick assembly is unscrewed to remove, and scratched against a flint on the side of the case to create a spark. Its concealed wick catches fire, resembling a [[match]]. The flame is extinguished by blowing it out before screwing the "match" back into the shell, where it absorbs fuel for the next use. An advantage over other naphtha lighters is that the fuel compartment is sealed shut with a rubber [[o-ring]], which slows or stops fuel evaporation.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

=== Flameless lighter ===

A flameless lighter is a safe alternative to traditional lighters. It uses an enclosed heating element, which glows, so that the device does not produce an open flame.  Typical flameless heating elements are an electrically heated wire or an artificial coal.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

Flameless lighters are designed for use in any environment where an open flame, conventional lighters, or matches are not permitted. The flameless lighter is used in many environments such as prisons and detention facilities, oil and gas facilities, mental-health facilities, nursing homes, airports, and night clubs/restaurants.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}}

Many advertised so-called flameless lighters are not flameless at all, but the flame is invisible (such as a windproof lighter). If a piece of paper can easily be ignited, it is probably not a true flameless lighter and may not be safe in hazardous environments where smoking is confined to specific safe areas.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

The flameless lighter was invented by brothers Douglas Hammond and David Hammond in the UK in 1966 under the "Ciglow" name.<ref name="Ciglow website">{{cite web|title=About Ciglow|url=http://www.ciglow.co.uk/|website=Ciglow.co.uk|access-date=26 September 2015}}</ref>

=== Catalytic lighter ===
Catalytic lighters use methanol or methylated spirits as fuel and a thin platinum wire that heats up in the presence of flammable vapours and produces a flame.<ref>{{cite web|author=Frank Dutton |url=http://www.toledo-bend.com/VCL/articles/index.asp?request=catalytic |title=Making Catalytic Lighters Work |publisher=Toledo-bend.com |access-date=2015-09-26 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916230432/http://www.toledo-bend.com/VCL/articles/index.asp?request=catalytic |archive-date=16 September 2015}}</ref>

=== Solar lighter ===
A solar lighter is a pocket-sized stainless steel [[Parabolic reflector|parabolic mirror]], shaped to [[Concentrated solar power|concentrate sunlight]] on a small prong holding combustible material at the focal point. A revival of an old gadget marketed as a cigarette lighter by [[RadioShack]] in the 1980s, it is a useful hiking and camping accessory as its functioning is not affected by having been soaked by rain or falling in rivers or the sea. To operate, it needs sunlight and a small piece of flammable material. Once a glowing spark has been achieved, careful blowing can produce a blaze.<ref>[http://www.envirogadget.com/solar-powered/solar-spark-lighter-solar-powered-fire-starter/ Enviro Gadget]</ref>

==ISO Standards==
The International Standard EN ISO 9994:2002<ref>{{Cite book | editor-last = ISO | title = Safety specification | series = Lighters | year = 2005 | page = 32 | place = Geneva | publisher = ISO | url = http://www.bicworld.com/inter_en/safety/pdf/03_norme_ISO_9994.pdf | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060312152447/http://www.bicworld.com/inter_en/safety/pdf/03_norme_ISO_9994.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2006-03-12 | id = ISO 9994:2005(E) }}</ref> and the European standard EN 13869:2002 are two primary references.<ref name="13869:2002">{{Cite book | editor-last = The European Committee for Standardization | title = Child-resistance for lighters&nbsp;— Safety requirements and test methods | series = Lighters | year = 2002 | place = Brussels | publisher = CEN | id = EN 13869:2002 }}</ref>

The ISO establishes nonfunctional specifications on quality, reliability, and safety of lighters, and appropriate test procedures. For instance, a lighter should generate flame only through positive action on the part of the user, two or more independent actions by the user, or an actuating force greater than or equal to 15 Newtons. The standard also specifies other safety features, such as the lighter's maximum flame height and its resistance to elevated temperatures, dropping, and damages from continuous burning. However, the standard does not include child-resistance specifications.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

The European standard EN 13869:2002 establishes child-resistance specifications and defines as novelty lighters those that resemble another object commonly recognized as appealing to children younger than 51 months, or those that have entertaining audio or animated effects.<ref name="13869:2002" />

As matches, lighters, and other heat sources are the leading causes of fire deaths for children,<ref>{{cite web|title=Match and Lighter Safety |url=http://www.usfaparents.gov/matches/ |author=US Fire Administration |date=2008-03-12 |publisher=FEMA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080306085136/http://www.usfaparents.gov/matches/ |archive-date= 6 March 2008}}</ref> many jurisdictions, such as the EU,<ref>{{cite web |author=European Commission |title=2006/502/EC: Commission Decision of 11 May 2006 requiring Member States to take measures to ensure that only lighters which are child-resistant are placed on the market and to prohibit the placing on the market of novelty lighters |year=2006 |pages=41–45 |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32006D0502:EN:NOT |id=OJ L 198, 20.7.2006 }}</ref> have prohibited the marketing of novelty or non-child-resistant lighters. Examples of child-resistance features include the use of a smooth or shielded spark wheel. Many people remove these features, making the lighter easier to ignite.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

In 2005, the fourth edition of the ISO standard was released (ISO9994:2005). The main change to the 2004 Standard is the inclusion of specifications on [[safety symbols]].{{cn|date=October 2024}}

==See also==
* [[Automobile auxiliary power outlet]]
* [[Butane torch]]
* [[Clipper (lighter)]]
* [[Gas lighter]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons-inline|Lighter}}
*{{Wiktionary-inline}}

{{Home appliances}}
{{Cigarettes}}
{{Firelighting}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lighters| ]]
[[Category:Fire making]]
[[Category:Home appliances]]
[[Category:Butane]]
[[Category:1823 introductions]]
[[Category:19th-century inventions]]
[[Category:German inventions]]
[[Category:Tobacco accessories]]