This study is aimed to investigate the influence of contact materials and their surface roughness on impact sensitivity of a match head composition. It was found that there were variations to the impact sensitivity, ranging from 2 to 14.7 J. The sensitivity response was quicker in case of steel-steel anvil combinations than with aluminium-aluminium anvil and brass-brass anvil combinations. The match head composition was found to be highly hazardous at the surface roughness values of 1.67, 1.80, and 1.60 mu m for steel, aluminium and brass material surfaces, respectively. Such data are not available hitherto. (c) 2012 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.