Optical brighteners (OBA) or Soap Whitening Agent or optical brighteners (FBA) are compounds that have the ability to absorb ultraviolet light and re-emit it into the blue region by fluorescence. This light reflection process produces an extraordinary whiteness / brightness effect. Optical brighteners are absorbed into the fibers from the formulation without being removed by rinsing. For this purpose, they are commonly used as additives to improve the color appearance of cloth and paper by the "whitening" effect. By compensating for the lack of blue and purple light reflected by the material, optical brighteners minimize the visibility of yellow and orange.
Applying Optical brightener to fabrics will improve the crispness of white or light colored fabrics. Even at low levels, their contribution to the overall whitening performance of the detergent formulation is important. This advantage has made OBA a popular ingredient in almost all types of laundry detergents. Most white fabrics on the market are already lighter in the manufacturing process. This first brightener is gradually removed with a continuous wash. The function of the optical brightener in solution is to take over the role of this brightener and gradually replace it while preserving the original properties of the fabric.
Subtle color changes can occur when fluorescent materials lose energy. A new optical brightener applied during the next wash reverses this effect. Chemically, brighteners are large organic molecules derived from stilbene or biphenyl. Optical brighteners are in many ways similar to old-fashioned laundry blue, but there are significant differences between the two methods. In the first process, a blue dye or pigment absorbs the yellow light that hits the fabric and reflects it in a richer blue tone that enhances the whitening effect. However, when brewing, the material absorbs some of the incident light and reflects less than it receives. This makes the fabric look whiter, but not brighter.
Common industry uses of optical brighteners in Detergent:
Detergent whitener, replacing bleach/bluing
Paper brightening, as coating or internal
Internal fiber whitening
External textile whitening for fabric finishes
Brightening/color-correcting additive in cosmetic formulas
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