fluorescent whitening agent, also known as fluorescent agent or fluorescent bleach, is a fluorescent dye (white dye) that is mainly used in textile, papermaking, plastics, washing and other industries.
the principle of how fluorescent whitening agents work: under the irradiation of ultraviolet light, the fluorescent whitening agents will absorb uv and emit blue fluorescence (about 410-480nm wavelength). in a bright environment, such a kind of fluorescence visually offsets the yellow reflection, making the surface of the object look whiter. it is an optical complementary color and brightening.
uses of optical brighteners
a long time ago, people mainly relied on traditional bleaching and the blue process is achieved, but it gives people an old feeling. using fluorescent whitening agents, the whitening effect is unmatched by blue-whitening and chemical bleaching. after that, the application range of fluorescent whitening agents became more and more extensive, starting from the textile industry and gradually developing into food and food contact materials. , cosmetics, paper products, detergents and other industries.
in the food industry, in addition to its obvious whitening effect, fluorescent whitening agents also have certain preservation and antiseptic effects. currently, fluorescent whitening agents are not allowed to be added to food. the use of optical brighteners in food contact materials can improve the whiteness and brightness of products, thereby reducing packaging costs.
in the washing and textile products industry, fluorescent whitening agents restore the visual effect of washed white textiles to a white and bright state, which not only improves the appearance, quality and grade, but also enhances the its commercial value. optical brighteners are becoming more and more important.
safety
in the daily chemical industry, my country’s regulations do not explicitly prohibit the use of fluorescent whitening agents in daily necessities and cosmetics. adding fluorescent whitening agents in appropriate amounts is comply with regulations. careful consumers will find that the fluorescent whitening agent “disodium diphenyl disulfonate” is included in the ingredients of some international big-name products.
however, there are also some unscrupulous manufacturers who add excessive fluorescent whitening agents to facial mask products in order to achieve immediate whitening effects, posing potential safety risks to consumers.