Increasing market of Optical Brightening Agents

The Optical Brightening or Fluorescent Brightening agents have been a major influence in our lives in recent times and is increasing. First started with textiles or fabrics and then gradually expanded its empire to include detergent, paper, plastics, ceramics, paints, cosmetics, and god knows what else.

Fluorescent Brightening Agents

Optical Brightening Agents or OBAs make things gleaming. They multiply the whiteness in white and brightness in colored objects and persist.  What else do you want to make things visually attractive? So the world is obsessed with this chemical compound because modernity seems to be about making things bright, shiny and dazzling.

Why is OBA so sought after?

White is the symbol of cleanliness and purity in our mind. It creates the perception that tells us to accept white and bright as clean and fresh. The more white or bright a fabric the cleaner it is, and if it luminesces then its value increases even more. We perceive it as new and unused and ready to pay its price.

Optical Brightening Agents for Textile Industry

Manufacturers in different industries have understood this magic and therefore using OBA judiciously in their products to gain the extra edge. Some of the uses of optical brighteners include:

1. Detergent whitener (instead of bluing agents)
2. Paper brightening (internal or in a coating)
3. Fiber whitening (internal, added to polymer melts)
4. Textile whitening (external, added to fabric finishes)
5. Color-correcting or brightening additive in advanced cosmetic formulas (shampoos, conditioners, eye makeup)

Thriving Textile Industry slated to generate high demand for OBA

Use of optical brighteners in textiles is common for a long time. Recent reports, forecasting high growth in this sector especially in China and India, has generated a sustainable growth prospect of OBA consumption.

According to Indian Ministry of Textile, the textile industry is about to experience flourishing export growth as well as high internal demand in the next couple of years based on good and steady economies of many countries including India. This is definitely music to the ears of OBA players.

Luminophore is a popular textile OBA meant for both cotton and polyester. This also can be customized based on the specific requirements of the application, tone, strength, etc.

Increased use of OBAs in paper

Optical brighteners for paper industry is a win-win combination. Brightness in papers and boards have dramatically increased in recent years. Paper in itself isn’t fully white but having a yellowish tint.

Addition of OBA has produced remarkable facelift in terms of whitening and brightening of papers and boards which has become a standard now. The bluish radiance from the papers is responsible for their higher demand at a higher price.

Laundries are high consumers of OBA

Optical brighteners for detergents increases the value of the laundry wash. However old your clothing may be, a laundry wash will make it look bright for no doubt. Clothes naturally become yellow over time. To neutralize the yellow tinge earlier laundries used blues in the washings. Now they use OBA instead of blue which leaves the clothes whiter than white.

OBAs in plastics

Optical brighteners for plastics rectify discoloration and increase whiteness and brightness of plastics. As a result, the plastic or polymer seem more luminous and attractive. The OBAs absorb ultraviolet radiation below 300 nm and emit it as visible radiation below about 550 nm.

This way they mask the inherent yellowness in the discolored polymers and provide deep and bright color to specialty plastic products. The use of OBAs in plastics is actually of very small quantity in comparison to other industries, but nevertheless, they cause significant enhancements in aesthetics and consumer appeal.

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