Optical Brighteners

Optical brighteners are a general term for a group of chemicals, also known as fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs). They are used in various industries, including textiles, laundry detergents, paper, plastics, and some cosmetics. Optical brighteners can be considered a type of dye, with their mechanism involving the absorption of UV (ultraviolet) light and its reflection in the blue region. This action causes fabrics to appear less yellow to the human eye, making them look whiter, brighter, and “cleaner.”

Chemically, optical brighteners are large organic molecules derived from stilbene derivatives or biphenyl derivatives.

1-Megawhite DT (Biphenyl derivations)