Home / Technical Article / FLUORESCENT BRIGHTENING AGENTS

FLUORESCENT BRIGHTENING AGENTS

Mr. Edward Menezes, Director, Rossari Biotech, 401, Omega, <> Hiranandani Gardens, Powai,
Mumbai 79

Issue July, 2008

Volume 01, Issue 03
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Textile fibres do not appear perfectly white because of the presence of coloured impurities that absorb som
incident light in the blue region of the spectrum (400nm 480nm). Infact the textile fibres show a pronoun
yellowish tinge, which can be reduced considerably by chemical bleaching. Blue tinting can be used to redu
yellow appearance as blue dye absorbs the excess yellow portion, which makes the textile appear whiter. T
correction however is only obtained at the expense of the reflected light. Optical Brighteners can provide t
violet light needed to compensate for the yellow without absorbing any visible light.
Definition

Fluorescent brightening agents absorb the UV rays, which are invisible to the human eye and convert them into v
blue-violet rays, which result in a higher degree of whiteness.

Optical brighteners resemble dyes in all respects except that they have no colour and are thus called colourless dy
Optical brighteners absorb ultraviolet light (300 400 nm) from daylight and emit it in the visible range (400 5
the blue region of spectrum.

Grey cotton for example exhibits a very low degree of reflectance in the blue region and therefore appears yellow
eye. During bleaching, the degree of reflectance increases, especially in the blue region, making the sample brigh
this way, brightened textiles are whiter than those, which have been bleached only and not brightened. In practice
bleaching,

Brightening & shading are usually combined in order to obtain the highest possible degree of whiteness as shown

As a result that textile fibres appear whiter. Thus there is an increasing trend to enhance the degree of whiteness.
the unlimited Optical Brighteners from Rossari with high degree of excellent altogether fastness properties for ea
substrate and blends suitable for batch as well as continuous process over a wide range of pH applications.

End uses
Full White: Shirts, underwear, blouses, sports and work wear, sheeting, net, curtains, etc.
Print grounds: In general a relatively low degree of brightening is sufficient for white grounds.
Modes of application
In combination with bleachin
In rinsing and washing operations
Combined with a wide variety of finishes

Brighteners for cotton

There is no universal brightener, which fulfils all requirements. The optimum brightener must be selected in each
according to the application. Fastness requirements are relatively low because the domestic detergent brightener
part of the brightener.
A. Fluorescent Brightening of Cotton
Brightening in combination with bleaching:
Bleaching and brightening in long liquor:
Machine: winch, vat, jet
High substantivity of the brightener
Optimum exhaustion temperature 60- 100C
Bleaching and brightening in short liquor:

Machines: jig, circulation machines, etc.

Medium substantivity
Good rinsing fastness
Combined continuous bleaching and brightening:
Machines: pad-steam, pad-roll, pad-batch bleaching
Good stability to alkali
Medium substantivity
Good rinsing fastness

Small differences in the degree of whiteness have a considerable effect on the Brightening effect. Poor chemical
cannot be completely compensated by Fluorescent brightening.
Discontinuous bleaching and brightening

In long liquors the highly substantive brightener is used. This also applies to the jig, with medium affinity brighte
addition of salt has a considerable influence on the exhaustion behaviour.
Continuous bleaching and brightening

The fluorescent brightener is applied in the continuous bleach or possibly in the washing machine (continuous w
after the continuous bleach.

More and more continuous ranges are being installed in the textile industry. These include ranges for open-width

such as pad-steam ranges, immersion-bleaching ranges, semi-continuous pad-roll ranges and for treatment in rop
the J box, etc.

Medium substantivity brighteners with good alkali stability and good rinsing fastness are used. Medium substant
brighteners are also used for discontinuous bleaching (pack system) with hydrogen peroxide.
Fluorescent brightening in the finish

Fluorescent brighteners are applied in combination with filling finishes, softeners and synthetic resins. The textil
is normally impregnated with these products and the fluorescent brightener in one bath, dried and then cured.
Requirements of brighteners for finishing
Low to medium affinity to avoid tailing of the brightening effects
pH stability in the acid region, because liquors are very often acidified slightly
Stability to the various metal salt catalysts
Very high maximum whiteness
Brightening and Filling

Attention should be paid to the use of non-yellowing filling and handle modifying agents and that the drying tem
is kept below 140C if possible. When using medium affinity brighteners pH of the finishing liquor should be ad
over 5 to avoid green colouration.
Brightening and Softening

Non-ionic softeners which are compatible with the brighteners do not cause yellowing should therefore be select
Cationic softeners can be used to a certain extent without causing precipitations but usually tend to yellow colour
Anionic softeners may also cause yellowing on cotton at high temperatures.
Brightening and finishing cotton

Cotton woven fabrics are finished to obtain good wash and wear effects. Cotton knit goods has also been increasi
finished with synthetic resins to improve the dimensional stability and reduce shrinkage on washing.

A wide variety of reactant resins are used which are then cross linked by the classical dry cross linking method. F
cross linking the synthetic resin liquor is set with brightener, filling and handle modifying agent, softener and sha
dyes. As synthetic resin, various types are used. Resins based on propylene urea are preferred. In many cases, how
DMDHEU resins are used for white goods alone or in combination with melamine resins.
Catalysts: For white goods synthetic resins are normally catalysed with magnesium chloride. Zinc chloride has a

negative effect on the degree of whiteness; zinc nitrate is unsuitable because the finishes must be washed off.
Influence of the curing conditions on the degree of whiteness

Under the influence of the curing conditions required for synthetic resins the cotton may yellow to a varying deg
depending on the curing temperature and the duration of its effect. Synthetic resins should therefore be cured at a
temperatures as possible and as rapidly as possible. For the shock-cure process in particular (one -stage shock pro
optimum conditions must be determined carefully in pre-trials in order to obtain complete curing and the technol
values required and to avoid yellowing.
Special Applications of Brighteners

Brighteners for discharge prints on cotton Products with the following properties are required:

Good stability to reduction.

Good stability to alkali.
Good stability to electrolytes.

White shade

The brightening effect is influenced by the type of brightener used, the concentration applied; shade of the origin
material and the light source used. The desired shade can be subject to fashion trends as with net curtains or may
on the preference of a region for a particular shade. The shades of our brighteners for cotton are bluish.

Finishing liquors usually also contain shading dyes which confer an appreciable increase in the visual impression
whiteness. The shading dyes are blue-violet and brilliant if possible. Although direct dyes are brilliant, they have
tendency to tailing due to their high affinity to cotton. Vat and disperse dyes provide the desired levelness but are
brilliant.
Possible faults in brightening cause of yellowing
Too high curing temperature for synthetic resin finishes
Residual alkali on the goods may promote yellowing during drying and curing
The use of cationic yellowing softeners, additives, filling agents
Insufficiently pre-treated and bleached goods
In exhaust methods dye residues may cause undesired colouration
Partial quenching of the brightening effects by heavy metal salts

 Yellowing during storage of the made- up goods due to water bacteria

Yellowing during storage of the made- up goods due to antioxidants from packaging materials.
Brighteners for Polyester

High fastness is required because there is so far no PES brighteners are used in domestic detergents. High stabilit
properties guarantee universal application in a wide variety of processes.
B. Fluorescent brightening of Polyester fibres

Polyester is always brightened with disperse type products. The methods of application vary. fluorescent brighten
marketed for incorporation in the polymer mass, for exhaust application with or without carrier and for use in the
thermosol process at a temperature within the range 160 220 C. Most products are applicable by more than on
although none can be applied satisfactorily by all methods and cost effective way.

Brighteners of relatively small molecular size are most suitable for application by exhaustion. Less volatile comp
larger molecular size tend to be preferred for pad-thermosol application or for incorporation in the polymer mass

Brightening PES fibres by the exhaust method: The most suitable brightener is selected according to the condit
as machine, article, treatment temperature, additions, etc.
Fluorescent brightening of polyester by the padding method:
a. Pad-thermosol process:

In this process development of the brightening effect and fixation of the fibre take place in one operation and the
regarded as highly economical. Light PES fabrics such as net curtains, voile, etc. are often scoured in a continuou
washing machine, rinsed, squeezed and then with or without intermediate drying padded with brightener. Heavy
are dried before padding. The choice of brightener depends primarily on the thermo soling properties of the brigh
the fixation conditions dictated by the material.
b. Pad-steam process:
PES articles can also be fluorescent brightened by the pad-steam process.
Fluorescent brightening of PES in solvent:

Discontinuous processes for brightening PES in solvents have been known for some time. Continuous processes
well known. For some years now continuous solvent scouring ranges have been existence on which PES woven a
knitted fabrics are degreased and scoured with perchloroethylene. On these ranges a perchlor-soluble fluorescent
brightener can be applied in a small slop pad. After suctioning off the perchlor the material is usually led straight
stenter for fixation. While for polyester the fluorescent brightener is fixed by thermosol method

C. Fluorescent brightening of polyester / cotton blends:

The most common blend ratios of these two fibres are 65:35 or 50:50. As with 100% cellulose a good basic white
substrate is a prerequisite for a good degree of whiteness. For this reason combined bleach is usually required, es
for 50:50 blends. The brighteners can be applied by a wide variety of methods.
The PES component can be brightened
During fibre setting by the pad- thermosol process
During bleaching of the cotton component in the peroxide bleach (after a hypochlorite or chlorite bleach)
In finishing together with synthetic resins.
The cotton component is brightened by the following methods
During bleaching of the cotton component in the peroxide bleach
In combination with the finish, e.g. in the synthetic resin liquor
For woven PES/Co fabrics, e.g. shirting, work wear fabrics, sheeting, the following important operations are:
Advantages and disadvantages of these processes
Process 1: a slightly higher degree of whiteness can be obtained because
The PES brightener padded on the Cotton fibre is removed in the following wet operations
The slightly yellowing of the cotton product during setting is bleached
The synthetic resin can be cured at 1500C and there fore no further danger of yellowing

Process 2: it is far easier to carry out and drying operation can be saved. Since fixation of the Polyester is carried
the last operation with curing of the synthetic resin. Slight yellowing of the cotton may occur which would slight
the degree of brightening.

For this process a very good degree of bleaching is therefore a prerequisite for a high whiteness. In both processe
sublimation fastness of the Polyester is required.
D. Fluorescent brightening of Polyamide Fibres
Typical Processing Sequence for Polyamide Fibres
Reduction bleach Bath

Enter goods at 50 C. Raise to boil in 30 mins and continue for around 30 mins.

E. Fluorescent brightening of Wool and Silk Fibres

Brighteners for Wool

Wool is naturally yellower than other textile substrates and bleached wool gradually becomes yellow again when
to sunlight or other ultraviolet sources. The effect of light on wool is complex and depends on the conditions of e
The problem of yellowing is accenturated if the wool is left wet in sunlight. Since fluorescent brighteners absorb

ultraviolet light they accelerate his photo-initiated yellowing.

For satisfactory whiteness on wool, it is essential for the fibre to be well scoured and bleached. To achieve the hi
possible whiteness the wool should first be scoured to remove natural waxes and other contaminants then bleache
peroxide and finally treated with fluorescent brighteners during second bleach with dithionite.

at 50-60C for 30 mins

Typical Processing Sequence for Wool and silk Fibres
Goods prebleached in Hydrogen Peroxide are treated with
F. Fluorescent brightening of Acrylic Fibres Typical Processing Sequence for Acrylic Fibres
Exhaust method from a chlorite bleach

Enter at 40 50 C Heat from 70 C at 0.5-1 C/min to boil. Treat for 30 mins at boil. Cool, Drain and Rinse.
Fluorescent brighteners for paper
The paper industry is the second most important user of fluorescent brighteners after the detergent industry most
products applied to paper.

Paper may be brightened during preparation, the fluorescent brighteners being added to pre-bleached pulp before

sheet is laid down, or during a subsequent sizing operation

Approximately one third of the total fluorescent brighteners used are applied to pulp and two thirds at the sizin
Fluorescent brighteners selected for addition to the pulp must show high substantivity at low temperature otherw
would be excessive loss of brightener with the wastewater from the process. Resistance towards acidic condition
as pH can also be important. Fillers used in papermaking such as alum, chalk or china clay may cause loss of fluo
and the type of quantity of fluorescent brighteners added may have to be adjusted accordingly. For use from the s
it is necessary for the fluorescent brighteners to be compatible with the chosen size, such as starch, casein or urea
formaldehyde resin. Since sizes tend to be yellowish and to absorb ultraviolet radiation, brighteners are generally
effective in sized paper
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