Optical brighteners, or fluorescent whitening agents, are used to make plastics, fibers, coatings, inks, and detergents appear whiter and brighter.
These products function by absorbing invisible ultraviolet light and re-emitting it as visible light in the blue range of the spectrum.
The absorbance and emission spectra of the optical brightener Benetex OB are outlined on the product data sheets.
- These products are particularly useful to mask the yellowish cast sometimes observed in plastics and fibers after high temperature processing operations.
- They are also used in substrates containing pigments or dyes to make colors appear more brilliant.