Optical brightener
Article
Optical brighteners are fluorescent compounds added to materials to make them appear whiter and brighter. They absorb ultraviolet or violet radiation and re-emit part of the energy as blue visible light.
The added blue fluorescence offsets yellowish tones in paper, fabrics, detergents, plastics, and cosmetics. Their effect depends on the illumination because little fluorescence is produced when ultraviolet light is absent.
Many brighteners contain conjugated organic structures that support electronic excitation and fluorescence. Their performance can be affected by pH, temperature, concentration, fibre type, and exposure to sunlight.
Optical brighteners are widely used in laundry products, paper manufacture, textiles, security marking, and forensic detection. Some persist in wastewater and are also used as tracers of domestic contamination.
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- Source / publisher: Wikipedia
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: Wikipedia
- URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_brightener