Optical brightener (OB) and Optical Brightener -1(OB-1) are brightening agents that are often confused. Both are used for brightening but on different types of materials. Therefore, it is essential to understand the details and differences between them before selecting.
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What is an Optical Brightener(OB)?
Optical Brighteners are fluorescent whitening agents designed to brighten colors or mask yellowing in plastics, lacquers, paints, inks, photo-processing solutions, and fibers. They function by absorbing invisible ultraviolet radiation and re-emitting it as visible light in the blue range of the spectrum. Optical brighteners are particularly effective in masking 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 the colors appear more brilliant.
Optical Brighteners have a wide range of applications, including fabric whitening. Materials such as plastics have a certain level of yellowness that gives them a dull finish. To add brightness to the material, OB is added to the plastics. A similar application takes place for the fabric. Other colorants are used along with the Optical Brightener to derive the required color and shade in the materials. Optical Brighteners are easily used in plastics as they have a high melting point, which helps them easily mix with the molten plastic.
What is OB-1?
OB-1 has a similar effect but with different chemical formulas and applications. It is also used in textiles and plastics to increase the whiteness of the product. The final whiteness derived using OB-1 has a light reddish-blue effect.
One of the main differentiators can be the products on which OB and OB-1 can be used. This is decided based on the melting point. The melting point of OB(200 degrees) is less than OB-1. However, the latter has a high melting point of about 360 degrees. Therefore, it is unsuitable for high-temperature products, and OB can be used in such cases. On the other hand, OB1 can be used in materials that require high-temperature processing.
OB is known to have better dispersibility and stability than OB-1. This is why OB is recommended for ink coatings, as the OB is not prone to the yellowing that might start early with OB-1.
[1] https://www.meghmaniglobal.com/difference-between-ob-and-ob-1/
Optical brightener OB is a kind of light yellow powder, which can be widely used in various plastics and paints. Therefore, optical brightener OB is known as the "popular lover" in the optical brightener industry.
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OPTICAL BRIGHTENER OB USEDIN THE PAINT/INK
In the production and processing of white paint coatings, optical brighteners are indispensable additives. However, paints and coatings have strict requirements for whitening agents. First, the fluorescent whitening agent is required to have good solubility, and secondly, there must be no impurities and precipitation, so as to ensure the whitening effect, and there will be no particles after construction.
Among the many types of plastic optical brighteners, optical brightener OB has the best solubility (higher can reach 6%), while other brighteners will appear turbidity and impurities if they are used in paints and inks.
In addition, the paint has no temperature requirements during the production process, unless it is a high-temperature paint. The characteristic of the optical brightener OB is that it can be completely decomposed in organic solvents and has good dispersibility. Therefore, the fluorescent brightener OB is also affected by many paints. Favored by paint manufacturers.
OPTICAL BRIGHTENER OB USED IN THE PLASTICS
There are many types of plastic optical brighteners and a complete range. In addition to optical brightener OB, there are also our common optical brightener FP-127, optical brightener OB-1, optical brightener KCB and so on.
In the production and processing of plastic products, most manufacturers will choose traditional fluorescent whitening agent OB-1, fluorescent whitening agent 127 and other products. These products can be used and the whiteness is relatively good, but in actual production In the process, the plastic is more likely to precipitate yellowing, which affects the appearance of the product. Users who have higher requirements for weather resistance and stability will still choose OPTICAL BRIGHTENER OB.
According to the current market conditions, the price of optical brightener OB is relatively high, and the optical brightener OB has good light transmittance. For many manufacturers of transparent plastic products,optical brightening agent OB is preferred to improve the appearance of the product. Grade.
In summary, the reason why the fluorescent whitening agent OB is favored by many plastic manufacturers and paint and coating manufacturers is that it has good stability, weather resistance, and light transmittance, and has a significant effect on end customers.
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