Whitening, laundry

Q Chlorine is a strong oxidizer that is used in chlorine bleach to whiten laundry. 

Detergent Applications. The primary function of FWAs in the laundry process is to whiten fabric load and maintain the original appearance of the white, laundered articles. Laundering is characterized by repeated appHcation to the same item. Fluorescent whiteners used in this repetitive process have to compensate for the reduction in whiteness and contribute toward prolongation of the usefiil life of the textile material. 

Commercial laundries have used and continue to use sodium hypochlorite as the primary bleaching agent because of its whitening and disinfectant properties. 

A powdered soap-based laundry detergent contains 44% tallow soap, 18% sodium salt of a-sulfonated 1 1 methyl stearate-methyl palmitate mixture, 9% sodium silicate, 10% Na2S04, 2.5% ethoxylated cocoethanolamide, 1.4 cellulose, 0.2% fluorescent whitener, 0.7% enzyme, 0.5% perfume, and 5% water [77]. 

Since their commercial introduction during the 1940s as components of proprietary detergents and laundry preparations, these products have found extensive usage in the whitening of paper and textile materials. Disperse FBAs are available for whitening hydrophobic fibres and solvent-soluble FBAs impart fluorescence to oils, paints, varnishes and waxes. Approximately 75% of commercially established FBAs are stilbene derivatives with inherent substantivity for paper and cellulosic textiles, but the remainder come from about twenty different chemical classes. These include aminocoumarins (6%), naphthalimides (3%), pyrazoles and pyrazolines (each about 2%), acenaphthenes, benzidine sulphones, stilbene-naphthotriazoles, thiazoles and xanthenes (each about 1%). FBAs of these and other chemical types are discussed in detail in Chapter 11 of Volume 2. 

In general, laundry aids contribute to the effectiveness of laundry detergents and provide unique functions. Laundry aids include builders, bleaches, enzymes, fabric softeners, and optical whiteners. 

Adarat [Sandoz] Flusescent whiten-ers for synthetics and wod for laundry and deaning prods. 

Tinopal . [Ciba-Geigy] Fluorescent whitening agent, qpticai brightener for laundry det ents. 

By addition of fluorescent whitening agent(s), dye and perfume, this concentrate can be used as a premium laundry liquid, or it can be diluted as shown below to make less concentrated products. 

A common application of redox chemistry is to remove tarnish from metal objects. Other oxidizing agents and reducing agents are useful in everyday life. For example, when you add chlorine bleach to your laundry to whiten clothes, you are using an aqueous solution of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), an oxidizing agent. It oxidizes dyes, stains, and other materials that discolor clothes. Table 19.1 summarizes the different ways to describe oxidation-reduction reactions. 

Products and Uses A common disinfectant, antiseptic, whitening agent, and purifying agent found in household laundry bleach, water treatments, swimming pool treatments, and mild chlorinating agents. 

Uses Fluorescent whitener/brightener for commercial/industrial laundry detergents, mg/upholstery cleaners, fabric softeners, laundry bleach, aq. inks and coalings, whitening soap, brightening polymers and plastics, cellulosics... 

Uses Fluorescent whitener/brightener for laundry detergents esp. for synthetics and wool, whitening soap, polymers and plastics, aq. inks and coatings, powd. coatings optical brightener in food-contact polymers... 

Uses Whitener for cotton and other cellulosics surfactant in anionic and nonionic laundry detergents, dry bleaches, fabric softeners, commercial laundry prods. vise, control agent Trade Names Containing Uvitex NFW Liq. 

Hazardous Decomp. Prods. Heated to decomp., emits toxic fumes of SOx and Na20 Uses Whitener for cotton and other cellulosics surfactant in anionic and nonionic laundry detergents, dry bleaches, fabric softeners, commercial laundry prods. vise, control agent Trade Name Synonyms Eutex CBS [Aceto http //www.aceito.com], Tinopal CBS-X [Ciba Spec. Chems./Plastic Addit. http //WWW. cibasc. com]... 

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