What Are The Difference Between OB and OB-1?

Optical brightener (OB) and Optical Brightener -1(OB-1) are brightening agents often confused with each other. 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.

What is Optical Brightener(OB)?

Optical Brighteners have a wide range of applications; fabric whitening is one. Materials such as plastics have a certain level of yellowness that gives them a dull finish.

To increase brightness to the products, 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.

What Product Uses Optical Brightener OB, Which Product Is More Suitable For Optical Brightener OB-1?

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 is lower 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, OB-1 can be used in materials that require high-temperature processing.

Differences Between Optical Brightener OB And Optical Brightener OB-1 vary in different aspects. 

Here are some of the fundamental differences:

1. Melting point

The melting point of the Optical Brightener is 200 degrees which is lower than the Optical Brightener-1, which is 360 degrees. 

This largely determines the application of both the Optical Brighteners.

2. Dispersion

Dispersion mainly defines the stability of the application. 

A product with good dispersibility will have a long-lasting whitening effect, and the product’s yellowness will be very slow.

OB is known to have better dispersibility and stability than OB-1. This is why OB is recommended to be used in ink coatings as the OB is not prone to the yellowing that might start early with OB-1.

3. Price

Price becomes a decisive point in making decisions on selection when the Optical Brightener is used on a larger scale. OB is way costlier than OB-1. Most manufacturers choose the latter over the former as it’s cheap.

However, specific applications such as special ink coatings need OB to manufacture. Therefore, innovations and R&D activities are finding a more affordable and more effective alternative to OB.