Abstract
Material balances of fluorescent brightening agents (FBAs) in practical washing of commercial white cotton fabrics finished with triazinylstilbene-type FBAs were studied using household detergents (bisstilbene-type FBA built or FBA-free) by a household washing machine. The results are compared with those of washings of cotton fabrics whitened by direct dyeing.
Quantitative analysis of the FBAs on cotton fabrics after repeated washing were performed by HPLC.
Following results were obtained:
1. The amount of FBA desorption from commercial cotton fabrics by the washing was much more than that from cotton fabrics whitened by a direct dyeing.
2. FBA contained in detergents compensated a fraction of the FBA desorbed from cotton fabrics. The amount of FBA absorption to cotton fabrics from detergent was proportional to the amount of FBA desorped from cotton fabrics under these washing conditions.
3. Under all washing conditions the surface reflectance of cotton fabrics was little lowered by the washing.
