optical brighteners are mainly used in four major fields of detergent, papermaking, textile and plastics in my country, of which 40% are used in the detergent industry, 30% in the paper industry, 25% in the textile industry, and the plastics industry accounts for the total 5%. It is understood that my country's fluorescent whitening agents have been industrialized since the 1950s. In 1982, there were only 15 enterprises producing fluorescent whitening agents in the country, with an output of about 2,000 tons. By 2009, there were more than 150 manufacturers of optical brighteners nationwide, with an output of 150,000 tons. Experts predict that by the end of 2011, the total output of fluorescent whitening agents in the country will reach 180,000 tons. After meeting the domestic market demand, my country's fluorescent whitening agents have also entered the international market. According to customs statistics, in 1999, my country's export volume of optical brightener products was only 2,665 tons, and in 2009, the export volume reached 40,000 tons.
Shen Yongjia, a professor at East China University of Science and Technology, told reporters that the technical level of producing optical brighteners in my country has reached the world's advanced level.