The optimisation of whiteness of polyester fabric treated with nanoparticles of 2,2′-(vinylenedi-p-phenylene)bis-benzoxazole (OB-1) by the Taguchi method

This study explores a new approach to achieve a whitening effect on polyester fabric by utilizing a ground form of raw OB-1 (OB-1-G) in combination with dispersing agents. The whitening process parameters, such as whitening temperature, OB-1-G mass, and whitening time were optimized using the L16 orthogonal array-based Taguchi methodology. The signal-to-noise ratio was carried out through a larger-is-better approach to augment the parameter responses, specifically the whiteness. The results suggest that the degree of whiteness of polyester fabric is significantly affected by the whitening treatment temperature (P < 0.05), with a contribution percentage of 93.87%. A whiteness index of 94.12 was achieved for the polyester fabric treated at the optimized conditions. The fabric treated with OB-1-G at the optimized conditions was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The investigation also included the correlation between the length of time spent in washing and rubbing, and their efficacy in achieving whitening outcomes. The research demonstrated the effectiveness of OB-1-G nanopowder in combination with dispersing agents as a fluorescent optical brightener for the optical brightening of polyester fiber with potential use in the textile industry on a larger scale.