Guanidine derivatives used as peroxide activators for bleaching cellulosic textiles

This paper reports on a new technology for bleaching cellulosic textiles. The technology is based on the use of a substituted guanidine additive in a peroxide bleaching system. We have discovered that the addition of an asymmetrically substituted alkyl or acyl guanidine to the peroxide bleaching process significantly enhances the bleaching performance, leading to a whiter and brighter end-product. The new process allows effective bleaching of cellulosic textiles to be achieved under relatively mild conditions, preserving the desirable qualities of bleached substrates. In this paper, the guanidine-based activators are compared with tetra-acetylethylenediamine, one of the most popular activators currently on the market.