GB2023680A

GB2023680A - Dyeing or printing textile material containing synthetic fibers

Info

Publication number: GB2023680A
Application number: GB7849882A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1977-12-22
Filing date: 1978-12-22
Publication date: 1980-01-03
Also published as: GB2023680B; IT1101320B; FR2412642B1; IT7831171A0; FR2412642A1

Abstract

A process for dyeing and printing flat textile articles consisting of or containing synthetic fibers, by pretreating the goods in full width or rope form, with at least one pretreatment bath having a temperature of from 80 to 140 DEG C, removing water from the goods or drying them, impregnating the goods at full width, fixing the dyestuffs and aftertreating the foods in rope form, under low tension, in at least two baths, optionally in the presence of surfactants, at least one bath having a temperature of from 80 to 140 DEG C, and advancing the goods in the baths by means of a winch or by nozzles in a way to make sure that folds in the rope are opened out or are rearranged.

Description

SPECIFICATION Dyeing or printing textile material containing synthetic fibers The present invention relates to a process for dyeing or printing flat textile goods consisting of or containing synthetic fibers.

Processes for dyeing and printing flat textile articles, such as fabrics, knit fabrics, fleeces, nonwoven fabrics and the like that consist of or contain synthetic fibers are well known. Thus, dyeing processes for polyester fibers and for blends thereof are known, using disperse dyes, in which the padded or printed textile material, after drying, is submitted to a hot air or hot steam treatment, at a temperature of from about 170 to 230"C, to the so-caled "thermosol" treatment, and subsequently aftertreated in usual manner. A variety of possibilities exist, in which the dyes are employed in a one-bath or in a multiple-bath process (cf. German Patent Specifications 16 10 951; 17 69 647; 19 09 518; German Auslegeschrift 17 69 091).

Furthermore processes are known for dyeing and printing polyamide or polyarcylonitrile fibers with acid dyes, reactive dyes or metal complex dyes or with cationic dyes, in whjch the dyes are fixed by steaming.

All of these dyeing processes have been described in detail in the literature. They have in common that the application of the dyes, drying, thermosoling or steaming are carried out with the goods being at full width. In order to obtain a uniform finish the pre- and the aftertreatment of the goods, too, have been carried out with the goods being in open width.

In a known process, the textile material at full width is submitted to pretreatment, for example to singeing, desizing, washing, mercerization and drying. The order of the individual steps depends on the nature of the articles and of the accompanying fibers and varies considerably.

For after-treatment purposes, the textile material is guided at full width through treatment baths.

During the pretreatment and during the aftertreatment, a relatively high longitudinal stress acts on the textile material, which is conditioned by the manner in which the goods are transported, for example by passing them over rollers. The tension in the fabric prevents the dyed or printed textile material from having a soft handle or wool-like character, especially in the case of blends with cellulose fibers. This influence is particularly unfavorable for thermosoled textile material.

Trials have moreover been made to overcome these disadvantages by carrying out thermosoling, steaming or washing under as low a tension as possible, using perforated drums, a festoon system or screen belt steamer. However, only small improvements were obtained in these processes and the results hitherto reached could not equal those obtained in jet dyeing.

A process has now been found which makes it possible to obtain dyed or printed flat textile material consisting of or containing synthetic fibers with considerably improved handle.

The present invention provides a process for dyeing or printing flat textile goods that include or consist of synthetic fibers, comprising treating in a pretreatment stage the goods in full width or in rope form in an aqueous pretreatment bath having a temperature in the range of 80 to 140"C, impregnating in a dyeing or printing stage the goods at full width with an aqueous solution or dispersion of a dyestuff, fixing the dyestuff and treating in a aftertreatment stage the goods in rope form in at least two aqueous aftertreatment baths at least one of which has a temperature in the range of from 80 to 1 40 C, wherein the goods are moved through the baths under a low tension and, when the goods are in rope form, in such a manner that the folds in the rope are opened up, or are rearranged.

The process according to the invention is particularly appropriate for dyeing or printing textile material which contains a mixture of fibers, for example, a spun or woven fabric containing a mixture of polyester fiber together with rayon staple fiber or wool. Any of the usual dyeing methods operating with a single bath or with multiple baths, have proved appropriate for dyeing textile materials containing a mixture of fibers.

A substantial feature of the present invention is the pretreatment and/or the aftertreatment of the goods under low tension, for example in a dwelling chamber. In a dwelling chamber, the textile material is exposed to no tensile stress, neither across its width nor in its longitudinal direction. By the term "low tension" there is to be understood that the textile material is practically swimming or floating in the bath or is being advanced in tension less state resting on a conveying element. It is surprising that the textile material, although present in rope form, is excellently penetrated by the liquor in the treatment baths and furthermore, the moving speed of the goods and the treatment effect could be surprisingly high.Pretreatment at a temperature of from 80 to 1 40 C, preferably of from 95 1 20 C, in tensionless state permits a shrinkage of the goods to such a degree that in subsequent continuous guidance at open width they can no longer be spread flat. A stiffness which may occur in some cases during the thermosol process, may be removed by the aftertreatment of the process according to the invention.

The pretreatment in rope form is a commonly known practice, for example for bleaching or for washing. The aftertreatment of printed or dyed textile material in rope form is likewise known. It may be carried out, for example on winches or in rope washing machines, in which the textile material is passed through several baths.

In practice there is a general belief that non-uniform treatment might result from treating the fabrics in rope form, especially with unfixed synthetic fibers, in a process which includes treatment in both rope form and full width form. This belief is particularly pronounced with regard to processes working at a temperature of more than 1 00 C. Consequently, it is surprising that a pretreatment at a temperature of from 80 to 1 40 C influences the final results particularly advantageously with regard to the handle of the goods.

It is not advantageous to pretreat all types of textile material in rope form. Textile material, for example, material containing texturised filaments, that, when the material is pretreated in rope form, does not relax uniformly as a result of the fold formation, may be dyed unevenly in the subsequent dyeing process if it is pretreated in rope form. Such material are preferably pretreated in full width form.

It is preferred to use an apparatus for the pretreatment of textile goods in full width form which permits the goods to be pretreated under as low a tension as possible, for example, a sieve drum unit or a plant in which the textile material is conveyed through the treatment medium in the form of suspended loops. Pretreatment in plants of this type has been known for a long time.

It had long been thought to be impossible to lead a compressed textile rope, which, consequently, has a varying density, into a pressurised chamber by passing it into the chamber through a sealing element. A device according to German Offenlegungsschrift 25 37 665, however, makes it possible to introduce even rope material into a pressurised chamber, for example a steamer, if necessary, by passing it through several pressure seals. This sealing device has also proved suitable for leading wet textile material in the form of an endless rope continuously into or out of pressure-tight vessels containing aqueous liquors under high temperature conditions.Alternatively, the textile material may be introduced at full width into a pressure chamber by passing it over one of the known roller seals or over a known lip seal and gathering it into rope form in the pressure chamber where the goods are treated. In a so-called HT chamber (high temperature chamber), no tension need be exerted on the textile material.

Thus, shrinkage of the textile material can be controlled by the treatment temperature, and by the nature or the quantity of the additives used. The frequently prevailing opinion, according to which the HT treatment in rope form has a particular detrimental influence on the uniformity of a continuous dyeing, could not be confirmed, since in a continuous run in rope form, the goods are repeatedly opened or the positions of the folds are changed.

The rope may be opened by nozzles, for example by sheet nozzles, for example oval nozzles, in which case the jet or liquor directed against the textile material may serve simultaneously for advancing it. Frequently, in order to open up the rope, it suffices to pass the rope over posts or rollers, and the rope, as it passes over a post or a roller is splayed out, thereby opening out the folds.

A particularly important factor in the aftertreatment, especially of printed material, is that the unfixed dyestuff should not bleed into the unprinted areas. Another factor is that thickening agents used in the dyeing or printing stage generally require prolonged treating times in a washing unit. Dwelling chambers for rope material are not suited to dealing with those factors in all cases. To overcome these inconveniences, the dyed or printed goods may be rinsed under almost tensionless conditions at full width, before the after treatment, for example in a festoon system, preferably under a temperature of from 40 to 80"C, and only after a predetermined treating time are the goods passed in rope form through the aftertreatment baths.

The process according to the invention has considerably economic advantages, because it permits a continuous long duration treatment of goods in rope form by simpler means than hitherto. It is a common practice to spread out the rope, while the goods are being transported at high speed. To do this, so-called rope openers or expanders are used. The rope material may be spread, for example, by opening rollers, which are commonly known to an expert. During the spreading stage, squeezing and suction devices may be employed as well as mangles in order to achieve an optimum removal of water before drying is started. A perforated drum system or the drying method disclosed in German Patent Specifications 22 14 71 3 and 22 14 714 have proved advantageous for a particularly mild drying.

The process according to the invention is appropriate for dyeing and printing not only textile material which exclusively consists of synthetic fibers, such as, for example, polyester or polyamide fibers, or acrylonitrile fibers, but also for those which contain additionally natural fibers, for example, cellulose fibers or wool. Suitable dyes, in addition to disperse dyes, are vat dyes, reactive dyes, sulfur dyes, acid dyes and metal complex dyes.

The term "fibers" is meant to include staple fib.ers, threads, strands and possibly further structures which are suitable for manufacturing flat textile articles.

Polyester fibers for the dyeing and printing process according to the invention may consist of polyethylene terephthalate, polycyclohexandimethylene terephthalate, or heterogenic polyesters, of terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid and ethylene glycol, of sulfoisophthalic acid and ethylene glycol, of copolyether-esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid, terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol and polycarbonates, in which cases ethylene glycol may be partially replaced by propylene or butylene glycol.

Appropriate polyamide fibers include a variety of polyamides, for example nylon 6, nylon 6, 6 and others, whereas suitable polyacrylonitrile fibers may consist of acrylic or modacrylic fibers.

Examples of suitable cellulose fibers are the natural fibers, such as cotton, linen, flax or regenerated cellulose fibers, for example rayon staple fibers, modal fibers or rayon.

The following dyes have been used: as disperse dyes those designated in Colour Index, 3rd edition (1971) as disperse dyes, as cationic dyes, those designated in Colour Index 3rd edition (1971) as basic dyes, as reactive dyes those designated in Colour Index 3rd edition (1 971) as reactive dyes, as vat dyes those designated in Colour Index 3rd edition (1 971) as vat dyes, as sulfur dyes those designated in Colour Index 3rd edition (1971) as sulphur dyes, as acid dyes those designated in Colour Index 3rd edition (1971) as acid dyes, and as metal complex dyes those designated in Colour Index 3rd edition (1971) as acid dyes.

For a textile that includes or consists of polyester fibers, a disperse dye is preferably used. If a textile includes wool, an acid dye, a reactive dye, a disperse dye or a metal complex dye may be used. If it contains cellulose fibers, any dye suitable for dyeing such fibers may be used amongst which are a disperse dye, a vat dye, a reactive dye or a sulfur dye.

As thickening agents the commonly used products may be employed, for example, low viscous alginate thickeners, locust bean flower thickeners, or a petrol emulsion.

For the pretreatment and for the aftertreatment, anionic or nonionic compounds are generally used. In very rare cases, for example in the aftertreatment of direct dyestuffs or for softening purposes, cationic compounds may also be used. As anionic substances which are added to the pretreatment or to the aftertreatment baths, alkylsulfates, sulfonated oils, alkylsulfonates, alkylarylsulfonates, alkylnaphthalene sulfates or Turkey-red oils may be mentioned. Suitable nonionic compounds are addition products of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide or butylene oxide or mixtures thereof to fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty amines, fatty acid amides, alkylphenols, glycols and other compounds.

The or at least one pretreatment bath and at least one aftertreatment bath may contain a basic substance, preferably an alkali.

For the pretreatment there is used at least one bath of a temperature of from 80 to 1 40 C, preferably of from 95 to 1 20 C. Advantageously there is used first a bath of a temperature of from 80 to 90"C and subsequently a bath of a temperature above 1 00 C, preferably of from 110 to 1 40 C. The number of the baths depends on the temperature, on the nature of the textile material or on the treating time of the textile material in the bath and is generally from 2 to 4.

Between the individual treatment baths in the pretreatment process the textile material may be sprayed by means of nozzles and subsequently squeezed off or the liquid sucked off.

For the aftertreatment, at least one bath of a temperature of from 80 to 1 40 C, preferably of from 95 to 1 20 C, is used. Printed material may firstly be washed at full width at low temperature, preferably in the range of from 40 to 80"C, and subsequently treated in rope form, as has been mentioned hereinbefore. However, in horizontal dwelling chambers, in which the pressure on superposed goods is not too high, even printed material may be aftertreated in rope form directly after completion of the printing process, that is to say, the rinsing stage may be omitted.

The textile material may be sprayed by means of a ring nozzle and liquor be subsequently squeezed or sucked off, at the intervals between the passages through the individual pretreatment and the aftertreatment baths.

For a treatment under low tension conditions, a dwelling chamber for rope material in which a circulation pump ensures a particularly good liquor flow is especially appropriate. In this process, the liquor is sucked off at predetermined positions and recycled to the same bath by means of a pump and the rope material is pass over heat exchangers and nozzles to the following bath. The dwelling chamber may be horizontal, vertical or U-shaped. A slight inclination of horizontal dwelling chamgers has proved particularly advantageous in the case of textile material which is sensitive to pressure. For better sliding properties of the textile material in the dwelling chamber, the chamber is preferably made of plastics-lined stainless-steel sheets.

The dwelling chambers may also be equipped with forwarding means for the goods, for example endless conveying belts.

It is furthermore possible to include a steaming process or a hot-dwell zone in the pretreatment or aftertreatment.

The operation method according to the present invention has a further advantage in that the quantity of water required for the pretreatment and for the aftertreatment in rope form is smaller than that required for the treatment at full width.

The following Examples illustrate the invention: EXAMPLE 1: A fabric composed of polyester fiber and rayon staple fiber mixed in the proportion 70:30 is dyed, whereby a greatly wool-like handle is attained.

The fabric in rope form is washed with water in a continuous jet apparatus and, by passing it over a device as disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift 25 37 665, it is forwarded to a treating unit, in which it is treated in rope form under tensionless conditions for 3 minutes at 1 20 C. Thereafter the fabric is rinsed with hot and with warm water of 60"C, subsequently, water is removed and the fabric is dried.

The fabric is thereafter dyed according to a single-bath-pad-thermosol process in the following manner: It is padded at 20"C with a liquor pick-up of 70% using an aqueous liquor which consists of 25 g/l of the disperse dye of the formula

and 14.3 g/l of the reactive dye of the formula

10 g/l of sodium bicarbonate 5 g/l of borax, it is dried at 1 20 C and thermosoled for 60 seconds at 200"C.

For the aftertreatment, the fabric is gathered again to form a rope and is subsequently treated in the following manner: It is rinsed at 40"C, soaped at 70"C with 0.5 g/l of the condensation product of 1 mol of nonylphenol with 10 mols of ethylene oxide. Thereafter the fabric is treated with water, at a temperature of 95"C, in two baths, each time for a period of 5 minutes, while being passed through the treatment baths under low tension in U-shaped dwelling chambers. By repeatedly passing the fabric over a winch, a good displacement of the creases in ensured.

A red dyeing of the fabric is obtained. The fabric has a voluminous, pleasing handle.

When the fabric is dyed, after having been pretreated at full width, according to the same thermosol process and when it is submitted subsequently to an aftertreatment in a washing machine at full width, a flat, flabby handle is obtained.

EXAMPLE 2: A fabric composed of polyester fiber and rayon staple fiber mixed together in the proportion 70:30 is dyed, whereby a voluminous and wool-like handle is attained. The fabric is prepreated in a similar manner to that described in Example 1 above, i.e. washed in rope form, treated in water for about 3 minutes at 1 0 C, the water is removed and the fabric is dried.

For dyeing the polyester portion according to the thermosol process, the fabric is padded with a liquor pick up of 60% using an aqueous liquor at 40"C which consists of 40 g/l of the disperse dye of the formula

4 g/l of the red disperse dye of the formula

the fabric is dried and thermosoled for 60 seconds at 210"C.

Thereafter the rayon staple portion is cross-dyed according to the single bath-pad-steam process using 45 g/l of Sol. Sulphur Blue 10 C.l. No. 53 471 12 g/l of Sol. Sulphur Blue 7 C.l. No. 53 441 50 cm3/l of sodium hydrogenosulfide solution of 25% strength and 5 g/l soda ash.

Padding is carried out with a liquor take-up of 60% at 30"C and steaming is performed at 103"C for 1 minute. Thereafter the fabric is oxidized with 2 g/l of sodium bichromate and 4 cm3/l of acetic acid of 60% concentration at 80"C and it is gathered to form a rope.

The rest of the treatment is the same as that described in Example 1.

A navy-blue is obtained. The fabric has a voluminous, wool-like handle.

When the above described pretreatment and aftertreatment in rope form are both omitted, the fabric has a flat, flabby handle.

EXAMPLE 3: A fabric composed of polyester fiber and rayon staple fiber mixed in the.proportion 70:30 is dyed, and a voluminous handle is attained.

For this purpose, the fabric is gathered to form a rope and is introduced into an aqueous treatment bath of 130"C by passing it over a device as disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift 25 37 665. The fabric is laid down loosely upon a conveying belt, while being penetrated by the hot aqueous liquor circulating by pumping. When the rope is transferred to a second conveying belt, its position changes so that an intense re-arrangement of the creases takes place. This treatment last for 5 minutes. Thereafter the rope is opened, water is removed from the fabric by means of a suction device and subsequently the fabric is dried on a perforated drum drier.

Dyeing is carried out in two baths according to the thermosol-pad-steam process using disperse and reactive dyes as follows. The fabric is padded with a liquor take-up of 60% at 40"C with an aqueous liquor containing 35 g/l of the dye C.l. Disperse Blue 56, C.I. No. 63 285 14 g/l of the dye C.I. Disperse Orange 13, C.l. No. 26 080 10 g/l of the dye Cl. Reactive Yellow 17, Cl. No. 18852 and 24 g/l of the reactive dye of the formula

and 2 cm3/l of acetic acid of 60% strength.

After padding, the fabric is dried at 120"C and thermosoled for 60 seconds at 200"C.

Upon cooling, the fabric is over-padded at a temperature of about 20"C likewise with a liquor take-up of 60% using.

250 g/l of Glauber's salt and 29 cm3/l of 32.5% sodium hydroxide solution and subsequently submitted to steaming for 30 seconds at 105"C in a festoon steamer.

Thereafter the fabric is rinsed, passed through a soaping bath which is at 60"C and contains 3 g/l of the reaction product of 1 mol of nonylphenol and 10 mols of ethylene oxide. The fabric is then gathered to form a rope. In the further treatment in which the fabric is present in rope form, it is treated with water, first at 80"C and thereafter at 100"C, each time for 2 minutes, thereafter the fabric is intensely squeezed and rinsed with warm water of 60"C and afterwards with cold water.

A bicolor dyeing is obtained, the polyester fibers being blue and the rayon staple fibers being yellow. The fabric has a voluminous handle.

EXAMPLE 4: A fabric composed of polyester fiber and rayon staple fiber in a proportion 70:30 is dyed and has a voluminous, wool-like handle.

The fabric is treated in rope form prior to dyeing. It is washed at 60"C with an aqueous liquor which contains 0.5 g/l of the reaction product of 1 mol of nonylphenol with 10 moles of ethylene oxide, it is treated for 5 minutes in water of 30"C while being guided in a completely tensionless state (cf. Example 3). After rinsing, water is removed by means of high-efficiency squeeze rollers and the fabric is then dried.

Dyeing is carried out according to the two-bath-thermosol-pad-steam process using disperse and vat dyes. For this purpose, the fabric is padded with a liquor take-up of 60% with an aqueous liquor of 60"C which contains 35 g/l of the dye C.l. Disperse Blue 56 C.l. No. 63 285, 1.5 g/l of the dye C.l. Disperse Orange 13 C.l. No. 26 080.

The fabric is dried and thermosoled for 60 seconds at 200"C.

The rayon staple fiber portion is dyed by overpadding with an aqueous liquor of 20"C which contains 13 g/l of Vat Orange 1, Cl. No. 59 105, 50 cm3/l of sodium hydroxide solution of 32.5% strength and 42 g/l of sodium dithionite with a liquor take-up of 60%. The trough of the padding machine should be as small as possible.

Immediately after padding, the fabric is steamed for 30 seconds, at 105"C, then it is rinsed continuously, oxidized with 2 cm3/l of hydrogen peroxide and slightly acidified with 5 cam3/1 of acetic acid of 60% strength.

Thereafter the fabric is gathered by guiding rings to form a rope and is thereafter further treated in the same manner as that described in Example 3.

A bicolor dyeing is obtained. The fabric has a voluminous, wool-like handle.

When both the pretreatment and the aftertreatment in rope form are omitted, the fabric takes a flat and flabby handle after dyeing.

EXAMPLE 5 A fabric that contains texturised polyester filaments in warp and weft is dyed while substantially imparting a feel similar to that of wool.

The fabric is treated continuously at full width for 30 seconds with water of a temperature of 98"C, and then introduced over a sealing element in the form of Teflon lips into a pressure chamber in which it is treated without tension at 110"C for 30 seconds. The fabric is then rinsed at 70 and 40"C, the water is removed and the fabric is dried.

Dyeing according to the thermosol process is as follows: The fabric is padded at 20"C with an aqueous padding liquor that contains per litre: 30 g of the disperse dyestuff of the formula

1 5 g of an antimigration auxiliary that has a pH value of 6. The fabric is dried at 1 20 C and thermosoled for 60 seconds at 200"C.

For the aftertreatment the goods are made into a rope and treated as follows: Rinsed at 40"C Hydrolysed at 70"C with 0.5 g/l of the condensation product of 1 mole of nonylphenol with 10 mols of ethylene oxide.

The fabric is then treated in 2 baths with water at 98"C, each for 3 minutes, the goods being conveyed through the treatment bath under little tension in U-shaped dwelling chambers. A good rearrangement of the folds is ensured by repeatedly passing the goods over nozzle tubes.

After finishing a blue-dyed fabric which has a full and pleasing handle is obtained.

EXAMPLE 6: The same fabric as that described in Example 5 is treated at full width continuously for 1 minute at 98"C and then rinsed at 70 and 40"C, the water removed and the fabric dried.

The dyeing is carried out as described in Example 5.

For the aftertreatment the goods are made into a rope and rinsed at 90"C and subsequently introduced by way of a device as described in DE-OS 25 37 665 into an aqueous treatment liquor having a temperature of 11 0'C. For this the goods are placed on a conveyor belt and pass through the hot aqueous liquor which is pumped round.

Finally, the usual rinsing and finishing processes are carried out. A blue dyeing with a full, pleasing handle is obtained.

Claims

1. A process of dyeing or printing flat textile goods that include or consist of synthetic fibers, comprising treating in a pretreatment stage the goods in full width or in rope form in an aqueous pretreatment both having a temperature in the range of 80 to 1 40 C, impregnating in a dyeing or printing stage the goods at full width with an aqueous solution or dispersion of a dyestuff, fixing the dyestuff and treating in a aftertreatment stage the goods in rope form in at least two aqueous aftertreatment baths at least one of which has a temperature in the range of from 80 to 1 40 C, wherein the goods are moved through the baths under a low tension and, when the goods are in rope form, in such a manner that the folds in the rope are opened up, or are rearranged.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the said treatment bath has a temperature in the range of from 95"C to 1 20 C.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the said pretreatment bath contains a basic substance.

4. A process as claimed in claim 3, wherein the basic substance is an alkali.

5. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein there are 2, 3 or 4 pretreatment baths.

6. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein water is removed from the goods or the goods are dried between the pretreatment stage and the dyeing or printing stage.

7. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the goods are dried between the dyeing or printing stage and the time when the dyestuff is fixed.

8. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the goods are rinsed at full width before the aftertreatment stage.

9. A process as claimed in claim 8, wherein the goods are rinsed at a temperature in the range of from 40 to 80"C.

10. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least one aftertreatment bath has a temperature in the range of from 95 to 1 20 C.

11. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least one aftertreatment bath contains one or more surface active agents.

1 2. A process as claimed in claim 11, wherein the surface active agents are non-ionic and/or anionic.

1 3. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein at least one aftertreatment bath contains a basic substance.

14. A process as claimed in claim 13, wherein the basic substance is an alkali.

1 5. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein at least one aftertreatment bath contains a reducing agent.

1 6. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the pretreatment stage and the aftertreatment stage are continuous.

1 7. A process as claimed in claim 17, wherein the pretreatment stage, the dyeing or printing stage and the aftertreatment stage are continuous.

1 8. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the liquor in each pretreatment and aftertreatment bath is circulated.

1 9. A process as claimed in claim 18, wherein the liquor is circulated by a pump.

20. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the goods are moved through the baths by nozzles, by a winch or on a conveyor belt.

21. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the folds in the rope are opened out or rearranged by nozzles directed at the rope, or a post about which the rope is passed.

22. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the goods include or consist of polyester fibers and a disperse dye is used in the dyeing or printing stage.

23. A process as claimed in claim 22, wherein the goods include polyester fibers and rayon staple fibers and a dispersion dye together with a vat dye, a reactive dye or a sulfur dye is used in the dyeing or printing stage.

24. A process as claimed in claim 21, wherein the goods include polyester fibers and wool and a disperse dye together with an acid dye, a reactive dye or a metal complex dye is used in the dyeing or printing stage.

25. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the goods include or consist of polyamide fibers and an acid dye, a reactive dye or a metal complex dye is used in the dyeing or printing stage.

26. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the goods include or consist of polyacrylonitrile fibers and a cationic dye is used in the dyeing or printing stage.

27. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the goods consist of modified polyester fibers or include modified polyester fibers in admixture with cellulose fibers or wool.

28. A process substantially as hereinbefore described in any one of Examples 1 to 6.