Abstract: A liquid alkali for use in soaping off of cotton and cotton blended fabrics. The liquid alkali is a water-based solution of an alkali metal hydroxide and an alkali metal silicate. Preferably the composition is an aqueous mixture of potassium hydroxide and sodium silicate. In the most preferred embodiment the composition includes 35 wt % potassium hydroxide at a 45 wt % concentration, 25 wt % sodium silicate at 50.degree. Baume, and the balance water. In an alternative embodiment, up to 5 wt % of a borate is added.

Abstract: A liquid alkali composition for use in fiber reactive dyeing of cotton and cotton blended fabrics or the like. The liquid alkali is a water-based solution of an alkali metal hydroxide and an alkali metal silicate. Preferably the composition is an aqueous mixture of potassium hydroxide and sodium silicate. In the most preferred embodiment the composition includes 35 wt % potassium hydroxide at a 45 wt % concentration, 25 wt % sodium silicate at 50.degree. Baume, 5 wt % of a borate, and the balance water. The resulting solution has a high enough pH to achieve reaction between the dye and fiber but is sufficiently buffered to achieve this reaction slowly so that the fiber reactive dyes fix in a level, uniform fashion.

Abstract: Wet and dry crocking are reduced on dyed textile cellulosic materials and their blends by aftertreatment with finish mixtures containing effective amounts of a reactive polyamine component and a blocked urethane prepolymer component. The polyamine component is a polyamide, epoxidized polyamide, chain-extended polyamide, epoxidized chain extended polyamide, epoxidized polyamine or epoxidized polyalkylenimine and the blocked urethane prepolymer component is a reaction product of excess polyisocyanate and hydroxy terminated polyether or hydroxy terminated polyester whose reactive isocyanate groups are blocked. Finish mixtures are applied to the dyed textile material, dried and cured to improve wet and dry crockfastness.

Abstract: Wet and dry crocking are reduced on dyed textile cellulosic materials and their blends by aftertreatment with finish mixtures containing effective amounts of a reactive component and a blocked urethane prepolymer component. The reactive component is a polyamide, epoxidized polyamide, chain-extended polyamide, epoxidized chain extended polyamide, polyamine epoxidized polyamine or epoxidized polyalkylenimine and the blocked urethane prepolymer component is a reaction product of excess polyisocyanate and hydroxy terminated polyether or hydroxy terminated polyester whose reactive isocyanate groups are blocked. Finish mixtures are applied to the dyed textile material, dried and cured to improve wet and dry crockfastness.

Abstract: A stable hydrosulfite composition particularly useful for treating a dyed or tinted textile is provided by a homogeneous particulate admixture of a hydrosulfite, a pH builder salt and a pH buffer salt, and either detergent or stabilizer, or both.

Abstract: In dyeing the jute backing of carpet having multilevel nylon face fibers with cationic dyes, discernible staining of the face fibers is prevented by dyeing the jute in the presence of a stain-preventing quantity of particular imidazoline salts and imidazoline quaternary salts.