Abstract: A process for dyeing cationic polyamide with a vinyl sulfone dye wherein said vinyl sulfone dyed polyamide is color stable. The vinyl sulfone dyed cationic polyamide may be overdyed with acid without staining the dyed cationic nylon.

Abstract: The invention is a process for dyeing polyamide substrates comprising anionic and cationic fibers in multi-colored patterns. Cross-staining or dyeing of the cationic fibers by the anionic-dyeable nylon colorant is avoided. The anionic dyeable fiber portion is dyed with a fiber-reactive vinyl sulfone dye having one or more sulfonic acid substituents and one or more vinyl sulfone groups with the proviso that the sum of the number of sulfonic acid and vinyl sulfone substituents is at least three. The dyeing process is conducted at a pH of about 2 to about 4. Optionally the cationic portion of the substrate may be dyed with a basic dye in admixture with the vinyl sulfone dye.

Abstract: This is a method for producing multi-colored polyamide dyeings which is particularly useful in the multi-colored dyeing of polyamide carpets. In this method, a three-component dyeing system is employed which comprises a fiber reactive dye, an anionic resist and an acid-type dye. The anionic resist is a water-soluble, fiber substantative compound which displaces and/or prevents the fiber-reactive dye form fixing in that portion of the carpet which has been treated with the resist. The anionic resist, however, will not displace the acid-type dye component nor does it prevent fixation of the acid-type dye component. The invention may be practiced by first printing the polyamide substrate in a predetermined pattern with a printing paste containing the acid-type dye and the anionic resist. The substrate is then flooded or blotch printed with the fiber reactive dye and steamed to fix the dyes. Alternatively, the substrate may be first flooded or blotch printed with the fiber reactive dye.