Halosolvent dyeing process for polyester with cationic dyes having sulfosuccinate anions

An exhaustion process for dyeing unmodified or acid-modified polyester fibers comprising:

• A. introducing the fibers into a dyebath in a goods-to-liquor ratio in the weight range 1:10-1:40, the dyebath comprising:
• 1. a chlorinated hydrocarbon solvent, with the proviso that when acid-modified polyester fibers are dyed from 0.01 to 0.10% based on the total weight of the dyebath of water must also be present,
• 2. 0.01 to 1.0% based upon the total weight of the dyebath of a water-insoluble salt of a cationic dye and an alkyl sulfosuccinate anion of the formula ##STR18## where D.sup.+ is a cationic chromophore having a resonating or delocalized positive charge and the R.sub.5 's, alike or different, are alkyl radicals containing from 6 to 13 carbon atoms,
• 3. 0.05 to 1.0% based on the total weight of the dyebath of at least one low-molecular weight carboxylic acid,
• 4. 1 to 1.5 mole of water-insoluble sulfosuccinate salt (2) present of a solvent-soluble quaternary ammonium salt of an arylsulfonic acid of the formula ##STR19## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are alkyl, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are alkyl or benzyl, or R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 together form a heterocyclic ring containing the nitrogen atom, or R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 together form a pyridinium ring, the R groups containing a total of from 12 to 40 carbon atoms;
• and
• Ar is an aryl group substituted with from 1 to 3 substituents selected from the group consisting of H, Cl, Br, NO.sub.2, C.sub.1-4 alkyl, C.sub.1-4 alkoxy, CO.sub.2 C.sub.2 H.sub.4 OH and COCH.sub.3, and
• 5. optionally, at least one processing assistant;
• B. maintaining the fibers in the dyebath at a temperature of from 110.degree. to 170.degree. C for from 0.5 to 3 hours;
• C. removing the dyed fibers from the dyebath and any excess liquor from the fibers;
• and
• D. drying the dyed fibers.