Symmetrical and asymmetrical disazo compounds containing a bis-(nitro-aryloxy)alkane middle component

A disazo compound of the formula ##STR14## or a mixture thereof, in which n is a number from 1 to 10;

• Z is hydrogen or halogen, alkyl or alkoxy of up to 4 carbon atoms, or nitro;
• and K represents identical or different radicals of the formula ##STR15## in which x.sub.1 and x.sub.2 are hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine or bromine, or alkyl or alkoxy of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or x.sub.1 and x.sub.2, together with the phenyl moiety to which they are attached, form a naphthalene, benzimidazolone or benzoxazolone ring;
• y.sub.1 is hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or alkyl, alkoxy or carbalkoxy of 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety, cyano, trifluoromethyl, alkanoylamino with up to 5 carbon atoms, benzoylamino, benzoylamino substituted by chlorine or alkyl or alkoxy of up to 4 carbon atoms, or a group of the formula --X--NR'--R", in which X is CO or SO.sub.2, R' is hydrogen or alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms and R" is hydrogen, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or phenyl;
• R.sub.1 is alkyl of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, carboxyl or carbalkoxy with 1 to 6 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety;
• z.sub.1 and z.sub.2 are hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine or bromine or alkyl or alkoxy of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or z.sub.1 and z.sub.2 together with the phenyl moiety to which they are attached from a naphthyl moiety;
• and z.sub.3 is hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine or bromine, alkyl or alkoxy of 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a group of the formula --N--NR'--R", in which X, R' and R" are as defined above.