Method for improving the dyeing characteristics of textile materials containing polyolefin fibers and products produced thereby

A method for improving the dyeing characteristics of textile materials containing polyolefin fibers which comprises:

• (a) forming an aqueous admixture consisting essentially of from about 1 to about 36 weight percent of a film forming polyamine having at least one quaternary ammonium group and at least two amino groups having active hydrogen per molecule, from about 2 to about 10 percent of a wetting agent and from about 0.01 to about 0.5 weight percent of a fluorocarbon surfactant;
• (b) adjusting the pH of the aqueous admixture with an effective amount of a volatile organic acid to provide a pH range for acid aqueous admixture of from about 2.0 to about 6.0 and to further neutralize the amino groups having active hydrogen of said polyamine;
• (c) incorporating into the pH adjusted aqueous admixture from about 0.5 to about 16 weight percent of a polyepoxide having at least two 1,2-epoxy groups per molecule to form a resulting aqueous admixture;
• (d) applying said resulting aqueous admixture to said textile materials to wet the polyolefin fibers of said materials;
• and
• (e) heating the wetted textile materials to a temperature effective to remove water and volatile organic acids regenerated by such heating and thus free the amino groups of said compound for reaction with said polyepoxide to provide a film forming reaction product as a coherent film on said fibers.