Process for dyeing silk or fibre blends containing silk

A process for dyeing or printing silk fibres with a reactive dye, comprising the step of applying to the fibres a reactive dye of the formula

• D--Y].sub.n
• wherein D is a radical of a sulfo-group-containing dye of the monoazo, polyazo, metal complex azo, anthraquinone, phthalocyanine, formazane, azomethine, dioxazine, phenazine, stilbene, triphenylmethane, xanthene, thioxanthone, nitroaryl, naphthoquinone, pyrenequinone or perylentetracarbimide series;
• n is 1 to 4;
• and
• Y is chloroacetyl, bromoacetyl, .beta.-chloropropionyl, .beta.-bromopropionyl, .beta.-sulfatoethylsulfonamino, .alpha.,.beta.-dichloropropionyl, .alpha.,.beta.-dibromopropionyl, acryloyl, .alpha.-chloroacryloyl, .alpha.-bromoacryloyl, 2-methanesulfonyl-6-methylpyrimid-4-yl, 2,5,6-trichloropyrimid-4-yl, 2,5,6-tribromopyrimid-4-yl, 2-methanesulfonyl-5-chloro-6-methylpyrimid-4-yl, 2,4-dichloropyrimid-6-carbonyl, 2,4-dichloropyrimid-5-carbonyl, 6-fluoro-5-chloropyrimid-4-yl, 2,4-difluoro-5-chloropyrimid-6-yl, 2,5-difluoropyrimid-4-yl, 4,6-difluoro-s-triazine-2-yl, or 6-fluoro-s-triazine-4-yl substituted in 2-position by an aryl or alkyl radical or by the radical of an aliphatic or aromatic compound which is bonded through the sulfur atom or through the oxygen atom, or is substituted in 2-position by --NH.sub.2 or by the radical of an aliphatic, heterocyclic or aromatic amino compound which is bonded through the nitrogen atom;
• Y may be the same or different when n is greater than 1;
• provided that when n is 1, Y is not chloroacetyl, .alpha.-bromoacryloyl or .alpha.,.beta.-dibromopropionyl, and when n is 2 both Y are not chloroacetyl, .alpha.-bromoacryloyl, or .alpha.,.beta.-dibromopropionyl;
• in aqueous medium at a temperature in the range of 50.degree. to 130.degree. C., and subsequently effecting dye fixation at pH 8 to 11.