Bleaching process comprising use of a phenol oxidizing enzyme, a hydrogen peroxide source and an enhancing agent

A process for providing a bleached look in the colour density of the surface of dyed fabric, the process comprising contacting, in an aqueous medium, a dyed fabric with a phenol oxidizing enzyme system and an enhancing agent of the following formula:

• ##STR4## in which X represents (--O--) or (--S--), and the substituent groups R.sup.1 -R.sup.9, which are identical or different, independently represent any of the following radicals:
• hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, formyl, carboxy and esters and salts thereof, carbamoyl, sulfo and esters and salts thereof, sulfamoyl, nitro, amino, phenyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.14 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkoxy, carbonyl-C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl, aryl-C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl;
• in which said carbamoyl, sulfamoyl and amino are unsubstituted or substituted once or twice with a substituent group R.sup.10 ;
• in which said phenyl is unsubstituted or substituted with one or more substituent groups R.sup.10 ;
• in which said C.sub.1 -C.sub.14 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkoxy, carbonyl-C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl, and aryl-C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl groups are saturated or unsaturated, branched or unbranched, and are unsubstituted or substituted with one or more substituent groups R.sup.10 ;
• which substituent group R.sup.10 represents any of the following radicals:
• halogen, hydroxy, formyl, carboxy and esters and salts thereof, carbamoyl, sulfo and esters and salts thereof, sulfamoyl, nitro, amino, phenyl, aminoalkyl, piperidino, piperazinyl, pyrrolidino, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkoxy;
• in which said carbamoyl, sulfamoyl and amino is unsubstituted or substituted once or twice with hydroxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkoxy;
• and in which said phenyl is substituted with one or more of the following radicals:
• halogen, hydroxy, amino, formyl, carboxy and esters and salts thereof, carbamoyl, sulfo and esters and salts thereof, and sulfamoyl;
• and which said C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkyl, and C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 -alkoxy are saturated or unsaturated, branched or unbranched, and is substituted once or twice with any of the following radicals:
• halogen, hydroxy, amino, formyl, carboxy and esters and salts thereof, carbamoyl, sulfo and esters and salts thereof, and sulfamoyl;
• or in which two of the substituent groups in R.sup.1 -R.sup.9 form a group --B--, in which B represents any of the following groups:
• (--CHR.sup.10 --N.dbd.N--), (--CH.dbd.CH--).sub.n, (--CH.dbd.N--), or (--N.dbd.CR.sup.10 --NR.sup.11 --), in which groups n represents an integer of from 1 to 3, R.sup.10 is a substituent group as defined above and R.sup.11 is defined as R.sup.10.