Method for temporarily coloring article with acid labile colorant

Claim 2

A process for providing temporary coloration to an article, comprising the steps of: applying a solution of a colorant to an article in an amount sufficient to provide coloration to said article, wherein said colorant is a polyoxyalkylene-substituted chromophore and said chromophore is selected from azomethine and indophenol chromophores, said chromophore further having a carbon-nitrogen pair joined by a double bond and characterized by an electron withdrawing group bonded to one element of said pair and an electron donating group bonded to an opposite element of said pair and said polyoxyalkylene substitutent is a straight or branched polymer chain having at least 10 monomer units selected from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and glycidol; maintaining said application of said colorant to provide coloration of said article for a desired length of time; and hydrolyzing said carbon-nitrogen pair of said chromophore by contacting said colorant with an aqueous acid having a pH of five or less to extinguish said colorant.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1, wherein said electron withdrawing group is selected from NO 2 , CN, cyanophenyl, nitrophenyl, alkyl ester, ketone, aryl ester, aldehyde, sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, ammonium ion and vinyl ketone groups, and said electron donating group is selected from arylamine, arylalkoxide and alkylaryl groups.

Claim 4

A process according to claim 2, wherein solution is aqueous.

Claim 5

A process according to claim 3, wherein said colorant comprises one or more of said polyoxyalkylene-substituents which together have a total of between 50 to 400 of said monomer units and at least fifty percent of said monomer units are ethylene oxide.

Claim 6

A process according to claim 4, wherein said colorant comprise from 0.5 to 50 weight percent of said solution.

Claim 7

A process according to claim 4, wherein said pH of said aqueous acid is 3 or less.

Claim 8

A process according to claim 4, wherein said polyoxyalkylene substituent is covalently bonded to said chromophore by a group selected from N, O, S, CO 2 , SO 2 , SO 2 N and CON.

Claim 9

A process according to claim 4, wherein said chromophore is an azomethine.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 2, wherein said colorant comprises one or more of said polyoxyalkylene-substituents which together have a total of between 50 to 400 of said monomer units and at least fifty percent of said monomer units are ethylene oxide.

Claim 11

A process according to claim 1, wherein solution is aqueous.

Claim 12

A process according to claim 10, wherein said colorant comprises one or more of said polyoxyalkylene-substituents which together have a total of between 50 to 400 of said monomer units and at least seventy five percent of said monomer units are ethylene oxide.

Claim 13

A process according to claim 1, wherein said colorant comprises one or more of said polyoxyalkylene-substituents which together have a total of between 50 to 400 of said monomer units and at least fifty percent of said monomer units are ethylene oxide.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 12, wherein said solution comprises a solvent selected from water and propylene glycol.

Claim 15

A process according to claim 13, wherein said article is a textile fiber selected from synthetic polyamide, cotton, wool and silk fibers.

Claim 16

A process according to claim 14, wherein said textile fiber is selected from nylon 6 and nylon 6,6 fibers.

Claim 17

A process for providing temporary coloration to an article, comprising the steps of: applying a solution of a colorant to an article in an amount sufficient to provide coloration to said article, wherein said colorant is selected from compounds of the formula: ##STR36## wherein A is a polyoxyalkylene substituent having a straight or branched polymer chain of at least 10 monomer units selected from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and glycidol; maintaining said application of said colorant to provide coloration of said article for a desired length of time; and hydrolyzing said carbon-nitrogen pair of said chromophore by contacting said colorant with an aqueous acid having a pH of five or less to extinguish said colorant.

Claim 18

A process for providing temporary coloration to an article, comprising the steps of: applying a solution of a colorant to an article in an amount sufficient to provide coloration to said article, wherein said colorant is selected from compounds of the formula: ##STR36## wherein A is a polyoxyalkylene substituent having a straight or branched polymer chain of at least 10 monomer units selected from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, and glycidol; maintaining said application of said colorant to provide coloration of said article for a desired length of time; and hydrolyzing said carbon-nitrogen pair of said chromophore by contacting said colorant with an aqueous acid having a pH of five or less to extinguish said colorant.

Claim 19

A process according to claim 16, wherein solution is aqueous.

Claim 20

A process according to claim 17, wherein said colorant comprises one or more of said polyoxyalkylene-substituents which together have a total of between 50 to 400 of said monomer units and at least seventy five percent of said monomer units are ethylene oxide.

Claim 21

A process according to claim 16, wherein said colorant comprises one or more of said polyoxyalkylene-substituents which together have a total of between 50 to 400 of said monomer units and at least fifty percent of said monomer units are ethylene oxide.

Claim 22

A process according to claim 19, wherein said solution comprises a solvent selected from water and propylene glycol.

Claim 23

A process according to claim 18, wherein solution is aqueous.

Claim 24

A process according to claim 21, wherein said colorant comprises from 0.5 to 50 weight percent of said solution.

Claim 25

A process according to claim 21, wherein said pH of said aqueous acid is 3 or less.

Claim 26

A process according to claim 23, wherein said colorant has the formula: ##STR37##

Claim 27

A process according to claim 21, wherein said article is a textile fiber.

Claim 28

A process according to claim 25, wherein said textile fiber is selected from synthetic polyamide, cotton, wool and silk.

Claim 29

A process according to claim 25, wherein said textile fiber is selected from nylon 6 and nylon 6,6.

Claim 30

A process for providing temporary coloration of a textile fiber comprising the steps of: applying a solution of a colorant to said fiber in an amount sufficient to provide coloration to said fiber, wherein said colorant is a polyoxyalkylene-substituted chromophore and said chromophore is selected from azomethine and indophenol chromophores, said chromophore further having a carbon-nitrogen pair joined by a double bond and characterized by an electron withdrawing group bonded to one element of said pair, wherein said electron withdrawing group is selected from NO 2 , CN, cyanophenyl, nitrophenyl, alkyl ester, ketone, aryl ester, aldehyde, sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, ammonium ion and vinyl ketone groups, and an electron denoting group bonded to an opposite element of said pair, wherein said electron donating group is selected from arylamine, arylalkoxide and alkylaryl groups, and said polyoxyalkylene substituent is a straight or branched polymer chain having at least 10 monomer units selected from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and glycidol; allowing said colorant to remain on said fiber for a sufficient length of time to identify said fiber based upon said coloration; and hydrolyzing said carbon-nitrogen pair of said chromophore by contacting said colorant with an aqueous acid having a pH of five or less to decolorize said colorant.

Claim 31

A process for providing temporary coloration of a textile fiber comprising the steps of: applying a solution of a colorant to said fiber in an amount sufficient to provide coloration to said fiber, wherein said colorant is a polyoxyalkylene-substituted chromophore and said chromophore is selected from azomethine and indophenol chromophores, said chromophore further having a carbon-nitrogen pair joined by a double bond and characterized by an electron withdrawing group bonded to one element of said pair, wherein said electron withdrawing group is selected from NO 2 , CN, cyanophenyl, nitrophenyl, alkyl ester, ketone, aryl ester, aldehyde, sulfonic acid, carboxylic acid, ammonium ion and vinyl ketone groups, and an electron denoting group bonded to an opposite element of said pair, wherein said electron donating group is selected from arylamine, arylalkoxide and alkylaryl groups, and said polyoxyalkylene substituent is a straight or branched polymer chain having at least 10 monomer units selected from ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and glycidol; allowing said colorant to remain on said fiber for a sufficient length of time to identify said fiber based upon said coloration; and hydrolyzing said carbon-nitrogen pair of said chromophore by contacting said colorant with an aqueous acid having a pH of five or less to decolorize said colorant.

Claim 32

A process according to claim 28, wherein solution is aqueous.

Claim 33

A process according to claim 29, wherein said colorant comprises one or more of said polyoxyalkylene-substituents which together have a total of between 50 to 400 of said monomer units and at least seventy five percent of said monomer units are ethylene oxide.

Claim 34

A process according to claim 28, wherein said colorant comprises one or more of said polyoxyalkylene-substituents which together have a total of between 50 to 400 of said monomer units and at least fifty percent of said monomer units are ethylene oxide.

Claim 35

A process according to claim 31, wherein solution is aqueous.

Claim 36

A process according to claim 32, wherein said textile fiber is selected from synthetic polyamide, cotton, wool and silk.

Claim 37

A process according to claim 32, wherein said colorant comprises from 0.5 to 50 weight percent of said solution.

Claim 38

A process according to claim 32, wherein said pH of said aqueous acid is 3 or less.

Claim 39

A process according to claim 32, wherein said polyoxyalkylene substituent is covalently bonded to said chromophore by a group selected from N, O, S, CO 2 , SO 2 , SO 2 N and CON.