Toray Industries, Inc.

Kazuya Hayashi

Teruo Nakamura

Masato Shimada

Masayuki Hirata

Koichi Kubota

Tetsuya Katoh

Yoshihiro Fujii

A dyed synthetic fiber having antibacterial and antifungal properties is described, which contains 0.01 to 20 weight % of a silver-substituted zeolite and 0.001 to 1.0 weight % of a substantially water-insoluble copper compound. The copper compound is present independent of zeolite particles in the fiber. The dyed synthetic fiber is prepared by incorporating a silver-substituted zeolite in a monomer or a polymerization mixture before the completion of polymerization in the step of preparing a polymer for the fiber; further incorporating the copper compound in the polymer before the spinning thereof into a fiber; spinning the polymer into a fiber; and dyeing the fiber. The dyed fiber retains a high level of antibacterial and antifungal properties.

Dyed synthetic fiber comprising silver-substituted zeolite and copper

A process for treating a fibrous structure is provided. The fibrous structure comprises at least two components at least one of which is a polyester containing an SO.sub.3 M group wherein M represents hydrogen or an alkali metal. The process is characterized in that the fibrous structure is treated with an agent which deteriorates the polyester prior to the alkali treatment for the removal of the polyester component.

Process for treating fibrous structure

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Otsu, Japan

Kazuya Hayashi