Colorfast dyed poly ether imide articles including fiber

1 . A composition comprising a dyed polymer fiber capable of holding the color of the dye wherein the fiber comprises a polyetherimide and the dyed fiber has a colorfast score of 1/5 or higher according to ISO 105-302.

2 . A dyed fiber according to claim 1 wherein the fiber has a colorfast score of 2/5 or higher.

3 . A dyed fiber according to claim 1 wherein the fiber has a colorfast score of 3/5 or higher.

4 . A dyed fiber according to claim 1 wherein the fiber has a colorfast score of 4/5 or higher.

5 . A dyed fiber according to claim 1 wherein the fiber has a colorfast score of 5/5 or higher.

6 . A dyed fiber according to claim 1 wherein the dyed color of the fiber is selected from the group consisting of black, white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, and combinations thereof.

7 . A dyed fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the dyed fiber further comprises one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of perfumes, odor control agents, antimicrobial actives and/or preservatives, surfactants, optical brighteners, antioxidants, chelating agents, antistatic agents, dye transfer inhibiting agents, fabric softening actives, static control agents, and combinations thereof.

8 . A dyed fiber according to claim 1 , wherein the dyed fiber further comprises one or more dyes, or dye component selected from the group consisting of: animal dyes, vegetable dyes, mordant dyes, acid dyes, aniline dyes, azo dyes, basic dyes, cyanine dye, disperse dyes, oxidation dyes, reactive dyes, solvent dye, sulfur dyes and vat dyes, and combinations thereof.

9 . A composition comprising a dyed polymer fiber capable of holding the color of the dye wherein the fiber comprises a polyetherimide and the dyed fiber has a colorfast score of 1/5 or higher according to ISO 105-302 and wherein the polyetherimide comprises between about 1 and about 1,000, structural units, of the formula:

wherein

T is —O— or a group of the formula —O-Z-O—; and,

Z is selected from the group consisting of divalent radicals of formula:

Q is selected from the group consisting of —O—, —S—, —C(O)—, —SO 2 —, CYH 2y —, and halogenated derivatives thereof, including perfluoroalkylene groups; and,

y being an integer from 1 to 5.

10 . A composition comprising a dyed polymer fiber capable of holding the color of the dye wherein the fiber according to claim 9 wherein the divalent bonds of the —O— or the —O-Z-O— group are in the 3,3′, 3,4′, 4,3′, or the 4,4′ positions.

11 . A method of making a dyed polyetherimide compositions comprising the steps of:

a) supplying a PEI composition selected from the group consisting of fibers and shaped articles of manufacture;

b) exposing said PEI composition to a dye.

12 . A composition comprising a dyed polymer fiber capable of holding the color of the dye according to claim 1 wherein the fiber has a denier of between about 0.1 and about 50,000.

13 . A composition comprising a dyed polymer fiber capable of holding the color of the dye according to claims 1 wherein the fiber has a denier of between about 0.1 to about 10,000.

14 . A composition comprising a dyed polymer fiber capable of holding the color of the dye according to claim 1 wherein the fiber has a denier of between about 0.25 to about 50.

15 . A composition comprising a dyed polymer fiber capable of holding the color of the dye according to claim 1 wherein the fiber has a denier of between about 0.25 to about 10.

16 . A composition comprising a dyed polymer fiber capable of holding the color of the dye according to claims 1 or 5 wherein the fiber has diameter which can range from about 0.00001 mm to about 2 mm.

17 . A composition comprising a dyed polymer fiber capable of holding the color of the dye according to claims 1 or 5 wherein the fiber has diameter which can range from about 0.0001 mm to about 0.5 mm.