**3. Literature review summary and scope of the research**

From the literature review, the substantial volume of work conducted by researchers of different laboratories world-wide confirmed that the aqueous dyeing of generic, unmodified PP fiber is of significant importance for textile, carpet, apparel, sportswear and a variety of other product applications. Most of the work carried out by researchers included the modification of PP fiber in some form or another, paths which although they impart dyeability, increase the total fiber costs two to three times above that of generic PP because of utilization of a variety of modifying chemicals, additives, comonomers or components. Another disadvantage of the fiber modification route is that it adversely affects the mechanical and physical properties of the fiber. The low cost and good physical/aesthetic properties, the two basic motivations for utilizing generic PP fiber in textiles and carpets, have been outweighed by the disadvantages and limitations of modifying the fiber solely to impart aqueous dyeability.

The primary purpose of the aqueous dyeing of PP fiber in its generic, unmodified form is to exploit the advantages this fiber offers to the market place and, at the same time, create new product markets for this inexpensive fiber in high volume consumption areas such as tufted carpets, towels, apparel, sportswear and technical textiles. These product markets are governed today by demand-activated manufacturing, and hence can only be realized by developing flexible, aqueous batch and continuous dyeing processes for generic PP consistent with commercially-established coloration technologies already in use for other high-volume, commodity fibers.
