Ennobling textile filaments under - consistent conditions

An apparatus for treating hydrophobic organic textiles (e.g. of cellulose acetate, polyesters, polyamides, polyacrylonitriles) in an azeotropic mixture (or emulsion) of an organic solvent (e.g. a chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbon) whose density is greater than 1, and water, in which it is immiscible. The mixture is contained in a textile treatment chamber, and the vapour which is collected is fed to a condenser, condensed, and recirculated pref. via a pump or an emulsifier to the treatment chamber. Pref. air is exhausted from the condenser. During the treatment process, the chamber may be emptied by heating the mixture above its azeotropic boiling point, and collecting it as a vapour, allowing the textile to be dried pref. with hot air. Pref. between 1 and 10% of another solvent may be added e.g. dimethylacetamide or dimethyformamide. The process may be used in dyeing the textile, or treating it with preserving agents, anti-shrink agents etc. The conditions in the treatment chamber, e.g. pressure, temperature, concentration of treatment mixture, and quantity of treatment mixture is accurately controllable. Re-circulating the condensed vapour increases the efficiency of the process.