Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Technology: Chemical Engineering, M.L. Sultan Technikon, 1999. / An environmental problem facing the textile industry is the coloured effluent from the dyeing of cellulosic fibres with reactive dyes. Reactive dye loss during dyeing operations is about 10 to 40 %, indicating the need to learn more about the fate of these dyes. Increasing environmental regulations are driving technical innovation to manage this problem. Good analytical techniques for the separation and detection of reactive dyes and their derivatives are necessary for monitoring dye-house effluent, as well as in the optimisation of dye synthesis, purification, formulation and application. / M