Abstract: Process for treating a substrate, namely a fibre or a fibrous product, with a superabsorbent material, in which process there is applied to the surface of the substrate, which is not an aramid fibre, a layer of a water-in-oil emulsion which contains a superabsorbent material in its aqueous phase, so that there is applied to the substrate, calculated on its dry weight, 0.3 to 40 wt. % of the superabsorbent material, after which the liquid constituents of the emulsion are wholly or partially removed from the substrate.

Abstract: An aramid yarn, preferably poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide), is coated with a water swellable superabsorbent material. The swelling value of the yarn is at least 60. The superabsorbent provides water blocking capability to the yarn, so that it is suitable for use as a strength member, for example, in water tight optical communication cables. The yarn is made by successively treating an aramid yarn with a water-in-oil emulsion, a superabsorbent material being present in the water phase of the emulsion, and removing the liquid components from the treated yarn by evaporation.