METHODS OF TREATING TEXTILE FIBRES

According to the invention there is provided a method of treating textile fibres including the steps of: providing a polymeric precursor which includes a group of sub-formula (I) where R2 and R3 are independently selected from (CR7R8)n, or a group CR9R10, CR7R8CR9R10 or CR9R10CR7R8 where n is 0, 1 or 2, R7 and R8 are independently selected from hydrogen, halo or hydrocarbyl, and either one of R9 or R10 is hydrogen and the other is an electron withdrawing group, or R9 and R10 together form an electron withdrawing group, and R4 and R5 are independently selected from CH or CR11 where R11 is an electron withdrawing group, the dotted lines indicate the presence or absence of a bond, X1 is a group CX2X3 where the dotted line bond to which it is attached is absent and a group CX2 where the dotted line bond to which it is attached is present, Y1 is a group CY2Y3 where the dotted line bond to which it is attached is absent and a group CY2 where the dotted line bond to which it is attached is present, and X2, X3, Y2 and Y3 are independently selected from hydrogen, fluorine or other substituents, R1 is selected from hydrogen, halo, nitro, hydrocarbyl, optionally substituted or interposed with functional groups, or -R3-R5≡Y1, and R13 is C(O) or S(0)2; coating the textile fibres with the polymeric precursor; and polymerising the polymeric precursor so as to produce a polymeric coating on the textile fibres.