A surface treatment process for treating a plurality of cellulose fibers, comprising the steps of: - providing at least one predetermined poorly soluble compound in a liquid medium; - placing sliver on a transporting means; - incrementally introducing the sliver into a trough within a surface treatment apparatus so that there is control of the sliver travelling within the liquid medium, and so that the sliver can be opened in an ordered fashion, exposing sufficient surface area of the individual fibers constituting the sliver to the at least one poorly soluble compound, thereby enabling effective plating or speckling of the fibers, and reconstitution of the fibers back to sliver, - the trough being sized and configured to limit the dispersion of the fibers, the fibers being transported on a transporting means selected from i. a moving belt, ii. a moving film, iii. a moving web, and iv. a moving double web, the fibers being sandwiched between the two webs of the double web, partially weighing down the fiber to at least partially immerse it in the liquid medium so as to assist in maintaining exposure of the fibers in the liquid medium and maintaining an ordered orientation of the fibers in said step of introducing, and - further comprising a step of activating at least one transponder in acoustic communication with at least one sonotrode at least partially submerged in the liquid medium, the at least one sonotrode emitting sound pressure waves at a frequency of 15 kHz to 30 kHz for cavitation of said at least one poorly soluble compound into the fibers of the sliver. - providing at least one predetermined poorly soluble compound in a liquid medium; - placing sliver on a transporting means; - incrementally introducing the sliver into a trough within a surface treatment apparatus so that there is control of the sliver travelling within the liquid medium, and so that the sliver can be opened in an ordered fashion, exposing sufficient surface area of the individual fibers constituting the sliver to the at least one poorly soluble compound, thereby enabling effective plating or speckling of the fibers, and reconstitution of the fibers back to sliver, - the trough being sized and configured to limit the dispersion of the fibers, the fibers being transported on a transporting means selected from i. a moving belt, ii. a moving film, iii. a moving web, and iv. a moving double web, the fibers being sandwiched between the two webs of the double web, partially weighing down the fiber to at least partially immerse it in the liquid medium so as to assist in maintaining exposure of the fibers in the liquid medium and maintaining an ordered orientation of the fibers in said step of introducing, and i. a moving belt, ii. a moving film, iii. a moving web, and iv. a moving double web, the fibers being sandwiched between the two webs of the double web, - further comprising a step of activating at least one transponder in acoustic communication with at least one sonotrode at least partially submerged in the liquid medium, the at least one sonotrode emitting sound pressure waves at a frequency of 15 kHz to 30 kHz for cavitation of said at least one poorly soluble compound into the fibers of the sliver.