Disclosed herein is a method for making fibrous web materials which may be used in or as absorbent core materials for absorbent products. The method involves providing loose fibers, entraining the fibers in a moving airstream, treating the fibers with an energy-activatable pre-polymer composition and subjecting the fibers to activation energy to initiate cross-linking of the composition. The fibers are collected on forming surface to form a fibrous web. The fibers may be treated with the composition while entrained in the moving air or after being collected on the forming surface, or in an alternate embodiment by treating with the composition a mat of fibers from which the loose fibers are provided. The fibrous web material may comprise cellulosic fibers such as pulp, and/or synthetic fibers such as staple fibers, and/or super absorbent materials.