Abstract:
The present invention relates to a radiation curable coating composition comprising a radiation curable oligomer comprising a backbone derived from polypropylene glycol and a dimer acid based polyester polyol, wherein said coating composition, when cured, is having: a) a hardening temperature (Th) of from −10° C. to about −20° C. and a modulus measured at said Th of lower than 5.0 MPa; or b) a hardening temperature (Th) of from −20° C. to about −30° C. and a modulus measured at said Th of lower than 20.0 MPa; or c) a hardening temperature (Th) of lower than about −30° C. and a modulus measured at said Th of lower than 70.0 MPa.
Abstract:
In order to prevent an uncontrolled collapse of a quartz tube whose inner surface is being coated with a vitrifiable substance in making a preform or parison of an optical fiber, one or more streams of carrier gas entraining the ingredients of the coating substance through the quartz tube are supplemented by a stream of supplemental carrier gas whose flow is being continuously controlled to keep the overall mass-flow rate substantially constant. The outer tube diameter is photoelectrically monitored and incipient changes thereof are compensated by controlling a flow of additional carrier or inert gas which does not pass through the tube but joins the traversing gas flow at the tube outlet, inside a solids separator with a restricted exit aperture, to modify the pressure differential across the tube wall.
Abstract:
The method of surfacing the heater of a furnace for optical fiber drawing allows elimination of defects in the inner heater surface, which defects give rise to particle emission towards the preform. This is achieved by depositing a thin layer of a mixture of oxides compatible with the material composing the heater.
Abstract:
The method allows surface defect reduction in silica optical-fibres by enriching the external layer by silica bonded carbon atoms within the silica network: SiC.SiO.sub.2. Carbon is obtained from chemical reaction directly during the drawing step.Volume defects are reduced by rapidly cooling the fibre structure heated up to vitrous transition temperature.The apparatus allows the method to be carried out during drawing step.
Abstract:
In order to produce a preform or parison from which an optical fiber can be drawn, a vitrifiable substance such as silicon chloride and a doping agent such as germanium chloride, for example, are fed in liquid form and at room temperature to a spray nozzle together with water or steam for continuous deposition on a relatively rotating and axially reciprocating inner or outer surface of a cylindrical support until that surface is covered with a heavy layer of as yet unvitrified hydrated silica admixed with the doping agent in proportions designed to provide a selected refractive-index profile. The resulting preform, after degassing and separation from the support if necessary, is freed from occluded water molecules by exposure to a flow of hot dehydrating gas which may contain anhydrous compounds and is thereafter collapsed into a solid rod and completely vitrified at high temperatures.
Abstract:
In order to improve the transmission characteristics of optical fibers drawn from the preforms manufactured by vapor deposition of silica on an inner wall surface of a supporting tube of glass, the tube is subjected to a two-stage heat treatment with deuterium whereby OH.sup.- groups at least on the inner tube surface are isotopically replaced by OD.sup.- groups. This pretreatment can be carried out in the same apparatus which is subsequently used for producing the preform.