GB2201914A - Optical fibres - Google Patents
Optical fibres Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2201914A GB2201914A GB08705397A GB8705397A GB2201914A GB 2201914 A GB2201914 A GB 2201914A GB 08705397 A GB08705397 A GB 08705397A GB 8705397 A GB8705397 A GB 8705397A GB 2201914 A GB2201914 A GB 2201914A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- metal
- polymer coated
- coated optical
- optical fibre
- optical fibres
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 title description 14
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 24
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 24
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 claims abstract description 16
- 239000013307 optical fiber Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 12
- 229910001092 metal group alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 238000002844 melting Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 230000008018 melting Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 6
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 10
- 238000001125 extrusion Methods 0.000 abstract description 5
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 abstract description 3
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 abstract 1
- 238000000576 coating method Methods 0.000 description 9
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 7
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 description 7
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 5
- 239000011248 coating agent Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 4
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 4
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 3
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 108091092889 HOTTIP Proteins 0.000 description 1
- 239000004952 Polyamide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000004698 Polyethylene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052581 Si3N4 Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- RRLHMJHRFMHVNM-BQVXCWBNSA-N [(2s,3r,6r)-6-[5-[5-hydroxy-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-oxochromen-7-yl]oxypentoxy]-2-methyl-3,6-dihydro-2h-pyran-3-yl] acetate Chemical compound C1=C[C@@H](OC(C)=O)[C@H](C)O[C@H]1OCCCCCOC1=CC(O)=C2C(=O)C(C=3C=CC(O)=CC=3)=COC2=C1 RRLHMJHRFMHVNM-BQVXCWBNSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000004411 aluminium Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000000919 ceramic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000007613 environmental effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052736 halogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 150000002367 halogens Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000003973 paint Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920002647 polyamide Polymers 0.000 description 1
- -1 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920000573 polyethylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 230000002265 prevention Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011253 protective coating Substances 0.000 description 1
- HQVNEWCFYHHQES-UHFFFAOYSA-N silicon nitride Chemical compound N12[Si]34N5[Si]62N3[Si]51N64 HQVNEWCFYHHQES-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229920002050 silicone resin Polymers 0.000 description 1
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B21—MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL
- B21C—MANUFACTURE OF METAL SHEETS, WIRE, RODS, TUBES OR PROFILES, OTHERWISE THAN BY ROLLING; AUXILIARY OPERATIONS USED IN CONNECTION WITH METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL
- B21C23/00—Extruding metal; Impact extrusion
- B21C23/22—Making metal-coated products; Making products from two or more metals
- B21C23/24—Covering indefinite lengths of metal or non-metal material with a metal coating
- B21C23/26—Applying metal coats to cables, e.g. to insulated electric cables
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4401—Optical cables
- G02B6/4415—Cables for special applications
- G02B6/4427—Pressure resistant cables, e.g. undersea cables
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4401—Optical cables
- G02B6/4429—Means specially adapted for strengthening or protecting the cables
- G02B6/443—Protective covering
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/44—Mechanical structures for providing tensile strength and external protection for fibres, e.g. optical transmission cables
- G02B6/4479—Manufacturing methods of optical cables
- G02B6/4486—Protective covering
- G02B6/4488—Protective covering using metallic tubes
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Optics & Photonics (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Surface Treatment Of Glass Fibres Or Filaments (AREA)
- Extrusion Moulding Of Plastics Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
A metal or metal alloy sheathing layer 1' on a polymer coated optical fibre 1, particularly for hermetic sealing purposes, is applied by direct extrusion of a low melting point metal (e.g. lead) or metal alloy 3 onto the polymer coated fibre, by means of a ram extruder 5. <IMAGE>
Description
OPTICAL FIBRES
This invention relates to optical fibres and in particular to the sheathing of optical fibres.
To protect optical fibres from environmental influences, specifically for the prevention of the ingress of water for undersea applications, it has previously been proposed to encapsulate a number of optical fibres in welded C-section tubes. Similarly for land-based systems use has been made of polyethylene/ aluminium laminated tapes. Both of these methods are difficult manufacturing processes and do not afford protection to individual fibres in their own right.
Optical fibres are generally primary coated following drawing thereof with a plastics material such as a silicone resin, and may be subsequently secondarily coated with another plastics material, such as a polyamide. It has previously been suggested to hermetically seal a primary coated optical fibre by a metal or metal alloy coating applied by drawing the fibre through molten metal or metal alloy. It has also been proposed to hermetically seal freshly drawn optical fibres with other types of coatings such as ceramics, for example silicon nitride.
Optical fibres may be employed in ship-board wiring systems. In such applications the production of obnoxious gases (halogens in particular) from plastics coatings on the fibres during fires should be minimised if not eliminated. Alternative or additional protective coatings are thus desirable on the fibres, which coatings need not be hermetic as is desirable for undersea cable applications.
According to the present invention there is provided a method of sheathing a polymer coated optical fibre including the step of extruding a metal or metal alloy directly over the polymer coated optical fibre.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 illustrates, schematically, a ram extruder for applying a metal sheathing to a polymer coated optical fibre, and
Fig. 2 illustrates a cross-section, on a larger scale, through a metal sheathed, polymer coated optical fibre.
The present invention proposes to extrude metal or metal alloy coatings directly onto individual primary or secondary coated optical fibres. For example it is proposed that polymer coated optical fibres be directly sheathed with lead by extrusion thereof. Instead of lead, other low melting point metals or alloys may be similarly employed.
Lead sheathing by extrusion is a technique which was commonly employed for complete cables in the past, it is now proposed, however, to similarly sheath individual polymer coated optical fibres. The extrusion may be performed by a ram extruder, an example of which is illustrated schematically in Fig. 1. A polymer coated optical fibre 1 is fed into a chamber 2 containing the appropriate molten metal or metal alloy 3 and maintained at an appropriate temperature and exits the chamber through an appropriately sized die 4. The metal or alloy 3 is forced out of the chamber 2 by means of ram 5 which is urged into the chamber. The fibre 1 exiting the die 4 comprises an optical core 6, a polymer coating or coatings 7 and an extruded metal sheath 8 (Fig. 2).
The metals and alloys under consideration for use as the extruded sheath should have melting points compatible with the intended use of the optical fibre and the plastics material employed for the polymer coating in order to prevent damage to the latter during metal extrusion and to provide matching of the thermal properties of the polymer and the metal coating so that, for example, elevated temperatures do not cause strain on the optical core. Typically the metals and alloys may have melting points in the range 20-400 C. At the lower end of this range the metal/alloy could be used for undersea environments and those at the top of the range may find application in well-logging where temperatures as high as 3000C are encountered. Examples of suitable low melting point metals and alloys are lead, MCP80 (72 to 980C), Mop150 (138 to 1700cm. Whilst a ram extruder has been referred to above other means of extruding molten low temperature metals and alloys may be employed alternatively, for example hot tip, roller paint process.
Claims (6)
1. A method of sheathing a polymer coated optical fibre including the step of extruding a metal or metal alloy directly over the polymer coated optical fibre.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the extruding step is achieved by means of a ram extruder.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the metal or metal alloy has a melting point in the range 20 to 4000C.
4. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the metal is lead.
5. A method of metal sheathing a polymer coated optical fibre substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
6. A metal or metal alloy sheathed polymer coated optical fibre manufactured by a method according to any one of the preceding claims.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08705397A GB2201914A (en) | 1987-03-07 | 1987-03-07 | Optical fibres |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08705397A GB2201914A (en) | 1987-03-07 | 1987-03-07 | Optical fibres |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8705397D0 GB8705397D0 (en) | 1987-04-08 |
| GB2201914A true GB2201914A (en) | 1988-09-14 |
Family
ID=10613531
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08705397A Pending GB2201914A (en) | 1987-03-07 | 1987-03-07 | Optical fibres |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2201914A (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2003025631A1 (en) * | 2001-09-19 | 2003-03-27 | 3M Innovative Properties Company | Optical and optoelectronic articles |
| FR2913898A1 (en) * | 2007-03-23 | 2008-09-26 | Alcan Rhenalu Sa | STRUCTURAL ELEMENT IN ALUMINUM ALLOY INCLUDING AN OPTICAL SENSOR. |
Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1187088A (en) * | 1967-10-04 | 1970-04-08 | Hydraulik Gmbh | A Double Ram, Cable Sheathing Extrusion Press. |
| EP0034670A1 (en) * | 1980-02-12 | 1981-09-02 | The Post Office | A glass optical fibre and a method of coating a plastic coated glass fibre with metal |
| GB2177958A (en) * | 1985-07-18 | 1987-02-04 | Stc Plc | Friction extrusion |
-
1987
- 1987-03-07 GB GB08705397A patent/GB2201914A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1187088A (en) * | 1967-10-04 | 1970-04-08 | Hydraulik Gmbh | A Double Ram, Cable Sheathing Extrusion Press. |
| EP0034670A1 (en) * | 1980-02-12 | 1981-09-02 | The Post Office | A glass optical fibre and a method of coating a plastic coated glass fibre with metal |
| GB2177958A (en) * | 1985-07-18 | 1987-02-04 | Stc Plc | Friction extrusion |
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2003025631A1 (en) * | 2001-09-19 | 2003-03-27 | 3M Innovative Properties Company | Optical and optoelectronic articles |
| US7106939B2 (en) | 2001-09-19 | 2006-09-12 | 3M Innovative Properties Company | Optical and optoelectronic articles |
| FR2913898A1 (en) * | 2007-03-23 | 2008-09-26 | Alcan Rhenalu Sa | STRUCTURAL ELEMENT IN ALUMINUM ALLOY INCLUDING AN OPTICAL SENSOR. |
| WO2008129178A2 (en) * | 2007-03-23 | 2008-10-30 | Alcan Rhenalu | Dressed product comprising an optical sensor, and production method therefor |
| WO2008129178A3 (en) * | 2007-03-23 | 2008-12-24 | Alcan Rhenalu | Dressed product comprising an optical sensor, and production method therefor |
| CN101641167B (en) * | 2007-03-23 | 2011-12-21 | 法国肯联铝业 | Processed product comprising an optical sensor and manufacture method of the processed product |
| US8693812B2 (en) | 2007-03-23 | 2014-04-08 | Constellium France | Structrual element made of an aluminum alloy including an optical sensor |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8705397D0 (en) | 1987-04-08 |
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