Helium recycling for optical fiber manufacturing

摘要

A method for recycling helium used in the consolidation process of optical fibre manufacturing. Helium of a first purity is fed to a consolidation furnace (410) and waste helium is recovered from the furnace and fed to a helium purifier (420). Here it is purified to produce an output stream of recycled purified helium satisfactory for reuse in the consolidation process to which it is fed. Also claimed are two methods for recycling helium used in optical fibre manufacturing. Also claimed is a method for recycling a noble gas used in the consolidation process of optical fibre manufacture.