SILICA GLASS PRODUCTS AND ITS PRODUCTION

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an optical fiber and other silica glass products reduced in deterioration by an ultraviolet irradiation, and to provide its production. SOLUTION: This production of silica glass products comprises the 1st step of irradiating an electromagnetic wave to a silica glass product as a starting material so as to cause any glass defects and the following 2nd step of immersing it in the atmosphere of hydrogen glass so that it may be significantly prevented to increase a light absorption in an ultraviolet region caused by ultraviolet irradiation. Preferably, there are used an ultraviolet ray, vacuum ultraviolet ray, X ray, andγray as the electromagnetic wave, and the exposure is 10 to 10<4> Gy. Furthermore, the production needs the 3rd step of irradiating an electromagnetic wave again after the 2nd step so as to improve an ultraviolet resistance of esp., the optical fiber. Preferably, the electromagnetic wave in the 3rd step is an excimer laser orγray. The 4th step may be used so as to remove hydrogen from the silica glass products after the 3rd step.