PRODUCTION OF OPTICAL FIBER BASE MATERIAL

摘要

PURPOSE:To produce effectively the optical fiber base material excellent in quality by extruding directly an aq. metallic alkoxide soln. of high viscosity into a heating furnace from a nozzle and successively flame-hydrolyzing the obtained glass powder. CONSTITUTION:Water of about <=6mol times is added to metallic alkoxide such as ethyl silicate and furthermore a catalyst is added thereto and the obtained soln. is treated at about 80 deg.C to thicken it. Then the above-mentioned aq. metallic alkoxide soln. 1 of high viscosity is flowed down into the inside of a furnace 3 from a nozzle 2 (the flow rate is preferably made constant by pressurizing it suitably) to change it into the powder 4 of dried gel. Thereafter the above-mentioned powder 4 is immediately introduced into an oxyhydrogen flame 5, vetrified and built up on a building-rod 6 to form an optical fiber base material.