THERMOPLASTIC POLYURETHANES IN OPTICAL FIBER COATINGS

摘要

A process for correcting defects in a primary coating on a glass optical fiber involves providing an optical fiber configured for propagation of an optical signal, coating the optical fiber with a composition comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane and at least one acrylate monomer, curing the composition to form a relatively soft primary coating covering an outer surface of the optical fiber, the primary coating being a thermoplastic product of the polyurethane and the at least one acrylate monomer, coating the optical fiber with at least one relatively harder secondary coating layer disposed over the primary coating, heating the coated fiber to a temperature above the melting temperature of the thermoplastic product to cause the primary coating to flow and correct defects, and cooling the coated fiber to a temperature below the melting temperature of the thermoplastic product to provide a substantially defect free primary coating.