PARTIALLY IMPREGNATED, FIBER REINFORCED THERMOPLASTIC STRENGTH MEMBER

摘要

Fiber bundles (10) comprise loose fibers (11) encased within a fiber/resin composite (12). The bundles are useful as strength members for fiber optic cables. In one embodiment the bundles are prepared by a method comprising the steps of (A) bundling fibers together such that a portion of the fibers form an interior part of the bundle and a portion of the fibers form an exterior part of the bundle, and (B) impregnating the exterior part of the bundle with a resin such that (1) the fibers that form the exterior part of the bundle and the resin form a fiber/resin composite that encases the fibers that for the interior part of the bundle, and (2) the fibers that form the interior part of the bundle are not impregnated with the resin.