Apparatus and method for sintering an over-jacketing sol-gel derived glass tube for an optical fiber preform

摘要

Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for sintering an over-jacketing tube in a zone sintering phase of an optical fiber preform fabrication process using a sol-gel process. The sintering apparatus includes: a processing tube materialized of quartz; a gel tube assembly including a top rotation cap positioned at a top of the processing tube for sealing an inside of the processing tube and rotating at a regular peripheral velocity, a ceramic pin elongated downward from the axis of the rotation cap, and a gel tube suspended from a bottom of the ceramic pin and disposed on a same axle within the processing tube; and a movable furnace initially positioned at a bottom of the processing tube and moving upward along the processing tube for thermally processing the gel tube after the gel tube assembly is inserted into the processing tube. Therefore, the present invention improves an equipment accuracy, and hence achieves an easer maintenance.