摘要 |
A liquid lightguide comprising a tube made out of a fluoropolymer, covered on the inside by a thin amorphous coating layer and closed at both ends by transparent plugs to contain within an optically transparent liquid. This liquid can be an aqueous solution of inorganic salts. The coating layer comprises a solid fluoropolymer, like TEFLON(R) AF, preferably a mixture of a solid fluoropolymer and a liquid fluoropolymer like a perfluoropolyether. This mixture is more economical and promotes a better adhesion of the layer to the tube, and allows for increased flexibility of the tube and smaller tube diameters. The hydrophobic properties of the mixture in contact with the aqueous solution preserves the coating layer composition and thus its optical properties, thus increasing the lifetime of the lightguide.
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