OPTICAL FIBER FABRICATION PROCESS

摘要

Glass tubes which form an integral part of optical fiber preforms from which optical fibers are drawn are fabricated from tubular structures comprising amorphous powdery particles. The tubular structures are heated so as to fuse the particles thereby yielding a transparent tubular glass structure of optical fiber quality. During the fusing step, the structure is substantially constrained against shrinkage in both the radial and longitudinal direction thereby yielding a glass tube with improved dimensional characteristics.