DRAWING METHOD FOR OPTICAL FIBER

摘要

PURPOSE:To prevent impurity particles in a heating furnace from sticking to the surface of a rodlike glass base material for an optical fiber and to enhance the strength of an optical fiber by applying an electric field or a magnetic field to the furnace when the base material is softened in the furnace and drawn. CONSTITUTION:A base material 8 is softened by heating with a carbon heating element 2 and drawn into an optical fiber 9. Fine carbon particles produced from the element 2 and a heat insulator 3 react with quartz glass at >= about 1,300 deg.C. By applying a voltage between electrodes 4, 5 so as to apply an electric field to the heating region of a heating furnace 1, fine particles produced in the furnace can be collected. Electromagnets may be set in place of the electrodes 4, 5 to apply a magnetic field.