Abstract:
A wet-on-dry process for coating a glass optical fiber with a radiation curable Primary Coating, comprising (a) operating a glass drawing tower to produce a glass optical fiber; (b) applying a radiation curable Primary Coating composition onto the surface of the optical fiber; (c) applying radiation to effect curing of said radiation curable Primary Coating composition; (d) applying a secondary coating to the Primary Coating; and (e) applying radiation to effect curing of said secondary coating. Also, a wet-on-wet process for coating a glass optical fiber with a radiation curable Primary Coating, comprising (a) operating a glass drawing tower to produce a glass optical fiber; (b) applying a radiation curable Primary Coating composition onto the surface of the optical fiber; (c) applying a secondary coating to the Primary Coating; and (d) applying radiation to effect curing of the Primary Coating and the secondary coating.
Abstract:
A new radiation curable Secondary Coating for optical fibers is described and claimed wherein said composition comprises a Secondary Coating Oligomer Blend, which is mixed with a first diluent monomer; a second diluent monomer; optionally, a third diluent monomer; an antioxidant; a first photoinitiator; a second photoinitiator; and optionally a slip additive or a blend of slip additives; wherein said Secondary Coating Oligomer Blend comprises: α) an Omega Oligomer; and β) an Upsilon Oligomer; wherein said Omega Oligomer is synthesized by the reaction of α1) a hydroxyl-containing (meth)acrylate; α2) an isocyanate; α3) a polyether polyol; and α4) tripropylene glycol; in the presence of α5) a polymerization inhibitor; and α6) a catalyst; to yield the Omega Oligomer; wherein said catalyst is selected from the group consisting of dibutyl tin dilaurate; metal carboxylates, including, but not limited to: organobismuth catalysts such as bismuth neodecanoate; zinc neodecanoate; zirconium neodecanoate; zinc 2-ethylhexanoate; sulfonic acids, including but not limited to dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid, methane sulfonic acid; amino or organo-base catalysts, including, but not limited to: 1,2-dimethylimidazole and diazabicyclooctane; triphenyl phosphine; alkoxides of zirconium and titanium, including, but not limited to Zirconium butoxide and Titanium butoxide; and Ionic liquid phosphonium salts; and tetradecyl(trihexyl) phosphonium chloride; and wherein said Upsilon Oligomer is an epoxy diacrylate.
Abstract:
Radiation curable coatings for use as a Primary Coating for optical fibers, optical fibers coated with said coatings and processes to coat the optical fiber are described and claimed. The radiation curable coating is a radiation curable Primary Coating composition comprising: an oligomer; a first diluent monomer; a second diluent monomer, a photoinitiator; an antioxidant; and an adhesion promoter; wherein said oligomer is the reaction product of: a hydroxyethyl acrylate; an aromatic isocyanate; an aliphatic isocyanate; a polyol; a catalyst; and an inhibitor, and wherein said oligomer has a number average molecular weight of from at least about 4000 g/mol to less than or equal to about 15,000 g/mol; wherein a cured film of said radiation curable primary coating composition has a peak tan delta Tg of from about −25° C. to about −45° C. and a modulus of from about 0.50 MPa to about 1.2 MPa.