Process for producing hard plastic clad optical fiber with improved ultraviolet transmission
AssigneeCeramOptec, Inc.
InventorWolfgang Neuberger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to a process for producing hard clad optical fibers with improved ultraviolet transmission which includes drawing an optical fiber core while simultaneously coating the core with a photoinitiator-free, active energy ray curable composition and then introducing the coated core to a high energy ionizing radiation ray source so as to minimize exposure of the core to the ionizing radiation. The energy is less than 800 keV and preferably less than 200 keV. In one preferred embodiment, the energy is aimed at the coated core so as to pass therethrough at an angle of 45.degree. or less. The resulting product from the process is also included in the present invention.
Claims20
A process for producing hard clad optical fibers with improved ultraviolet transmission which comprises:
- (a) drawing an optical fiber core through a draw process and, as it is being drawn from the draw process, coating the core with an active energy ray curable composition having no photo initiators therein, which when cured, serves as a cladding such that the cladding meets the core at a core/cladding interface;
- and,
- (b) introducing the coated fiber core to high energy ionizing radiation rays such that .gtoreq.40% of the coated fiber core cross-sectional area receives .ltoreq.1 Mrad of radiation dose while curing the cladding.
An optical fiber formed by a process comprising:
- (a) drawing an optical fiber core through a draw process and, as it is being drawn from the draw process, coating the core with an active energy ray curable composition having no photo initiators therein, which when cured, serves as a cladding such that the cladding meets the core at a cladding/core interface;
- and,
- (b) introducing the coated fiber to high energy ionizing radiation rays such that .gtoreq.40% of the coated fiber core cross-sectional area receives .ltoreq.1 Mrad of radiation dose while curing the cladding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.