Abstract: The invention includes a composition for an optical fiber coating. An inventive composition includes a non-thiol functional adhesion promoter and less than about 0.5 pph of a strength additive containing a thiol functional group. The invention further includes an optical fiber coated with the inventive composition. A second inventive composition includes a photo-polymerizable composition which contains an adhesion promoter and a non-silicon containing strength additive containing at least about one thiol functional group. A third inventive composition includes a photo-polymerizable composition which has a silane containing adhesion promoter and a strength additive containing at least about one halide functional group. The invention also includes an optical fiber coated with the inventive coating and methods of making an optical fiber including the inventive coating.

Abstract: The invention includes methods of making a fluorine doped soot particle. One method of the invention includes the steps of (1) delivering a silicon containing precursor to a first opening in a burner face; (2) delivering a source of oxygen to a second opening, wherein the second opening is spaced apart from the first opening such that the silicon precursor and oxygen source react to form a soot particle having a surface area of more than about 20 m2/g; and (3) delivering a fluorine precursor to a third opening, said third opening is spaced apart from the first opening. A second method of the invention includes the steps of (A) delivering a silicon containing precursor to a first opening in a burner face; (B) delivering a fluorine precursor to a second opening, wherein said second opening is spaced apart from said first opening; and (C) delivering a fuel to a third opening, said third opening is spaced apart from said first opening.

Abstract: The invention includes an optical fiber coating that exhibits the characteristics of a pressure sensitive adhesive. A viscoelastic window for the coating will include at least one set of coordinates that is within Quadrants 2, 3, or 4 or the Transition Flow Region of the Chang viscoelastic of the rheological master curves or will not include at least one set of coordinates that is not within Quadrant 1 of the Chang viscoelastic of the rheological master curves.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a radiation curable primary coating composition and an optical fiber with said coating. The primary coating preferably results in excellent mechanical and physical properties, and when coated on optical fibers in a reduction in micro-bending transmission losses over optical fibers with conventional coatings. In one embodiment of this invention, it relates to a coated optical fiber comprising an optical fiber and a radiation cured primary coating wherein the radiation cured primary coating on the optical fiber comprises an oligomer and wherein the oligomer is formed from a reaction comprising a polyol having “m” hydroxyl functional groups, wherein “n” hydroxyl groups of said polyol are terminated in forming the oligomer and “m” is greater than “n”.

Abstract: The invention includes a method of incorporating fluorine into a preform that may be used to produce an optical article. A method that may be used to practice the invention includes a method of making an optical fiber preform. The method includes reacting a fluorine containing precursor in a flame of a combustion burner without forming a soot, thereby forming a fluorine doping atmosphere. A further method that may be practiced to practice the invention includes the step reacting at least a fluorine containing precursor in a flame of a combustion burner, wherein the precursors reacted in the flame are substantially devoid of the element of silicon, thereby forming a fluorine containing atmosphere for the doping of a soot preform.

Abstract: A coated optical fiber and a curable coating composition for coating an optical fiber, includes a block copolymer comprising at least one hard block and at least one soft block, wherein said hard block has a Tg greater than the Tg of the soft block. The coating may further include at least one reactive monomer. A method for making a coated optical fiber, includes providing an optical fiber; coating the optical fiber with a polymerizable composition including a block copolymer comprising at least one hard block and at least one soft block, wherein said hard block has a Tg greater than the Tg of the soft block. The coating may further include at least one reactive monomer. The method further includes polymerizing the composition under conditions effective to form a coating over the optical fiber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition for coating optical fibers that includes an oligomeric component present in an amount of about 15 weight percent or less and a monomeric component present in an amount of about 75 weight percent or more, where the cured product of the composition has a Young's modulus of at least about 650 MPa. When the composition is substantially devoid of the oligomeric component, the monomeric component preferably includes two or more monomers. Also disclosed are the cured products of the compositions of the present invention, optical fibers that contain secondary coatings prepared from the compositions of the present invention, methods of making such optical fibers, as well as fiber optic ribbons containing a matrix prepared from the compositions of the present invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of treating a substantially gaseous halo-containing compound of an effluent of a glass manufacturing facility and a system for such method. The method includes the step of oxidizing the halo-containing compound to form a hydrogen and halo-containing compound. The method also includes the step of adsorbing a halogen of the hydrogen and halo-containing compound on a surface. The system includes at least one glass manufacturing apparatus which the operation of the apparatus in glass manufacturing generates an effluent which comprises a substantially gaseous halo-containing compound. The system also includes an oxidizer in fluid communication to receive the halo-containing compound and oxidize the compound to transform the halo-containing compound into a hydrogen and halo-containing compound. The system further includes a scrubber for receiving said hydrogen and halo-containing compound and absorbing the halogen from the hydrogen and halo-containing compound.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a system and method for delivering liquid reactants through a burner assembly to form soot used in the manufacture of glass, and in particular, optical waveguides. Due to the tendency of liquid reactants to react to form solids when exposed to water in the air, an evaporative liquid is first delivered through the burner assembly to the combustion zone. Once steady state liquid flow has been achieved in the system, the evaporative liquid is transitioned to the liquid reactant. The liquid reactant is delivered along the same path to the burner assembly, which discharges the liquid reactant into the combustion zone as an atomized liquid to form soot used in the manufacture of glass. Once the desired quantity of soot has been formed, the liquid reactant is transitioned back to the evaporative liquid while maintaining steady state flow. After the liquid reactant has cleared the system, flow of the evaporative liquid is terminated and the burner assembly flame turned off.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composition for coating optical fibers that includes a UV curable coating composition. The composition includes at least one component having at least one heterocyclic moiety capable of undergoing ring opening polymerization. The composition may also include at least one acrylate functional end group. The acrylate functional group may be on the same component as the heterocyclic moiety or on a second component. The cured composition has a Young's Modulus of at least about 100 MPa.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for forming soot used in making glass, and in particular, optical waveguides. A liquid precursor (66) is first fed into orifice (52) of a liquid orifice insert (48) within an injector (44) positioned within an atomizing burner assembly, and is thereafter discharged from the injector into a pressurization chamber (56). An atomization gas (70) is also fed into the pressurization chamber (56) to mix with the liquid precursor liquid stream (68) which breaks into droplets (76). The liquid precursor and atomization gas arm forced under pressure out of an atomization orifice (32) on the face of the burner (30) assembly. Flame gas (74), reaction gas (84) and shield gas (82) are ejected from burner orifices (40, 38, 36 and 34) to produce the flame.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical fiber including a fiber core and at least one coating substantially encapsulating the fiber core, wherein the at least one coating includes a material forming a data storage medium which is capable of digitally encoding information at a data density of at least about 4 bits per centimeter. Both magnetically and optically encoded fibers are disclosed. Also disclosed are a method of making an optical fiber of the present invention, methods of digitally encoding information onto an optical fiber, and a method of retrieving information digitally encoded onto an optical fiber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fiber optic spool which includes a spool including a barrel having opposed ends, a first flange positioned on one end of the barrel, and a second flange positioned on the other end of the barrel; and an elastic foam tube substantially surrounding the barrel under conditions whereby the foam tube is stressed radially while in its resting state on the barrel such that the foam tube resists lifting away from the barrel during rotation of the spool at speeds effective to wind or unwind at least about 25 m of optical fiber per second. Related aspects of the present invention include fiber optic spools including multi-laminar cushioning devices, such multi-laminar cushioning devices, and methods of making fiber optic spools of the present invention.

Abstract: An optical fiber including: a fiber including at least a core; a primary coating substantially encapsulating the fiber, the primary coating being the cured product of a first polymerizable composition including a first photoinitiator which absorbs light within a range of the UV spectrum; and a secondary coating substantially encapsulating the primary coating on the fiber, the secondary coating being the cured product of a second polymerizable composition including a second photoinitiator which also absorbs light within the range of the UV spectrum, wherein an average integrated intensity for the second photoinitiator is 95% or less of the average integrated intensity for the primary photoinitiator over at least a portion of the range of the UV spectrum. Also disclosed are fiber optic ribbons including the optical fibers, methods of making the optical fibers, and methods of increasing the degree of cure for a primary coating on an optical fiber.

Abstract: A catalyst composition comprising (a) an iron-containing compound, (b) a dihydrocarbyl hydrogen phosphite, and (c) an organoaluminum compound is disclosed for polymerizing 1,3-butadiene into syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene. The use of the catalyst composition of this disclosure avoids the use of environmentally detrimental components such as carbon disulfide and halogenated solvents. The melting temperature of the syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene can be varied from about 100 to about 200° C. by variations in the catalyst components and the component ratios. The ability to vary the melting temperature over such a broad range with a single catalyst composition is very desirable. The syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene can be used as a plastic or as an additive for rubber compositions wherein it can crosslink with conventional rubbers using conventional crosslinking agents.