Abstract: Described herein are methods of producing a coated optical fiber from a primary and/or secondary coating composition that contain a reactive oligomer having an average of at least one polymerizable group, a monomer having an average of at least one polymerizable group, and a photoinitiator, wherein the photoinitiator possesses specified normalized rates of polymerization at (150) degrees Celsius and/or a potential excited triplet state with certain ionization potential values. Also described and claimed are the compositions for use therewith, including primary coating compositions and secondary coating compositions. Yet further described and claimed are the coated optical fibers produced from the methods and/or compositions elsewhere described.

Abstract: Radiation curable compositions for additive fabrication processes, the components cured therefrom, and their use in particle image velocimetry testing methods are described and claimed herein. Such compositions include compounds which induce free-radical polymerization, optionally compounds which induce cationic polymerization, a filler constituent, and a light absorbing component, wherein the compositions are configured to possess certain absorbance values at wavelengths commonly utilized in particle image velocimetry testing. In another embodiment, the compositions include a fluoroantimony-modified compound. Such compositions may be used in particle imaging velocimetry testing methods, wherein the test object utilized is created via additive fabrication and is of a substantially homogeneous construction.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to water-swellable, radiation curable compositions suitable for use in coating water-blocking fibers, such as optical fibers. The present invention is further directed to fibers, including optical fibers, which are coated with water-swellable exterior coatings that are configured to buckle and detach from the associated fiber to facilitate superior performance in longitudinal water-blocking testing. Also claimed and described are methods of applying such water-swellable coatings to optical fiber coatings. Further claimed and described are buffered bundles of fibers including at least one optical fiber that is coated with a water-swellable, radiation curable coating to ensure superior longitudinal water blocking performance.

Abstract: Disclosed and claimed herein are radiation curable compositions for coating an optical fiber containing an oligomer, a diluent, a photoinitiator, and optionally, additives. The oligomer includes a reactive urethane oligomer having at least three arms, each arm having a most distal termination point and bound together at a single junction point, wherein at least one arm comprises the reaction product of a polyol, a polyisocyanate, and an isocyanate-reactive (meth)acrylate. The reactive urethane oligomer possesses specified molecular weight and/or average functionality values, and it may possess specified chain length values between the oligomer junction point and the distal termination point along one or more arm(s). Also disclosed are methods of coating an optical fiber incorporating the compositions described herein, along with the coated optical fibers and cables produced therefrom.

Abstract: Disclosed and claimed herein are radiation curable compositions for coating an optical fiber containing an oligomer, a diluent, a photoinitiator, and optionally, additives. The oligomer includes a reactive urethane oligomer having at least three arms, each arm having a most distal termination point and bound together at a single junction point, wherein at least one arm comprises the reaction product of a polyol, a polyisocyanate, and an isocyanate-reactive (meth)acrylate. The reactive urethane oligomer possesses specified molecular weight and/or average functionality values, and it may possess specified chain length values between the oligomer junction point and the distal termination point along one or more arm(s). Also disclosed are methods of coating an optical fiber incorporating the compositions described herein, along with the coated optical fibers and cables produced therefrom.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to water-swellable, radiation curable compositions suitable for use in coating water-blocking fibers, such as optical fibers. The present invention is further directed to fibers, including optical fibers, which are coated with water-swellable exterior coatings that are configured to buckle and detach from the associated fiber to facilitate superior performance in longitudinal water-blocking testing. Also claimed and described are methods of applying such water-swellable coatings to optical fiber coatings. Further claimed and described are buffered bundles of fibers including at least one optical fiber that is coated with a water-swellable, radiation curable coating to ensure superior longitudinal water blocking performance.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to water-swellable, radiation curable compositions suitable for use in coating water-blocking fibers, such as optical fibers. The present invention is further directed to fibers, including optical fibers, which are coated with water-swellable exterior coatings that are configured to buckle and detach from the associated fiber to facilitate superior performance in longitudinal water-blocking testing. Also claimed and described are methods of applying such water-swellable coatings to optical fiber coatings. Further claimed and described are buffered bundles of fibers including at least one optical fiber that is coated with a water-swellable, radiation curable coating to ensure superior longitudinal water blocking performance.

Abstract: Radiation curable compositions for additive fabrication processes, the components cured therefrom, and their use in particle image velocimetry testing methods are described and claimed herein. Such compositions include compounds which induce free-radical polymerization, optionally compounds which induce cationic polymerization, a filler constituent, and a light absorbing component, wherein the compositions are configured to possess certain absorbance values at wavelengths commonly utilized in particle image velocimetry testing. In another embodiment, the compositions include a fluoroantimony-modified compound. Such compositions may be used in particle imaging velocimetry testing methods, wherein the test object utilized is created via additive fabrication and is of a substantially homogeneous construction.

Abstract: Described herein are radiation curable compositions for coating optical fibers including a reactive oligomer with at least one polymerizable group and a backbone, a reactive diluent monomer, a photoinitiator, optionally one or more additives, and a filler component. Such compositions are configured to possess specified liquid glass transition temperatures and/or viscosity ratios when measured between 25, 55, and/or 85 degrees Celsius. Also described are compositions wherein the filler component is present in specified amounts and/or sizes, and contains specified types of filler constituents. Also described are optical fibers coated from such compositions, optical fiber cables including optical fibers coated from such compositions, and methods of producing coated optical fibers from such compositions.

Abstract: Radiation curable compositions for additive fabrication processes, the components cured therefrom, and their use in particle image velocimetry testing methods are described and claimed herein. Such compositions include compounds which induce free-radical polymerization, optionally compounds which induce cationic polymerization, a filler constituent, and a light absorbing component, wherein the compositions are configured to possess certain absorbance values at wavelengths commonly utilized in particle image velocimetry testing. In another embodiment, the compositions include a fluoroantimony-modified compound. Such compositions may be used in particle imaging velocimetry testing methods, wherein the test object utilized is created via additive fabrication and is of a substantially homogeneous construction.

Abstract: Described herein are methods of producing a coated optical fiber from a primary and/or secondary coating composition that contain a reactive oligomer having an average of at least one polymerizable group, a monomer having an average of at least one polymerizable group, and a photoinitiator, wherein the photoinitiator possesses specified normalized rates of polymerization at (150) degrees Celsius and/or a potential excited triplet state with certain ionization potential values. Also described and claimed are the compositions for use therewith, including primary coating compositions and secondary coating compositions. Yet further described and claimed are the coated optical fibers produced from the methods and/or compositions elsewhere described.

Abstract: Described and claimed herein are radiation curable compositions for coating an optical fiber, particularly primary coating compositions, wherein the composition possesses specified liquid glass transition temperatures, and/or viscosity ratios between, e.g., 25° C. and 85° C. Such compositions preferably possess large amounts of a reactive oligomer component that is either not substantially derived from, or preferably substantially free from polypropylene glycol, with select diisocyanate constituents, one or more reactive diluent monomers, a photoinitiator, and optionally, one or more additives. Such compositions also are preferably sufficiently viscous at room temperature to ensure optimum optical fiber coating processability. Also described and claimed are methods of using such radiation curable compositions in high speed and/or low helium optical fiber coating applications, along with the coated optical fibers produced therefrom.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for coating optical fiber where the coating has been cured by application of a source of monochromatic actinic radiation, such as a light emitting diode, wherein the coating contains a urethane(meth)acrylate oligomer; a (meth)acrylate diluent monomer; a diluent monomer having an electron donating group adjacent to the vinyl group, such as a vinyl ether monomer; and a photoinitiator. Also described are compositions which are capable of undergoing photopolymerization when coated on an optical fiber and when irradiated by a light emitting diode (LED) with improved surface cure and reduced yellowing. Also described are the coated optical fibers produced by such processes and compositions.

Abstract: Radiation curable compositions for additive fabrication processes, the components cured therefrom, and their use in particle image velocimetry testing methods are described and claimed herein. Such compositions include compounds which induce free-radical polymerization, optionally compounds which induce cationic polymerization, a filler constituent, and a light absorbing component, wherein the compositions are configured to possess certain absorbance values at wavelengths commonly utilized in particle image velocimetry testing. In another embodiment, the compositions include a fluoroantimony-modified compound. Such compositions may be used in particle imaging velocimetry testing methods, wherein the test object utilized is created via additive fabrication and is of a substantially homogeneous construction.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to water-swellable, radiation curable compositions suitable for use in coating water-blocking fibers, such as optical fibers. The present invention is further directed to fibers, including optical fibers, which are coated with water-swellable exterior coatings that are configured to buckle and detach from the associated fiber to facilitate superior performance in longitudinal water-blocking testing. Also claimed and described are methods of applying such water-swellable coatings to optical fiber coatings. Further claimed and described are buffered bundles of fibers including at least one optical fiber that is coated with a water-swellable, radiation curable coating to ensure superior longitudinal water blocking performance.

Abstract: Matrix-filled liquid radiation curable resin compositions for additive fabrication are described and claimed. Such resins include a cationically polymerizable component that is an aliphatic epoxide, a multifunctional (meth)acrylate component, a cationic photoinitiator, a free-radical photoinitiator, and a matrix of inorganic fillers, wherein the matrix further constitutes prescribed ratios of at least one microparticle constituent and at least one nanoparticle constituent. Also described and claimed is a process for using the matrix-filled liquid radiation curable resins for additive fabrication to create three dimensional parts, and the three-dimensional parts made from the liquid radiation curable resins for additive fabrication.

Abstract: Matrix-filled liquid radiation curable resin compositions for additive fabrication are described and claimed. Such resins include a cationically polymerizable component that is an aliphatic epoxide, a multifunctional (meth)acrylate component, a cationic photoinitiator, a free-radical photoinitiator, and a matrix of inorganic fillers, wherein the matrix further constitutes prescribed ratios of at least one microparticle constituent and at least one nanoparticle constituent. Also described and claimed is a process for using the matrix-filled liquid radiation curable resins for additive fabrication to create three dimensional parts, and the three-dimensional parts made from the liquid radiation curable resins for additive fabrication.

Abstract: Described herein are thermoset compositions suitable for hybrid polymerization when processed via additive fabrication equipment utilizing sources of actinic radiation with peak spectral intensities in the UV and/or visible region containing a photoinitiating package, a cationically curable constituent, a free-radically curable component, and optionally, one or more additives. Such thermoset compositions preferably contain a Norrish Type I photoinitiator that is an alkyl-, aryl-, or acyl-substituted compound centered around a Group 14 atom, and further possesses specified ranges of ionization potential values with respect to its known triplet state. Also disclosed are methods of creating three-dimensional parts via additive fabrication processes utilizing sources of actinic radiation with peak spectral intensities in the UV and/or visible regions employing the claimed thermosetting compositions, along with the parts cured therefrom.

Abstract: Matrix-filled liquid radiation curable resin compositions for additive fabrication are described and claimed. Such resins include a cationically polymerizable component that is an aliphatic epoxide, a multifunctional (meth)acrylate component, a cationic photoinitiator, a free-radical photoinitiator, and a matrix of inorganic fillers, wherein the matrix further constitutes prescribed ratios of at least one microparticle constituent and at least one nanoparticle constituent. Also described and claimed is a process for using the matrix-filled liquid radiation curable resins for additive fabrication to create three dimensional parts, and the three-dimensional parts made from the liquid radiation curable resins for additive fabrication.

Abstract: Described herein is a method for coating optical fiber where the coating has been cured by application of a source of monochromatic actinic radiation, such as a light emitting diode, wherein the coating contains a urethane(meth)acrylate oligomer; a (meth)acrylate diluent monomer; a diluent monomer having an electron donating group adjacent to the vinyl group, such as a vinyl ether monomer; and a photoinitiator. Also described are compositions which are capable of undergoing photopolymerization when coated on an optical fiber and when irradiated by a light emitting diode (LED) with improved surface cure and reduced yellowing. Also described are the coated optical fibers produced by such processes and compositions.