Carl R. Taylor

Coating optical fibers with dual dies separated by a pressurized chamber

Abstract A proven technique is described for applying bubble-free, concentric coatings to optical fibers. An initial die backed up by a pressurized chamber blocks bubbles, while exit die sizes and centers the fiber.

The Mechanical Properties of Thixotropic Gels and their Effect on Attenuation in Optical Fiber Communication Cables

Fumed silica/oil gels exhibiting rheological properties characterized by a yield stress followed by shear thinning behavior have been studied for application as waterblocking filling compounds for fiber optic cable. It is found that added signal attenuation in optical fibers after processing into a filled fiber optic ribbon cable is a function of the yield stress of the filling gel. We derive experimentally and apply a model of the relationship to formulate an optimum fumed silica/oil filling gel for fiber optic ribbon cables.