Foam for optical fiber cable, composition, and method of manufacturing

US11934023B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• CORNING RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION · US

Inventors

• Ryan Thomas Adams · Elmira, US
• Bradley Jerome Blazer · Granite Falls, US
• Anne Germaine Bringuier · Taylorsville, US
• Xiaole Cheng · Riverside, US
• Sergey Vladimirovich Chernykh · Hickory, US
• John Richard Jacks · Wellington, US
• Rebecca Elizabeth Sistare · Hickory, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 12, 2021
• Grant date: Mar 19, 2024
• Expiry date: Sep 15, 2042

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G02B6/4434
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Embodiments of the disclosure relate to an optical fiber cable having at least one optical fiber, a cable jacket, and a foam layer. The cable jacket has an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surface is an outermost surface of the optical fiber cable, and the inner surface is disposed around the at least one optical fiber. The foam layer is disposed between the at least one optical fiber and the cable jacket. The foam layer includes a polymer component having from 30% to 100% by weight of a polyolefin elastomer (POE) or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and from 0% to 70% by weight of low density polyethylene (LDPE). The foam layer has a closed-cell morphology having pores with an average effective circle diameter of 10 μm to 500 μm. Further, the expansion ratio of the foam layer is at least 50%.