Patent · US Expired

Low viscosity core glass optical fiber

US4413882A · kind A · utility

71Cited by
6References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 26, 1981
Grant dateNov 8, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 26, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC03B2207/87
  • WIPO fieldOther special machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

Solid glass articles are made by the flame hydrolysis technique. A thin stratum of low viscosity glass soot is applied to the surface of a mandrel. First and second coatings of glass soot are deposited on the surface of the thin stratum to form a porous preform. The refractive index of the soot particles of the first coating is greater than that of the soot of the second coating, and the soot of the first coating has a viscosity lower than that of the second coating. The mandrel is removed, and the soot preform is subjected to a high temperature whereby it is consolidated to form a dense glass blank. The glass surface tension and the relative viscosities of the inner and outer portions of the preform cause the aperture to close during the consolidation process. The thin stratum, which preferably includes P.sub.2 O.sub.5, smoothes over the damage caused by removing the mandrel and reduces or even eliminates seed formation at the axis of the resultant glass blank. The blank is heated and drawn into an optical fiber.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.