The invention relates to a radiation-curable composition for optical fiber coatings comprising about 10 wt.% to about 90 wt.% of at least one radiation-curable oligomer (A), about 10 wt.% to about 90 wt.% of at least one radiation-curable monomer diluent (B), and an effective amount of at least one photoinitiator (C) represented by formula (1), wherein Ar?1 to Ar3? are aromatic groups which may have one or more substitution groups.

Liquid curable resin composition

The invention relates to a radiation-curable coating, ink or matrix composition comprising: (A) a polyester (meth)acrylate oligomer comprising more than about 1 mole of diacid, (B) optionally, a reactive diluent, and (C) optionally, a photoinitiator, wherein the composition when cured and aged at 85°C and 85% Relative Humidity for 10 days is hydrolytically stable to such an extent that the coating, ink or matrix maintains mechanical integrity. The invention further relates to said compositions for use as a primary coating composition, which, after cure, has a modulus of less than about 5 MPa, for use as a secondary coating or ink composition and for use as a matrix material, which, after cure, has a modulus of at least about 5 Mpa. The invention also relates to a coated and optionally inked optical fiber and to an optical fiber ribbon comprising a coating, ink, or matrix material as described above.

Radiation-curable coating composition

Disclosed is an improved, single-mode optical fiber possessing a novel coating system. When combined with a bend-insensitive glass fiber, the novel coating system according to the present invention yields an optical fiber having exceptionally low losses. The coating system features (i) a softer primary coating with excellent low-temperature characteristics to protect against microbending in any environment and in the toughest physical situations and, optionally, (ii) a colored secondary coating possessing enhanced color strength and vividness. The secondary coating provides improved ribbon characteristics for structures that are robust, yet easily entered (i.e., separated and stripped). The optional dual coating is specifically balanced for superior heat stripping in fiber ribbons, with virtually no residue left behind on the glass. This facilitates fast splicing and terminations. The improved coating system provides optical fibers that offer significant advantages for deployment in most, if not all, fiber-to-the-premises (FTTx) systems.

Microbend-Resistant Optical Fiber

An apparatus for preparing a plastic eyeglass lens includes a coating unit and a lens curing unit. The apparatus is preferably configured to allow the operation of both the coating unit and the lens curing unit. The apparatus may also include a post-cure unit and a controller. The controller is configured to control the operation of the coating unit, the lens curing unit and the post-cure unit. A lens forming composition may include an aromatic containing polyether polyethylenic functional monomer, a photoinitiator, and a coinitiator. The lens forming composition may be cured by the application of activating light or activating light and heat.

Plastic lens systems, compositions and methods

Low viscosity, radiation curable fluid formulations that can be used advantageously as radiation curable, inks. The formulations are easily prepared for use in ink jet systems. The viscosity of the compositions is low enough so that conventional solvent is not required in order to satisfy the requisite low ink jet viscosity specifications. After curing, the compositions form durable, weatherable, abrasion resistant, printed images on a wide variety of porous and nonporous substrates. The formulations are very suitable for outdoor printing applications, especially for printing outdoor graphics onto a variety of surfaces, including vinyl or other polymer films commonly used for signage, retroreflective signage or other retroreflective items.

Weather resistant, ink jettable, radiation curable, fluid compositions particularly suitable for outdoor applications

The present invention provides a curable composition, comprising: a (meth)acrylate urethane compound derived from a polypropylene glycol or a propyleneoxide ethyleneoxide copolymer glycol having a molecular weight between 1,000 and 13,000 and an amount of unsaturation less than 0.01 meq/g. The liquid curable resin composition of the present invention has improved liquid stability and can produce cured products having superior mechanical characteristics by polymerization. The composition further comprises preferably a primary or secondary amine. The liquid curable resin composition can be used as a coating material for optical fibers, adhesives, and the like. The composition is particularly suitable as a coating material for optical fibers for which long-term stability is required.

Radiation-curable resin composition

The invention relates to coated optical fibers comprising soft primary coatings and to such primary coatings for protecting glass optical fibers having a sufficient high resistance against cavitation. In particular, the primary coatings have a cavitation strength at which a tenth cavitation appears (σ 10 cav ) of at least about 1.0 MPa as measured at a deformation rate of 0.20% min −1 and of at least about 1.4 times their storage modulus at 23° C. The coating preferably shows strain hardening in a relative Mooney plot, preferably has a strain energy release rate Go of about 20 J/m 2 or more, and preferably has a low volumetric thermal expansion coefficient. The invention furthermore provides a method and apparatus for measuring the cavitation strength of a primary coating.

Coated optical fibers

Provided is an improved optical fiber ribbon unit made of a plurality of coated optical glass fibers each further coated with a cured colored composition, and a matrix material which binds the plurality of colored optical fibers together. The bonding force between the cured colored composition and the coated optical fibers is greater than the bonding force between said cured colored composition and said matrix material, and the matrix material is selected or formulated to provide a modulus and Tg sufficiently high such that, when opposing pressure is applied to the ribbon unit using the fingers of a human hand, the matrix material buckles and separates from said colored coated optical fibers instead of compressing and absorbing the opposing pressure. Also provided are a method of making the ribbon unit, and a method of achieving mid-span access to individual optical fibers contained within the ribbon unit.

A ribbon unit, a method of making the ribbon unit and a method of providing mid-span access

An optical fiber having an internal glass portion, a first coating layer surrounding the glass portion and a second coating layer surrounding the first coating layer. The first coating layer is formed from a cured polymeric material obtained by curing a radiation curable composition having a radiation curable oligomer having a backbone derived from polypropylene glycol and a dimer acid based polyester polyol. The cured polymeric material has: (a) a hardening temperature (Th) from −10° C. to about −20° C. and a modulus measured at the Th lower than 5.0 MPa; or (b) a hardening temperature (Th) from −20° C. to about −30° C. and a modulus measured at the Th lower than 20.0 MPa; or (c) a hardening temperature (Th) lower than about −30° C. and a modulus measured at the Th lower than 70.0 MPa.

Optical fiber with reduced attenuation loss

The present invention relates to a radiation curable coating composition comprising a radiation curable oligomer comprising a backbone derived from polypropylene glycol and a dimer acid based polyester polyol, wherein said coating composition, when cured, is having: a) a hardening temperature (Th) of from −10° C. to about −20° C. and a modulus measured at said Th of lower than 5.0 MPa; or b) a hardening temperature (Th) of from −20° C. to about −30° C. and a modulus measured at said Th of lower than 20.0 MPa; or c) a hardening temperature (Th) of lower than about −30° C. and a modulus measured at said Th of lower than 70.0 MPa.

Adrianus Gijsbertus Maria Abel

Papers

Radiation-curable resin composition

Coated optical fibers

A ribbon unit, a method of making the ribbon unit and a method of providing mid-span access

Optical fiber with reduced attenuation loss

Radiation curable coating composition for optical fiber with reduced attenuation loss