Photopolymeric Coatings for Fiber-Optic Cables

Abstract

Fiber-optic cable coatings produced from liquid photopolymer composites using UV-curing technology were investigated. Formation of a bilayer coating using wet-on-wet technology was proposed. The degree of double-bond conversion with the layer bulk was determined for coatings of various thicknesses (from 60 to 300 μm) using Raman spectroscopy. It was concluded that polymerization continued during storage in light. The extent of continuing polymerization was found to depend on the photopolymer composite formulation and coating thickness. The mechanical characteristics of the coatings over a broad temperature range were studied using dynamic mechanical analysis. The results proved that the elastic properties of the formed coating depended on the glass-transition temperatures of the oligomers and active diluent used in the composite.