ADVANCED LIQUID CRYSTAL POLYMER COATINGS FOR HIGH STRENGTH OPTICAL FIBERS FOR AIR-DEPLOYED DATA LINKS

SMALL DIAMETER HIGH STRENGTH OPTICAL FIBERS ARE NEEDED FOR NEW HIGH SPEED AIR-DEPLOYED DATA LINKS. CURRENT FIBER COATING TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY AND CANNOT MEET MILITARY PERFORMANCE NEEDS. FIBER COATING THICKNESS MUST BE REDUCED, BUT THIS RESULTS IN LOW TENSILE STRENGTH USING CONVENTIONAL COATING MATERIALS (UV CURABLE ACRYLATES FOR EXAMPLE). WE PROPOSE TO USE NEW HIGH PERFORMANCE LIQUID CRYSTALLINE POLYMERS (LCP) TO PROVIDE THIN HIGH STRENGTH COATINGS FOR OPTICAL FIBER DATA LINKS (LESS THAN HALF THE THICKNESS OF CURRENT MATERILS AND HIGH TENSILE STRENGTH). WE WILL USE INNOVATIVE POLYMER PROCESSING TO MAKE A BIAXIALLY ORIENTED LCP COATING WHICH WILL ACTUALLY CARRY TENSILE AND SHEAR LOADS ALONG WITH THE GLASS FIBER. THE LCP COATINGS WILL BE STRIPPABLE AND PROVIDE GOOD ADHESION TO THE FIBER, AND SINCE THE LCP'S ARE MELTPROCESSABLE THEY CAN BE APPLIED TO THE FIBER ON-LINE. THEY FORM AN EXCELLENT BARRIER TO PROTECT THE FIBER FROM MOISTURE. IN PHASE I, FOSTER-MILLER INTENDS TO PRODUCE AND CHARACTERIZE BIAXIAL LCP COATINGS WHICH CAN BE EXTRUDED DIRECTLY ONTO THE PRISTINE SURFACE OF DRAWN OPTICAL FIBERS. OUR GOAL WILL BE DEVELOP AN OPTICAL FIBER COATING WHICH IS LIGHTER IN WEIGHT (60 PERCENT LIGHTER), SMALLER IN SIZE (25 MICRON THICK), STRONG (SHARE TENSILE LOAD OF GLASS FIBER), ADHERES STRONGLY TO GLASS, IS IMPERVIOUS TO THE EFFECTS OF WATER AND APPROACHES THE COEFFICIENT OF THERMAL EXPANSION OF GLASS.