EoW November 2008

technical article

[9] I V Khudyakov, T G Gantt, M B Purvis, B J Overton, ‘New Developments in UV Curable Urethane Acrylate Coatings’, RadTech 2004 [10] I V Khudyakov, M B Purvis, B J Overton, ‘Kinetic Study of Coatings for Optical Fibre for A Fast UV Cure’, RadTech 2002

Figure 6 ▲ ▲ : Ribbon stripping demonstration with optimised coating system (bottom) contrasted with typical commercial coating system in ribbon

3.3 Coloured secondary The secondary coating for the optimised system has been reformulated for improved brightness and visibility in all lighting. The colours are in agreement with Munsell standards for optical fibre colour-coding and are easily distinguished against both light and dark backgrounds. The enhancements to the colouring required increasing the concentration of the pigment systems in this new secondary, as well as improvement in the curing package provided. The coating features a surface that provides an excellent interface with ribbon matrix material, so that the matrix easily separates from the coloured fibre but without sacrificing robustness. The mechanical properties of the coloured secondary are balanced with those of the primary coating so that in heat stripping, the coating/matrix composite separates cleanly from the glass fibres, Figure 6 . 4 Conclusions An improved single mode fibre dual coating system has been developed, optimised for applications in FTTx. The new system features a softer primary coating with excellent low-temperature characteristics to protect against micro- bending in any environment and in the toughest physical situations.

A new coloured secondary with enhanced colour strength and vividness is paired with the primary coating. The secondary provides improved ribbon characteristics for structures that are robust, yet easily entered. The dual coating is also specifically balanced for superior heat stripping in ribbon, with virtually no residue left behind on the glass, to facilitate fast splicing and terminations. The improvements in the coating system offer significant advantages for deployment in any FTTx system design. n [1] P Lesueur, G Le Noane, J C Darocha, C Leplé, A Poulain, ‘Permanent Access Cables for Low Cost FTTH Deployment’, Proceedings of the 55 th IWCS, p1 (2006) [2] O Tatat, reference on FlexTube [3] P Barker, D Faulkner, P Hale, P Longhurst, S Marsden, A Mayhew, N Rabone, ‘FTTP Infrastructure: Tailoring for a Gradual Uptake’, Proceedings of the 55 th IWCS, p 24 (2006) [4] A Björk, M Björs, P Lo Curzio, B McGavin, ‘A Novel Aerial Air-Blown Solution for FTTH Networks Using Pre-Terminated Fibre and Micro Cables’, Proceedings of the 55 th IWCS, p35 (2006) [5] L-A de Montmorillon, ‘Bend-Optimised G.652D Compatible Trench-Assisted Single Mode Fibers’, Proceedings of the 55 th IWCS, p 342 (2006) [6] C R Taylor, Meeting Digest of OFC, p 20, Optical Society of America, 1985 [7] IEC 6221, TR3, Method B, ‘Micro-bending Sensitivity by Fixed Diameter Drum’ [8] B J Overton, C R Taylor, A J Muller, ‘The Effects of Cure Temperature on the Thermomechanical Properties of UV Curable Coatings’, Polymer Science and Engineering, p 1165, Vol 29, 1989 5 References

Draka Comteq 2512 Penny Road NC 28610 Claremont USA Fax : +1 8224 599312 Website : www.drakacomteq.us Draka Comteq France SA ZI Artois Flandres– Zone C Billy Berclau 62092 Haisnes Cedex France Fax : +33 32179 4919 Email : csc.fiber@drakacomteq.com

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EuroWire – November 2008