UV-Curable Buffer Resins vs. Thermoplastics: A Closer Look at New Flame Retardant, UV-Curable Materials in Tight Buffered Cables

摘要

Flame retardant UV-curable materials have shown promise in tight-buffered cables. They provide benefits such as ease of processing compared to thermoplastics and improved attenuation at low temperatures. New, pigmented materials have been designed to provide V-0 flame retardancy along with color identification of the cables. To analyze the effects of the new tight buffer resins, upjacketed fibers were manufactured and compared against Low Smoke Zero Halogen polyethylene (LSZH PE) tight-buffered fibers. All fibers were monitored for attenuation using a standard OTDR after the upjacketing process. In addition, the spools of 900 μm tight-buffered fibers were cabled into two 12-fiber distribution cables, one for each of the tight buffer types. Attenuation was checked again after cabling to observe any changes during the process. Subsequent testing of the cables included flame propagation per UL-1666, smoke release per UL 1685 and temperature cycling effects per Telcordia GR-409-CORE Issue 1.