New Developments in Polyolefin Materials for Loose Tubes and Central Core Tubes

摘要

Fiber optic buffer tubes are key elements of a fiber optic cable (FOC) construction and are designed to house and protect the optical fibers, hi a typical cable design, these tubes are commonly filled with a gel or grease to suspend and protect the fibers as well as provide structural integrity to the tube. The grease also serves as a barrier against moisture ingress, which is detrimental to the transmission performance of the optical fiber. Typical greases are based on hydrocarbon oils which tend to diffuse into the buffer tube material, especially polyolefin based materials. High grease absorption adversely affects the mechanical properties of the buffer tube and renders the optical fibers more prone to mechanical stresses, which could lead to higher signal attenuation or even failure. Thus, minimal grease absorption is desired for long term performance of the buffer tube. This paper discusses recent development in polyolefin based compounds for buffer tube applications aiming at a balance of good crush resistance and impact strength, but also improved grease resistance when exposed to lower cost, oil-based gels for an overall objective of a lower total system cost solution.