Proposal to Produce Novel, Transparent Radiation Hard Low Refractive IndexPolymers

摘要

Low and high molecular weight polymers of heptafluorobutyl methacrylate, HFBM,were prepared for commercial evaluation by Bicron, an optical fiber manufacturer. Polymers were evaluated as low refractive index fiber cladding materials. Test results of Low MW polymer solutions gave excellent results. Higher MW polymers were prepared for cladding by melt co-extrusion. Corning Glass Corp, also expressed an interest in these cladding materials. These results appear to be sufficiently unique that a search has been initiated to determine patentability of the soluble fluorocarbon acrylate, methacrylate and copolymer compositions for cladding use. Our research resulted in identifying a radiation hard, low refractive index polymer, poly(heptafluorobutyl methacrylate), P(HFBM) as the best candidate for a novel cladding material. P(HFBM) has a refractive index of 1.387. When used to clad a styrene core, the theoretical light propagation efficiency is 50% greater than that of styrene a fiber core clad with PMMA, a common commercial cladding material. These polymers will be the only commercial fluorocarbon acrylic cladding polymers available to U.S. manufacturers. Japanese optical fiber manufacturers produce fluorocarbon clad fibers but their polymers are not available to U.S. manufacturers. These polymers can fill an urgent need in the optical fiber market.