{"id":4030,"date":"2019-04-08T10:41:38","date_gmt":"2019-04-08T14:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zeusinc.com\/?p=4030"},"modified":"2019-04-23T11:59:28","modified_gmt":"2019-04-23T15:59:28","slug":"polymer-innovation-fiber-optics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zeusinc.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/08\/polymer-innovation-fiber-optics\/","title":{"rendered":"How polymer innovation is paving the way for fiber optic development"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fiber optic sensors are central to a whole host of applications, from identifying leaks in nuclear power plants to guiding surgical procedures. While the technology has evolved to<\/span>\u00a0detect and relay complex data, optical fibers cannot withstand harsh environments and physical hazards.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>When deployed in such conditions, optical fibers must be protected or modified if they are to survive and perform optimally. Failure to do so could compromise long-term reliability and may even risk the integrity of your entire project.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Increasingly,\u00a0<\/span>design<\/span>\u00a0engineers are turning to<\/span>wards<\/span>\u00a0polymer coating<\/span>s to\u00a0<\/span>provide the kind of multi-environment fiber optic protection needed to maximize the performance of sensors and networks in all kinds of applications.\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>ndividual optical fibers can be coated with an additional polymer layer over their primary cladding, while fiber bundles can be contained within a tube or sheath, either as a fiber optic cable or as a sensor.\u00a0<\/span>In addition to containment, t<\/span>his polymer-based tubing provides physical protection from environmental<\/span>\u00a0threats<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Research and development efforts constantly increase t<\/span>he\u00a0<\/span>scope and\u00a0<\/span>efficacy<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of polymer-based protective coatings and sheathing<\/span>s<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>L<\/span>ast year<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>f<\/span>or instance,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Zeus collaborated with Luna Innovations to\u00a0<\/span>assess the potential of a new optimized PEEK coating process developed by Zeus specifically for fiber optic applications.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The results were exciting. Joint research revealed that the coating was thermally stable once applied and not susceptible to shrinkage, even during large temperature swings. The\u00a0<\/span>new optimized PEEK coating<\/span>\u00a0was also proven to deliver improved resistance to chemicals and radiation, as well as exceeding the performance of uncoated fibers under several other conditions.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Protecting fiber optics
\n<\/span> <\/strong>Of course, there is no \u2018one size fits all\u2019\u00a0protective\u00a0<\/span>polymer solution.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>An<\/span>\u00a0understanding of\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0characteristics of the polymers available and the types of protection offered by various coatings and sheathings is imperative<\/span>\u00a0for correct specification.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To support engineers as they\u00a0<\/span>investigate<\/span>\u00a0best<\/span>–<\/span>match protection for their application<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Zeus<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>devised the table below outlin<\/span>ing<\/span>\u00a0the different benefits and\u00a0<\/span>potential\u00a0<\/span>uses<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of the six principal polymers\u00a0<\/span>deployed<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in fiber optic coatings and sheathings<\/span>:<\/span>\u00a0ETFE, FEP, PEEK, PFA, PTFE, and PVDF<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whi<\/span>l<\/span>e not an exhaustive list, it\u00a0<\/span>provide<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0a starting\u00a0<\/span>point to\u00a0<\/span>guide\u00a0<\/span>research<\/span>\u00a0into<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>which polymers may provide the critical protection required for your specific fiber optic innovation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Polymer<\/strong><\/td>\nKey Benefits<\/strong><\/td>\nCommon Applications<\/strong><\/td>\nIndustry<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
ETFE<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Working temperature:
    \n-308 \u00b0F to 302 \u00b0F
    \n(-189\u00a0\u00b0C to 150 \u00b0C)<\/li>\n
  • Temperature stability<\/li>\n
  • Good radiation resistance<\/li>\n
  • Mechanical integrity<\/li>\n
  • Low coefficient of friction<\/li>\n
  • Low water absorption<\/li>\n
  • Improved strength<\/li>\n
  • Sterilizable by multiple methods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
Easily removed coating for crimp and cleave assemblies in environments with broad temperature fluctuations<\/td>\n\n

Aerospace<\/p>\n

Medical<\/p>\n

Nuclear<\/p>\n

Telecom fiber<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

FEP<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Working temperature:
    \n-328 \u00b0F to 400 \u00b0F
    \n(-200 \u00b0C to 205 \u00b0C)<\/li>\n
  • Temperature stability<\/li>\n
  • Chemical resistance<\/li>\n
  • Low water absorption<\/li>\n
  • Low coefficient of friction<\/li>\n
  • Good tensile strength<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n

High transmittance housing for fiber optic lighting<\/p>\n

Low-friction lead-in tubes.<\/td>\n

\n

Aerospace<\/p>\n

Automotive<\/p>\n

Medical<\/p>\n

Telecom fiber<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

PEEK<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Temperature maximum:
    \nto 572 \u00b0F (300 \u00b0C)*<\/li>\n
  • Radiation resistance<\/li>\n
  • Thermal stability<\/li>\n
  • Chemical resistance<\/li>\n
  • Abrasion resistance<\/li>\n
  • Mechanical integrity<\/li>\n
  • Tensile strength<\/li>\n
  • Enhanced pushability<\/li>\n
  • Sterilizable by multiple methods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n

Strain and temperature sensing in harsh environments<\/p>\n

Embedded sensors for structural and composite monitoring<\/td>\n

\n

Aerospace<\/p>\n

Automotive<\/p>\n

Energy<\/p>\n

Medical<\/p>\n

Nuclear<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

PFA<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Working temperature:
    \n-328 \u00b0F to 500 \u00b0F
    \n(-200 \u00b0C to 260 \u00b0C)<\/li>\n
  • Temperature stability<\/li>\n
  • Chemical resistance<\/li>\n
  • Low coefficient of friction<\/li>\n
  • Tensile strength<\/li>\n
  • Low smoke, toxicity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n

Protective housing for aerospace data cables<\/p>\n

Pipeline<\/p>\n

Monitoring<\/td>\n

\n

Aerospace<\/p>\n

Energy<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

PTFE<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Working temperature:
    \n-328 \u00b0F to 500 \u00b0F
    \n(-200 \u00b0C to 260 \u00b0C)<\/li>\n
  • Low coefficient of friction<\/li>\n
  • Low water absorption<\/li>\n
  • Chemical resistance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n

Low friction liner for fan-out kits and cables<\/p>\n

Cryogenic cables<\/p>\n

Temperature sensor delivery<\/td>\n

\n

Aerospace<\/p>\n

Automotive<\/p>\n

Medical<\/p>\n

Telecom fiber<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

PVDF<\/strong><\/td>\n\n
    \n
  • Working temperature:
    \n-58 \u00b0F to 302 \u00b0F
    \n(-50 \u00b0C to 150 \u00b0C)<\/li>\n
  • Temperature stability<\/li>\n
  • Chemical resistance<\/li>\n
  • Radiation resistance<\/li>\n
  • Mechanical integrity<\/li>\n
  • Low coefficient of friction<\/li>\n
  • Low water absorption<\/li>\n
  • Tensile strength<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n
\n

Cables requiring low flame spread, limited smoke generation<\/p>\n

Housing for high radiation environments up to 1000 MRad<\/td>\n

\n

Medical<\/p>\n

Nuclear<\/p>\n

Telecom fiber<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

* Note that the maximum temperature for PEEK coatings ensures it is acceptable for applications that do not require dielectric or insulating properties.<\/em><\/p>\n

Engineering custom polymer solutions
\n<\/span><\/strong>When it comes to fiber optic technologies, market needs are constantly changing. In response, work is always in progress to develop stronger, more versatile protective polymer solutions that will pave the way for innovative new fiber optic technologies.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why, at Zeus, we have increasingly found ourselves working with customers to develop and test custom polymer coatings and sheathings that achieve the specific protection requirements of unique fiber optics products or applications.<\/p>\n

In truth, I believe it comes down to this: the more R&D teams and product design engineers seek to explore the possibilities of polymer protection, the more expansive fiber optic applications will become, and the faster their development cycles can be implemented.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fiber optic sensors are central to a whole host of applications, from identifying leaks in nuclear power plants to guiding surgical procedures. While the technology has evolved to\u00a0detect and relay complex data, optical fibers cannot withstand harsh environments and physical hazards.\u00a0When deployed in such conditions, optical fibers must be protected or modified if they are to survive and perform optimally. Failure to do so could compromise long-term reliability and may even risk the integrity of your entire project.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4030","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiber-optics"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zeusinc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zeusinc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zeusinc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeusinc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeusinc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4030"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeusinc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4030\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zeusinc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeusinc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeusinc.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}