GB2321243A - Heating a quartz tube substrate in the manufacture of optical fibre preform - Google Patents

Heating a quartz tube substrate in the manufacture of optical fibre preform Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2321243A
GB2321243A GB9801084A GB9801084A GB2321243A GB 2321243 A GB2321243 A GB 2321243A GB 9801084 A GB9801084 A GB 9801084A GB 9801084 A GB9801084 A GB 9801084A GB 2321243 A GB2321243 A GB 2321243A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
quartz tube
burner
manufacturing
optical fibre
natural gas
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB9801084A
Other versions
GB9801084D0 (en
GB2321243B (en
Inventor
Seung-Hun Oh
Jin-Han Kim
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Samsung Electronics Co Ltd filed Critical Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Publication of GB9801084D0 publication Critical patent/GB9801084D0/en
Publication of GB2321243A publication Critical patent/GB2321243A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2321243B publication Critical patent/GB2321243B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G02—OPTICS
    • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
    • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
    • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
    • G02B6/42—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B37/00—Manufacture or treatment of flakes, fibres, or filaments from softened glass, minerals, or slags
    • C03B37/01—Manufacture of glass fibres or filaments
    • C03B37/012—Manufacture of preforms for drawing fibres or filaments
    • C03B37/014—Manufacture of preforms for drawing fibres or filaments made entirely or partially by chemical means, e.g. vapour phase deposition of bulk porous glass either by outside vapour deposition [OVD], or by outside vapour phase oxidation [OVPO] or by vapour axial deposition [VAD]
    • C03B37/018—Manufacture of preforms for drawing fibres or filaments made entirely or partially by chemical means, e.g. vapour phase deposition of bulk porous glass either by outside vapour deposition [OVD], or by outside vapour phase oxidation [OVPO] or by vapour axial deposition [VAD] by glass deposition on a glass substrate, e.g. by inside-, modified-, plasma-, or plasma modified- chemical vapour deposition [ICVD, MCVD, PCVD, PMCVD], i.e. by thin layer coating on the inside or outside of a glass tube or on a glass rod
    • C03B37/01807—Reactant delivery systems, e.g. reactant deposition burners
    • C03B37/01815—Reactant deposition burners or deposition heating means
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C03—GLASS; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL
    • C03B—MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES
    • C03B2207/00—Glass deposition burners
    • C03B2207/36—Fuel or oxidant details, e.g. flow rate, flow rate ratio, fuel additives
    • C03B2207/38—Fuel combinations or non-standard fuels, e.g. H2+CH4, ethane
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P40/00—Technologies relating to the processing of minerals
    • Y02P40/50—Glass production, e.g. reusing waste heat during processing or shaping
    • Y02P40/57—Improving the yield, e-g- reduction of reject rates

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Geochemistry & Mineralogy (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Manufacture, Treatment Of Glass Fibers (AREA)

Abstract

An optical fibre preform is formed by condensing gaseous material into a quartz tube 10 which is heated using a natural gas burner 20. This saves cost and time and reduces water production, and thus the content of hydroxide (OH<SP>-</SP>) in the preform, decreasing the transmission loss of the optical fibre. The natural gas may be liquefied natural gas, LPG, methane or propane.

Description

1 2321243 METHOD OF MANUFACTURING OPTICAL FIBRE PREFORM
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform.
Of the various sorts of optical f ibres, the most widely used are quartzbased optical f ibre comprising as their main constituent quartz (silicon dioxide) and selected quantities of phosphorous oxide or germanium oxide to regulate their refractive index. The methods of manufacturing preforms for quartz-based optical fibres can be classified into three categories: MCVD (Modified Chemical Vapour Deposition), VAD (Vapour Phase Axial Deposition) and OVD (Outside Vapour Deposition). The method most widely used in fabricating quartz-based optical fibre preforms of high quality is MCVD, which involves the reaction of chemicals contained in an externally heated quartz tube to produce glass granules and simultaneously deposit them on the inner surface of the quartz tube.
There follows a detailed description of MCVD with reference to FIG. 1. A quartz tube 10 is f ixed with both its ends engaged by f ixing chucks 52 positioned on either side of glass shelf 50. While being rotated over the glass shelf 50, the quartz tube 10 is fed with gaseous material 12 comprising SiC14, GeC14 and additive chemicals carried by the oxygen stream from gas supply system 56. The quartz tube is then heated externally with a hydrogen burner 20, f orming hot zone 14 that is the hottest part of the tube 10.
The gaseous material 12 passing through the hot zone 14 is granulated by the reactions expressed by: Sic14 + 02 - Si02 + 2C12 GeC14 + 02 - Ge02 + 2C12 The granules so produced f low in the quartz tube 10 and stick to the less hot, fore part of the inner surf ace of 2 the quartz tube 10 by thermophoresis. If the burner 20 is moved at an adequate rate in the direction the material gas 12 flows, the granules are formed and adhere to the inner surface of the quartz tube 10 along the movement of the 5 burner 20. The granules so adhered are subjected to sintering, which forms glass on the inner surface of the quartz tube 10 along the trace of the moving burner 20.
The above process will now be described in more detail as 10 follows. Clad layer 16 for preventing the ingress of contaminating substances is first formed at a suitable thickness on the inner surface of the quartz 10 by way of the aforementioned reactions. Core layer 18 through which light propagates directly is formed by the introduction of the material gas 12 of a second composition into the quartz tube 10. The quartz tube 10 is subjected to collapsing by externally heating at above 2300 C and to a subsequent closing step to transform the quartz tube 10 into the form of a bar, finally completing the manufacture of the optical fibre preform.
In MCVD, the burner is supplied with hydrogen and oxygen as a heat source to heat the quartz tube. The reaction between the hydrogen and oxygen produces water that causes corrosion in facilities associated with the burner, shortening their life time, and also increases the content of hydroxide ions (OW) in the surface of the quartz tube, with the consequence of increased transmission loss in the optical fibre. Furthermore, hydrogen as a heat source for the burner is expensive enough to increase the production cost and hard to handle due to the potential hazard of explosions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An objective of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform that prevents the formation of water (H20) during heating of the quartz tube.
3 Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform that can reduce the formation of hydroxide ions (OW) in the surf ace of the quartz tube.
Accordingly, the preset invention provides a method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform comprising heating a quartz tube on which the preform is condensed using a natural gas burner.
The natural gas may for example be liquified natural gas, liquified petroleum gas, methane or propane gas.
The method may utilize modified chemical vapour deposition and comprise: fixing the quartz tube to fixing chucks; feeding a gaseous material into the quartz tube; rotating the quartz tube and heating the rotating quartz tube with the burner moving transversely, thereby f orming a sintered transparent layer and a particulate encrustation on the inner surface of the quartz tube.
Preferably, a clad layer and a core layer are formed on the inner surface of the quartz tube and the resulting product is softened by heating to an elevated temperature with the burner and collapsed and closed.
Preferably, the oxygen and natural gas are supplied to the burner under the control of a gas flux control unit.
The burner may be supplied with natural gas from the gas flux control unit at a rate of 60-70 1/min and heat' the surface of the quartz tube to at least 1900 C.
The gas flux control unit preferably supplies the burner with oxygen in an amount sufficient to completely ignite the natural gas.
The gas flux control unit may supply the burner with 4 natural gas at a rate of 100 1/min during the softening of the resulting product.
Preferably, the burner in the 2250 to 2350 OC temperature 5 range is moved at a rate of 8 cm/min, 4 cm/min or 1. 5 cm/min, to heat and condense the quartz tube.
Preferably, the burner is moved at 30 rpm and 0.8 cm/min, to heat, collapse and close the quartz tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the process of manufacturing an optical fibre preform using customary MCVD; and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the process of manufacturing the preform by way of MMD in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in FIG. 2, quartz tube 10 is fixed with both ends engaged with fixing chucks 52 mounted on either side of glass shelf 50. Whilst being rotated over the glass shelf 50 at a rate of 50 rpm (revolutions per minute), the quartz tube 10 is fed with gaseous material 12 comprising S'C14. GeC14 or P0C13 and additive chemicals, e.g. freon, that is carried by the oxygen stream from gas supply system 56. Gas flux control unit 26b under the control of computer control unit 28 supplies burner 20 with natural gas 24 at a rate of 60 to 70 1/min, elevating the surface temperature of the quartz tube 10 to about 1900 OC, while gas flux control unit 26a supplies the burner 20 with oxygen in an amount sufficient to completely ignite the natural gas 24 fed into the burner 20. The natural gas 24 used is preferably liquified natural gas (LNG), liquified petroleum gas (LPG), methane or propane gas, to enhance the efficiency of deposition and condensation in the quartz tube 10.
The burner 20 is moved transversely, heating the outer surface of the quartz tube 10 and forming hot zone 14 that is the hottest part of the tube 10. The gaseous material 12 passing through the hot zone 14 is granulated into granules, which adhere to the inner surface of the quartz tube 10 with the movement of the burner 20. On the inner surf ace of the quartz 10 is formed a clad layer 16 for preventing ingress of contaminating substances, with the subsequent formation of core layer 18 through which light propagates directly by the introduction of the gaseous material 12 of a second composition into the quartz tube 10.
Following the deposition, the gas f lux control unit 26b supplies the burner 20 with the natural gas 24 at a rate of about 100 1/min, the gas supply system 56 as shown in FIG. 1 f eeding C12 and 02 to the quartz tube 10. The burner 20 in the 2250 to 2350 OC range of temperature is moved transversely at a rate of 8cm/min so that glass is deposited to give a diameter of the quartz tube 10 in the range of around 2 to 3mm. The internal pressure of the quartz tube 10 is maintained at 1. 1 atm pressure. The burner 20 may be moved at a speed of 4 cm/min or 1.5 cm/min to condense the quartz tube 10 depending on the composition of the gaseous material 12 entering into the quartz tube 10.
After one end of the quartz tube 10 is heated for a long time, the quartz tube 10 is entirely collapsed by rotating the quartz tube 10 at 30 rpm with the burner 20 gradually moving at a speed of 0.8 cm/min. Thus, an optical fibre preform of high quality is obtained. The residual carbon or sulphur components on the surface of the preform are then removed by etching with fluoric acid.
As described above, the method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform according to the present invention can reduce the costs of gas by approximately one f if th by using a natural gas instead of hydrogen as a heat source for a 6 burner, surprisingly saving the production time of the preform as well as production cost. The use of natural gas also provides a comfortable working environment for an easy manipulation without either exploding noises that occur during the ignition of a conventional oxygen/hydrogen burner, or water production, and thus the content of hydroxide (OW) becomes minimal, decreasing the transmission loss of the optical fibre.
7

Claims (12)

1. A method of manufacturing an optical f ibre preform comprising heating a quartz tube on which the preform is condensed using a natural gas burner.
2. A method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform according to claim 1 in which the natural gas is liquified natural gas or liquified petroleum gas.
3. A method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform according to claim 1 in which the natural gas is methane or propane gas.
4. A method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform according to any preceding claim by modified chemical vapour deposition, comprising: fixing the quartz tube to fixing chucks; feeding a gaseous material into the quartz tube; 20 rotating the quartz tube and heating the rotating quartz tube with the burner moving transversely, thereby forming a sintered transparent layer and a particulate encrustation on the inner surface of the quartz tube.
2s
5. A method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform according to claim 4 in which a clad layer and a core layer are formed on the inner surface of the quartz tube and the resulting product is softened by heating to an elevated temperature with the burner and collapsed and closed.
6. A method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform according to claim 4 or claim 5 in which oxygen and natural gas are supplied to the burner under the control of a gas flux control unit.
7. A method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform according to claim 6 in which the burner is supplied with natural gas from the gas flux control unit at a rate of 6070 1/min and heats the surface of the quartz tube to at 8 least 1900 C.
8. A method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform according to claim 6 or claim 7 in which the gas f lux control unit supplies the burner with oxygen in an amount sufficient to completely ignite the natural gas.
9. A method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform according to claim 5 in which oxygen and natural gas are supplied to the burner under the control of a gas f lux control unit and the gas f lux control unit supplies the burner with natural gas at a rate of 100 1/min during the softening of the resulting product.
10. A method of manufacturing an optical f ibre preform according to any one of claims 4-9 in which the burner in the 2250 to 2350 OC temperature range is moved at a rate of 8 cm/min, 4 cm/min or 1.5 cm/min, to heat and condense the quartz tube.
11. A method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform according to claim 5 or claim 9 in which the burner is moved at 30 rpm and 0.8 cm/min, to heat, collapse and close the quartz tube.
12. A method of manufacturing an optical fibre preform substantially as described with reference to and/or as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
GB9801084A 1997-01-20 1998-01-20 Method of manufacturing optical fibre preform Expired - Fee Related GB2321243B (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
KR1019970001473A KR100288739B1 (en) 1997-01-20 1997-01-20 Optical preform manufacturing method

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9801084D0 GB9801084D0 (en) 1998-03-18
GB2321243A true GB2321243A (en) 1998-07-22
GB2321243B GB2321243B (en) 1999-08-25

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ID=19495087

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GB9801084A Expired - Fee Related GB2321243B (en) 1997-01-20 1998-01-20 Method of manufacturing optical fibre preform

Country Status (6)

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JP (1) JPH10203842A (en)
KR (1) KR100288739B1 (en)
CN (1) CN1195110A (en)
DE (1) DE19800935A1 (en)
FR (1) FR2758549B1 (en)
GB (1) GB2321243B (en)

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1719004A2 (en) * 2004-02-12 2006-11-08 Panorama Labs Pty Ltd. Apparatus, method, and computer program product for structured waveguide transport
EP1719006A2 (en) * 2004-02-12 2006-11-08 Panorama Labs Pty Ltd. Apparatus, method, and computer program product for structured waveguide including performance-enhancing bounding region
EP1738206A2 (en) * 2004-02-12 2007-01-03 Panorama Labs Pty Ltd. Structured waveguide including holding bounding region

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP4742429B2 (en) * 2001-02-19 2011-08-10 住友電気工業株式会社 Method for producing glass particulate deposit
KR100398070B1 (en) * 2001-10-30 2003-09-19 엘지전선 주식회사 Water bocking method in the interfacing surface during the joining of core and clad
KR100490135B1 (en) * 2001-11-12 2005-05-17 엘에스전선 주식회사 Method of making optical fiber preform having ultimate low PMD
CN104129915A (en) * 2014-08-18 2014-11-05 苏州新协力环保科技有限公司 Novel manufacturing method of optical fiber performs

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0018704A1 (en) * 1979-02-22 1980-11-12 Corning Glass Works Method of substantially continuously forming an optical waveguide preform and an optical waveguide
GB2076797A (en) * 1980-05-12 1981-12-09 Corning Glass Works Manufacture of optical waveguide preforms of controlled outer diameter
EP0041397A1 (en) * 1980-06-02 1981-12-09 Corning Glass Works Method and apparatus for forming an optical waveguide preform and an optical waveguide

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5614443A (en) * 1979-07-17 1981-02-12 Nippon Telegr & Teleph Corp <Ntt> Manufacture of preform for optical fiber
JPS60122740A (en) * 1983-12-07 1985-07-01 Furukawa Electric Co Ltd:The Manufacture of soot for optical fiber
JPS6117432A (en) * 1984-07-02 1986-01-25 Sumitomo Electric Ind Ltd Manufacture of optical fiber preform
JP3118822B2 (en) * 1990-09-07 2000-12-18 住友電気工業株式会社 Method for manufacturing glass articles
US5397372A (en) * 1993-11-30 1995-03-14 At&T Corp. MCVD method of making a low OH fiber preform with a hydrogen-free heat source

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0018704A1 (en) * 1979-02-22 1980-11-12 Corning Glass Works Method of substantially continuously forming an optical waveguide preform and an optical waveguide
GB2076797A (en) * 1980-05-12 1981-12-09 Corning Glass Works Manufacture of optical waveguide preforms of controlled outer diameter
EP0041397A1 (en) * 1980-06-02 1981-12-09 Corning Glass Works Method and apparatus for forming an optical waveguide preform and an optical waveguide

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1719004A2 (en) * 2004-02-12 2006-11-08 Panorama Labs Pty Ltd. Apparatus, method, and computer program product for structured waveguide transport
EP1719006A2 (en) * 2004-02-12 2006-11-08 Panorama Labs Pty Ltd. Apparatus, method, and computer program product for structured waveguide including performance-enhancing bounding region
EP1738206A2 (en) * 2004-02-12 2007-01-03 Panorama Labs Pty Ltd. Structured waveguide including holding bounding region
EP1719004A4 (en) * 2004-02-12 2007-06-20 Panorama Labs Pty Ltd Apparatus, method, and computer program product for structured waveguide transport
EP1738206A4 (en) * 2004-02-12 2007-07-04 Panorama Labs Pty Ltd Structured waveguide including holding bounding region
EP1719006A4 (en) * 2004-02-12 2007-07-04 Panorama Labs Pty Ltd Apparatus, method, and computer program product for structured waveguide including performance-enhancing bounding region

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9801084D0 (en) 1998-03-18
FR2758549A1 (en) 1998-07-24
DE19800935A1 (en) 1998-07-30
KR19980066124A (en) 1998-10-15
GB2321243B (en) 1999-08-25
KR100288739B1 (en) 2001-05-02
FR2758549B1 (en) 1999-10-08
JPH10203842A (en) 1998-08-04
CN1195110A (en) 1998-10-07

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PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20020120