JPS5946603A - Optical fiber and its production - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the corrosion occurring in the contact of a metallic layer with other metals or acidic water by forming an oxide layer of the metal coated on the surface of an optical fiber body on the front side of said metal layer. CONSTITUTION:A heating furnace 5, a chemical vapor deposition device 6 and an oxidation furnace 7 are concentrically and continuously installed, and an optical fiber is drawn with a take-off reel 8 to pass through the respective stages, then the fiber is fed to the succeeding stage before it contacts with any object. The produced optical fiber is taken up on a take-up reel 9. A base material 4 is first passed through the furnace 5 and an optical fiber body 1 is obtd. The fiber is then coated thereon with a metallic layer 2 by the device 6. Hydride, chloride and organic matter of metals are used as the raw material. The metal is brought into reduction reaction by the external heat system in the device 6 or the heating furnace of an internal heat type. The metal is oxidized by the furnace 7. The metal is oxidized by O2 or gas contg. O2+H2O and a metallic oxide layer 3 is formed on the front side of the layer 2.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to an optical fiber and a method for manufacturing the same.

Generally, the mechanical properties of optical fibers deteriorate over many years due to moisture or moisture-containing substances.

Therefore, conventionally, organic substances are coated on the surface,
11 measures are being taken to prevent this deterioration. However, over time, this organic material also begins to decompose and release water. Another problem is that this 41 substance is easily decomposed. Optical fibers coated with a metal layer are expected to overcome these problems, but the metal layer has the disadvantage that it corrodes when it comes into contact with other metals or acidic water.

This invention consists of 1. In view of the above, optical fibers with a metal layer modified to prevent corrosion and the like! The purpose is to provide a way to send money.

First, the structure of the optical fiber according to this invention will be explained.
For example, as shown in Figure 1, the optical fiber <main body 1 and
The surface of this optical fiber body 1. 7iW layer 2 coated with a metal layer 2, and an oxide layer 3 of the metal formed on the surface side of the metal layer 2. The optical fiber main body 1 is a fiber-like fiber made up of a core 11 and a crand 12. The metal layer 2 is coated by a dipping method or a chemical vapor deposition method. As a metal,
It refers to stable oxides of metals such as silicon, aluminum, and zirconium.

The following combinations of metal layer 2 and metal oxide layer 3 can be considered.

Metal layer 2: Metal oxide layer 3 Si 5in2 (silicon) (silicon dibutyride) A I
A I□0yo (Alminilla!,,)
(melted aluminum 1＼)'ri
T i O.

(Titanium 1\) (Titanium oxide) Zr Zr02 (Zirconyl oxide 1,) (Zirconyl oxide 1,) S
n 5nO2 (soot) (tin dioxide) Ge
Gem2 (germanium) (germanium dioxide) Note that the combination is not limited to these. The oxidation of metals is performed using methods such as hot melting and thermal oxidation.
Now. This metal oxide layer 3 can be prevented from becoming thin. The thickness of the metal oxide layer 3 is generally determined, for example, I
It is preferable that the gm is approximately 2,000 to 3,000. As described above, since the optical fiber according to the present invention is covered with the metal layer 2, it is possible to prevent moisture from entering, and since this metal layer 2 is covered with the metal oxide layer 3,
Corrosion of the metal layer 2 can be prevented.

Next, the method for manufacturing an optical fiber according to the present invention includes a spinning process of spinning an optical fiber body, a coating process of coating a metal layer immediately after the spinning process and before the light control fiber body touches anything, Immediately after the coating process, and before the metal layer comes into contact with anything, the metal layer is oxidized to form a true compound layer of the metal on the surface side of the metal layer. The process is characterized by being performed as a series of continuous processes. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, a heating furnace 5, a chemical vapor deposition device 6, an oxidation furnace 7
are installed concentrically and continuously, and the optical fiber is pulled by a take-up reel 8, so that after passing through each process, it is sent to the next process before it touches anything. The optical fiber is wound onto a take-up reel 9. First, the IjJ material 4 is heated in the heating furnace 5, drawn, and spun to obtain the optical fiber body 1. Next, a metal layer 2 is coated by a chemical vapor deposition device 6. Metal hydrides, chlorides, organic compounds, etc. are used as the raw material 1. This is subjected to a reduction reaction in an external heating type or internal heating type heating furnace in the chemical vapor deposition apparatus 6 to coat the surface of the optical fiber main body 1 with metal. Next, this metal is oxidized in the oxidation furnace 7. Metal is 02 or 02+
It is oxidized by a gas containing H, , O, and a metal oxide layer 3 is formed on the surface side of the metal layer 2 . The metal oxide layer 3 thus obtained is dense and can prevent metal corrosion.

Examples of the present invention will be described below. The overall configuration and arrangement of each device were the same as in FIG. 2. Outer diameter 125
Silicon was coated by chemical vapor deposition while spinning the IJ-m optical fiber body at a speed of 30 m/min. The length of the heating section in the heating furnace of the chemical vapor deposition apparatus was 30 cm, and the diameter of the reaction tube was 2 cm. This tail,
Bamboo is heated to 800°C, and Si H4 gas is injected into it at 600cc/min and H2 residue at 2000cc/min.
I sent them each. As a result, J′I of 2.5#Lrn
A silicon layer was formed. In this example, the oxidation furnace is 30 cm long and 2 cm in diameter. The oxidation furnace is heated to 800°C, and H2O is fed at a rate of 40 cc/min and O7 is fed at a rate of 1200 cc/min to coat the surface of the metal layer. mellowed. As a result, 2,000 parts of the surface of the metal layer were oxidized to form silicon dioxide. The outer diameter of the metal oxide layer is 1301Lm, and the diameter of the metal silicon layer is 129.5gm.
, the diameter of the optical fiber/main body was 125 pLm.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the structure of an optical fiber according to the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the process. 1... Optical Eye 8 main body 2... Metal layer 3... Metal oxide layer 4... IjJ material 5... Heating furnace
6...Chemical vapor deposition device 7...Resistance furnace
8... Take-up reel 9... Take-up reel

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Optical fiber main body and the optical fiber main body surface u7i
An optical fiber characterized in that it has a metal layer coated with , - and an oxide layer of the metal formed on the surface side of the metal layer 9. (2) Spinning -1 inch of spinning the optical fiber main body; 1. Coating l-, f+ to coat the optical fiber immediately after the culm with a metal layer before the main body touches anything;
Immediately after the coating L culm, before the gold 158 layer comes into contact with anything, oxidizing the metal layer to form an oxide layer of the metal on the surface side of the metal layer. , and these steps 1' and 1' are performed as a continuous and uniform step 4.
How to manufacture an optical fiber with 'r' characteristics.