Hybrid Glass as Protective Coating for Aerospace Optical Fibers and Cables: Validation Test Results

Abstract

UV curable, inorganic – organic coatings called hybrid glassesand representing combination of silica nanoclusters and polymer binder were applied on the optical fibers resulting in thermally stable, chemically resistant protective coatings. This study highlights our efforts to assess the protective properties of hybrid glass coatings for avionic industry. Specifically, we present the results of multiple tests performed on multimode and singlemode optical fiber coated with non-strippable and strippable hybrid glass coatings and inserted into the Liteflight™-EP semi loose tube cables designed for aerospace.

Keywords:

• Coatings
• heat resistance
• inorganic-organic hybrids
• silica nanoclusters