Laser waveguides, methods and systems for forming a laser waveguide are provided. The waveguide includes an inner cladding layer surrounding a central axis and a glass core surrounding and located outside of the inner cladding layer. The glass core includes a laser-active material. The waveguide includes an outer cladding layer surrounding and located outside of the glass core. The inner cladding, outer cladding and/or core may surround a hollow central channel or bore and may be annular in shape.

A method of bonding together surfaces of two or more elements. The method includes the steps of providing two or more elements, applying an adhesive to one or more of the surfaces to be bonded together before, during or after contacting the surfaces to be bonded together with each other, and curing the adhesive, wherein the adhesive comprises at least one hydrocolloid.

New glass compositions and applications thereof are disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention relate to glass compositions, to fiber glass strands, to chopped fiber glass strands, to nonwoven mats of glass fibers, and to other products and methods. A fiber glass strand comprises a plurality of glass fibers comprising the glass composition of the present invention.

New glass compositions and applications thereof are disclosed. A glass composition as described herein can include 50 to 55 weight percent SiO.sub.2, 17 to 26 weight percent B.sub.2O.sub.3, 13 to 19 weight percent Al.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 8.5 weight percent MgO, 0 to 7.5 weight percent ZnO, 0 to 6 weight percent CaO, 0 to 1.5 weight percent Li.sub.2O, 0 to 1.5 weight percent F.sub.2, 0 to 1 weight percent Na.sub.2O, 0 to 1 weight percent Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, 0 to 1 weight percent TiO.sub.2, and 0 to 8 weight percent of other constituents. Also described herein are glass fibers formed from such compositions, composites, and articles of manufacture comprising the glass compositions and/or glass fibers.

Provided is an optical fiber containing an alkali metal element or the like having a smaller diffusion coefficient than K and having a low Rayleigh scattering loss. An optical fiber is composed of silica glass and includes a core and a cladding arranged to surround the core which has a lower refractive index than the core. The core includes a first core including a central axis and a second core arranged to surround the first core. The average concentration of an alkali metal element or alkaline-earth metal element in the first core is 10 mol ppm or less. The average concentration of chlorine in the first core is 2000 mol ppm or more. The average concentration of an alkali metal element or alkaline-earth metal element in the second core is 10 mol ppm or more. The average concentration of chlorine in the second core is 10 to 600 mol ppm.

The invention relates to a fiber reinforced thermoplastic molding composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer and reinforcing fibers, wherein the composition comprises (i) a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyamides, polycarbonates, polyphenylene sulphides (PPS), polyphenylene ethers (PPO), polyetheretherketones (PEEK), polyaryletherketones (PAEK), polyamidimides (PAI), polyetherimides (PEI) and liquid crystal polymers (LCPs), and combinations thereof and (ii) silicon-boron glass fibers consisting predominantly of silicon dioxide (SiO.sub.2) and boron trioxide (B.sub.2O.sub.3).

An energy absorption member (21) includes a hollow cylindrical fiber-reinforced composite material including reinforcement fibers (22), in which tensile strength S (GPa), tensile modulus of elasticity M (GPa), and elongation rate E (%) satisfy the following expression (1), and a curable resin composition with which the reinforcement fibers (22) are impregnated. The volume content of the reinforcement fibers (22) in the fiber-reinforced composite material is 30 to 80%.

11.0S.sup.2M.sup.1/8/E.sup.1/222.0 (1)

Methods of making gypsum panels, fiberglass mats, and associated gypsum panels and building sheathing systems are provided. In one aspect, a method of making a gypsum panel includes depositing an aqueous liquid containing a wetting agent onto a fiberglass mat, such that the aqueous liquid penetrates an entire thickness of the fiberglass mat, and depositing a gypsum slurry onto the fiberglass mat onto which the aqueous liquid has been deposited, such that the gypsum slurry penetrates at least a portion of the fiberglass mat. In another aspect, a method of making a gypsum panel includes depositing an aqueous liquid containing a wetting agent onto a fiberglass mat, and depositing a gypsum slurry onto the fiberglass mat onto which the aqueous liquid has been deposited, prior to drying of the aqueous liquid, such that the gypsum slurry penetrates at least a portion of the fiberglass mat.

A highly purified quartz powder having a low level of naturally occurring lithium modified for cladding a fiber optic cable, said modified quartz powder having an increased total amount of lithium in solid solution in said powder, said increased total amount being in the range of more than 0.50 ppm and less than 1.00 ppm and a method of modifying an highly purified quartz powder to make the same.

A composition for producing a glass fiber, including the following components with corresponding percentage amounts by weight: SiO.sub.2: 57.4-60.9%; Al.sub.2O.sub.3: greater than 17% and less than or equal to 19.8%; MgO: greater than 9% and less than or equal to 12.8%; CaO: 6.4-11.8%; SrO: 0.1-1.5%; Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O: 0.1-1.1%; Fe.sub.2O.sub.3: 0.05-1%; TiO.sub.2: lower than 0.8%; and SiO.sub.2+Al.sub.2O.sub.3: lower than or equal to 79.4%. The total weight percentage of the above components in the composition is greater than 99%. The weight percentage ratio of Al.sub.2O.sub.3+MgO to SiO.sub.2 is between 0.43 and 0.56, and the weight percentage ratio of CaO+MgO to SiO.sub.2+Al.sub.2O.sub.3 is greater than 0.205. The composition can significantly increase the glass modulus, effectively reduce the glass crystallization rate, secure a desirable temperature range (T) for fiber formation and enhance the refinement of molten glass, thus making it particularly suitable for high performance glass fiber production with refractory-lined furnaces.