A high efficiency optical combiner minimizes core region distortions in the area where fusion splicing between an input tapered fiber bundle (or any other type of cladding-less input fiber) and output fiber are joined. The thickness of the output fiber's glass cladding layer in the splice region is reduced (if not removed altogether) so that a core-to-core splice is formed and any necked-down region where the glass flows to join the core regions (while also joining the outer diameters) is essentially eliminated. The reduction of distortions in the core region of the splice improves the transmission efficiency between an input tapered fiber bundle and output fiber, reaching a level of about 99%. This high efficiency optical combiner is particularly well-suited for applications where a number of pump sources are combined and applied as an input to a fiber laser or amplifier.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing insulation products based on mineral wool bound by an organic binder, comprising the following successive steps: (a) providing a mineral wool, (b) humidifying the mineral wool, (c) placing the humidified mineral wool fibers in contact with particles of binder comprising a mixture of thermosetting reagents, (d) shaping the mixture of mineral wool and binder particles, and (e) heating the shaped mixture to a temperature and for a period sufficient to allow the condensation of the reagents and the formation of an insulation product based on mineral wool bound by an insoluble and infusible organic binder.

The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing insulation products based on mineral wool bound by an organic binder, comprising the following successive steps: (a) providing a mineral wool, (b) humidifying the mineral wool, (c) placing the humidified mineral wool fibers in contact with particles of binder comprising a mixture of thermosetting reagents, (d) shaping the mixture of mineral wool and binder particles, and (e) heating the shaped mixture to a temperature and for a period sufficient to allow the condensation of the reagents and the formation of an insulation product based on mineral wool bound by an insoluble and infusible organic binder.