A method for manufacturing a mat of inorganic fibers including the manufacture or supply of a mat of inorganic fibers having two major surfaces, which is strengthened with a chemical binder, or by means of a hydrodynamic method, coating of a first major surface of the mat by means of the application of an aqueous solid dispersion on one of the two sides of the mat, drying the coated mat, printing the coated mat by means of rotary printing, digital printing, screen printing, or offset printing on the first major surface of the coating, optional application of a protective layer onto the first major surface, application of a binder, at least partial drying and at least partial crosslinking of the mat to which binder has been applied, and rolling up of the obtained material web, or cutting to size as sheets.

Fibrous insulation products have an aqueous binder composition that includes a carbohydrate and a crosslinking agent. In exemplary embodiments, the carbohydrate-based binder composition may also include a catalyst, a coupling agent, a process aid, a crosslinking density enhancer, an extender, a moisture resistant agent, a deducting oil, a colorant, a corrosion inhibitor, a surfactant, a pH adjuster, and combinations thereof. The carbohydrate may be natural in origin and derived from renewable resources. Additionally, the carbohydrate polymer may have a dextrose equivalent (DE) number from 2 to 20. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the carbohydrate is a water-soluble polysaccharide such as dextrin or maltodextrin and the crosslinking agent is citric acid. Advantageously, the carbohydrates have a low viscosity and cure at moderate temperatures. The environmentally friendly, formaldehyde-free binder may be used in the formation of insulation materials and non-woven chopped strand mats. A method of making fibrous insulation products is also provided.

Glass flakes according to the present invention include: glass flake substrates; and a coating covering at least a portion of a surface of each of the glass flake substrates and composed of a binder. The binder includes a bismaleimide compound, a resin, and a silane coupling agent as essential components and includes a peroxide as an optional component. The proportion of the peroxide in the binder is 8 mass % or less.

Aspects of the embodiments are directed to systems and methods for forming an optical fiber in a low gravity environment, and an optical fiber formed in a low gravity environment. The system can include a preform holder configured to secure a preform; a heating element secured to a heating element stage and residing adjacent the preform holder; a heating element stage motor configured to move the heating element stage; a tension sensor; a spool; a spool tension motor coupled to the spool and configured to rotate the spool; and a control system communicably coupled to the heating element stage motor and the spool tension motor and configured to control the movement of the heating element stage based on a rotational speed of the spool. The optical fiber can include a fluoride composition, such ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF (ZBLAN), and can be characterized by an insertion loss in a range from 13 dB/1000 km to 120 dB/1000 km.

Embodiments of the present technology include a formaldehyde-free binder composition. The composition may include melamine. The composition may also include a reducing sugar. In addition, the binder composition may include a non-carbohydrate aldehyde or ketone. Embodiments may also include a method of making a formaldehyde-free binder composition. The method may include dissolving melamine in an aqueous solution of a reducing sugar. The concentration of the reducing sugar may be 30 wt. % to 70 wt. % of the aqueous solution, which may be at a temperature of 50 C. to 100 C. The method may also include adding a non-carbohydrate aldehyde or ketone to the dissolved melamine in the aqueous solution to form a binder solution. The temperature of the aqueous solution of the dissolved melamine may be 50 C. to 100 C. during the addition of the non-carbohydrate aldehyde or ketone. The method may further include reducing the temperature of the binder solution.

Embodiments of the present technology include a formaldehyde-free binder composition. The composition may include melamine. The composition may also include a reducing sugar. In addition, the binder composition may include a non-carbohydrate aldehyde or ketone. Embodiments may also include a method of making a formaldehyde-free binder composition. The method may include dissolving melamine in an aqueous solution of a reducing sugar. The concentration of the reducing sugar may be 30 wt. % to 70 wt. % of the aqueous solution, which may be at a temperature of 50 C. to 100 C. The method may also include adding a non-carbohydrate aldehyde or ketone to the dissolved melamine in the aqueous solution to form a binder solution. The temperature of the aqueous solution of the dissolved melamine may be 50 C. to 100 C. during the addition of the non-carbohydrate aldehyde or ketone. The method may further include reducing the temperature of the binder solution.

Fiber coatings with low Young's modulus, high tear strength, and/or high critical stress are realized with coating compositions that include an oligomeric material formed from an isocyanate, a hydroxy acrylate compound and a polyol. The oligomeric material includes a polyether urethane acrylate and a di-adduct compound. The reaction mixture used to form the oligomeric material includes a molar ratio of isocyanate:hydroxy acrylate:polyol of n:m:p, where when p is 2, n is in the range from 3.0 to 5.0 and m is in the range from 1.50n-3 to 2.50n-5. Control of the n:m:p ratio leads to compositions that, when cured, provide coatings and cured products having high critical stress, high tear strength, and a high ratio of tear strength to Young's modulus.

An optical fiber comprises a glass fiber, and a coating resin layer with which the glass fiber is covered, the coating resin layer has a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers includes a first layer being in contact with the glass fiber, and a longest diameter at ?40? C. of a void formed in the first layer is 100% or more and 300% or less of a longest diameter at 23? C. thereof, or a longest diameter at ?40? C. of a void formed in the first layer is 100% or more and 600% or less of a longest diameter at 23? C. thereof, and a Young's modulus of the first layer is 0.3 MPa or less.

A manufacturing method of an optical fiber includes forming an optical fiber by forming a plurality of resin-coating layers around a glass fiber including a core part and a cladding part, and forming a marking on an outermost layer, which is a colored layer having pigment, of the plurality of resin-coating layers by melting or scorching a surface of the outermost layer with a laser.

Fluorinated siloxane compositions, and methods of making and using the fluorinated siloxanes are disclosed. The polymers described herein may exhibit self-healing properties, a low dielectric constant, and a low refractive index. In some embodiments, a method of making a siloxane compound may involve contacting a silicon metal with a fluorinated compound to form a dichlorosilane compound, hydrolyzing the dichlorosilane compound to form a fluorinated tetrasiloxane compound, and contacting the fluorinated tetrasiloxane compound with a metal catalyst to form a fluorinated cyclic siloxane (D4) compound.