According to some embodiments a method of processing an optical fiber comprises the steps of: (i) drawing the fiber at a drawing rate of at least 30 m/sec; and (ii) cooling the drawn fiber in a gas at an average cooling rate less than 5000° C./s, such that said cooling reduces the temperature of the fiber from an entering temperature in the range between 1500° C. and 1700° C. to another temperature in the range between 1200° C. and 1400° C., the gas being at a temperature between 800° C. and 1500° C.; and the thermal conductivity κ of the gas being not greater than 1.5×10.sup.−4 cal/cm-s-K for at least one temperature within a range of 800° C. to 1500° C. at one atm (atmosphere) pressure absolute.

A hybrid Attenuated Total Reflection fiber optic probe device having a radiation source; a detecting system; a core-only solid optical fiber probe tip having an input end and an output end; an input hollow fiber waveguide configured for association with the radiation source at a first end and interconnection with the input end of the core-only solid optical fiber probe tip at a second end; an output hollow fiber waveguide configured for interconnection with the output end of the core-only solid optical fiber probe tip at a first end and association with the detection system at a second end; an inwardly tapered solid fiber input radiation collector element configured at a tapered end for interconnection with the second end of the output hollow fiber waveguide so as to receive radiation from the radiation source; wherein an outside diameter of the core-only solid optical fiber probe tip and an inside diameter of each one of the input hollow fiber waveguide and the output hollow fiber waveguide is such that the interconnection between each one of the input hollow fiber waveguide and the output hollow fiber waveguide and the core-only solid optical fiber probe tip is by means of inserting the input end of the core-only solid optical fiber probe tip into the second end of the input hollow fiber waveguide and inserting the output end of the core-only solid optical fiber probe tip into the first end of the output hollow fiber waveguide, such that the core-only solid optical fiber probe tip is held in the input and output hollow fiber waveguides by means of friction, and wherein an outside diameter of a portion of the inwardly tapered solid fiber input radiation collector element and an inside diameter of the second end of the output hollow fiber waveguide is such that the tapered end of the inwardly tapered solid fiber input radiation collector element is held in the end of the second end of the output hollow fiber waveguide by means of friction.

A hybrid reinforcement material (18) is disclosed that includes a plurality of reinforcement fibers (12) and a plurality of carbon fibers (14) comingled with the reinforcement fibers (12). The reinforcement fibers (12) are selected from natural fibers, organic fibers, and inorganic fibers and form a single hybrid assembled roving with the carbon fibers (14). The carbon fibers (14) are post-coated with a compatibilizer. The hybrid assembled roving (18) may be formed using a hybrid of glass and carbon fibers.

A hybrid reinforcement material (18) is disclosed that includes a plurality of reinforcement fibers (12) and a plurality of carbon fibers (14) comingled with the reinforcement fibers (12). The reinforcement fibers (12) are selected from natural fibers, organic fibers, and inorganic fibers and form a single hybrid assembled roving with the carbon fibers (14). The carbon fibers (14) are post-coated with a compatibilizer. The hybrid assembled roving (18) may be formed using a hybrid of glass and carbon fibers.

Method and apparatus for producing metal-coated optical fiber involves feeding a length of glass fiber through a first solution bath so as to plate a first predetermined metal on the glass fiber via electroless deposition. The length of glass fiber is passed continuously from the first solution bath to a second solution bath adapted to plate thereon a second predetermined metal via electrolytic plating such that the optical fiber contacts an electrode only after at least some of the second predetermined metal has been applied. The length of glass fiber may be passed continuously from the second solution bath to a third solution bath adapted to plate thereon a third predetermined metal via electrolytic plating.

A self-lubricating composite material is disclosed. The self-lubricating composite material can include discontinuous polymer fiber segments dispersed within a woven matrix of semi-continuous thermoplastic fiber. The woven matrix can be embedded within a thermosetting resin. Also disclosed are methods of manufacturing the self-lubricating composite material.

A coated optical fiber, including a coating layer with a high elastic modulus even when a glass optical fiber is coated with resin by using an ultraviolet semiconductor light emitting element as a light source for curing resin and using a Wet-on-Wet method, is provided. A manufacturing method of the coated optical fiber includes: applying a first ultraviolet curable resin to a glass optical fiber; applying a second ultraviolet curable resin to the periphery of the first ultraviolet curable resin before curing the first ultraviolet curable resin; and irradiating the first and second ultraviolet curable resins with light in a wavelength range of 350 to 405 nm emitted from an ultraviolet semiconductor light emitting element, wherein the second ultraviolet curable resin contains a photopolymerization initiator that absorbs the light from the ultraviolet semiconductor light emitting element to generate radicals, and the photopolymerization initiator has photobleaching properties.

An optical fiber includes a glass fiber and a coating resin layer with which the glass fiber is covered, wherein the coating resin layer includes tin and a cured ultraviolet curable resin composition containing 2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyldiphenyl phosphine as a photoinitiator, a percentage of uncured components having a molecular weight of 1000 or less included in the coating resin layer is 15% by mass or less, and a fraction of an amount of a phosphorus-tin complex with respect to an amount of hydrocarbon on the surface of coating resin layer is 1000 ppm or less.

Gypsum panels, sheathing systems, and methods of making and using the same are provided. A gypsum panel includes a gypsum core associated with a first fiberglass mat having a continuous barrier coating, the coating penetrating a portion of the first fiberglass mat opposite the gypsum core, wherein gypsum penetrates a remaining fibrous portion of the first fiberglass mat such that voids in the first fiberglass mat are substantially eliminated. A building sheathing system includes at least two gypsum panels and a seaming component to provide a seam at an interface between the gypsum panels.

A fibre structure formed from dissolvable glass fibres is provided, the dissolvable glass fibres being formed from one or more boron compounds and one or more alkali compounds. The dissolvable glass can be formed into filaments, rovings and staple fibres of varying composition, length and diameter dependent on functionality and purpose. A mixture of chemicals components are heated, melted and then drawn or extruded into dissolvable filaments, rovings and staple fibres for use in a fibre-reinforced composite part or as a preservative in the internal and surface treatment of solid wood and engineered composite panels. A water-soluble surface coating may be applied to adjust dissolution rate and facilitate binding into an air-laid nonwoven mat or incorporation into other matrices.