A system for precoating a preform for drawing optical fiber including a diameter sensor to determine a diameter of pulled optical fiber, a cooling system to cool the optical fiber once it is pulled from a furnace, a coating system to apply a coating to the optical fiber once it has cooled and an ultra-violet lamp to cure the coating.

A glass composition is provided that includes SiO.sub.2 in an amount from 50.0 to 65.0% by weight; Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount from 18.0 to 23.0% by weight; CaO in an amount from 1 to 8.5% by weight; MgO in an amount from 9.0 to 14.0% by weight; Na.sub.2O in an amount from 0.0 to 1.0% by weight; K.sub.2O in an amount from 0.0 to 1.0% by weight; Li2O in an amount from 0.1 to 4.0% by weight; TiO.sub.2 in an amount from 0.0 to 2.5% by weight, Y.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount from 0 to 10.0% by weight; La.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount from 0 to 10.0% by weight; Ce.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount from 0 to 5.0% by weight; and Sc.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount from 0 to 5.0% by weight. Glass fibers formed from the inventive composition may be used in applications that require high stiffness and have elastic modulus between 88 and 115 GPa. Such applications include woven fabrics for use in forming wind turbine blades and aerospace structures.

A glass composition is provided that includes SiO.sub.2 in an amount from 50.0 to 65.0% by weight; Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount from 18.0 to 23.0% by weight; CaO in an amount from 1 to 8.5% by weight; MgO in an amount from 9.0 to 14.0% by weight; Na.sub.2O in an amount from 0.0 to 1.0% by weight; K.sub.2O in an amount from 0.0 to 1.0% by weight; Li2O in an amount from 0.1 to 4.0% by weight; TiO.sub.2 in an amount from 0.0 to 2.5% by weight, Y.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount from 0 to 10.0% by weight; La.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount from 0 to 10.0% by weight; Ce.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount from 0 to 5.0% by weight; and Sc.sub.2O.sub.3 in an amount from 0 to 5.0% by weight. Glass fibers formed from the inventive composition may be used in applications that require high stiffness and have elastic modulus between 88 and 115 GPa. Such applications include woven fabrics for use in forming wind turbine blades and aerospace structures.

A sensor system to provide data for use to control manufacture of an optical fiber in microgravity including a diameter sensor to monitor a diameter of a fiber drawn from a preform material, a tension sensor to monitor tension of the fiber as the fiber is pulled from the preform material to a storage device and a controller in communication with at least one of the diameter sensor and the tension sensor to evaluate sensor data to determine at least one of a speed and rate at which the fiber is pulled from the preform material.

A system for drawing optical fiber in microgravity including a sealed housing to prevent infiltration of at least humidity and filled with a dry environment, a preform holder located within the sealed housing to hold preform material, a furnace located within the sealed housing to receive the preform material from the preform holder and to heat the preform material from which the optical fiber is pulled, a feed system to move the preform material from the preform holder to the furnace, a drawing mechanism located within the sealed housing to pull the optical fiber from the preform material within the furnace, a diameter monitor located within the sealed housing to measure a diameter of the optical fiber and a fiber collection mechanism located within the sealed housing to gather and store the optical fiber.

The present disclosure provides a novel glass composition that has a low permittivity and is suitable for mass production. A glass composition provided satisfies, in wt %, for example, 40≤SiO.sub.2≤60, 25≤B.sub.2O.sub.3≤45, 0<Al.sub.2O.sub.3≤18, 0<R.sub.2O≤5, and 0≤RO≤12, and satisfies at least one of: i) SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3≥80 and SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3+Al.sub.2O.sub.3≤99.9; and ii) SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3≥78, SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3+Al.sub.2O.sub.3≤99.9, and 0<RO<10. Another glass composition provided includes SiO.sub.2, B.sub.2O.sub.3, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, R.sub.2O, and 3<RO<8 at the same contents as the above, and satisfies SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3≥75 and SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3+Al.sub.2O.sub.3<97, where R.sub.2O=Li.sub.2O+Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O and RO=MgO+CaO+SrO.

The present disclosure provides a novel glass composition that has a low permittivity and is suitable for mass production. A glass composition provided satisfies, in wt %, for example, 40≤SiO.sub.2≤60, 25≤B.sub.2O.sub.3≤45, 0<Al.sub.2O.sub.3≤18, 0<R.sub.2O≤5, and 0≤RO≤12, and satisfies at least one of: i) SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3≥80 and SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3+Al.sub.2O.sub.3≤99.9; and ii) SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3≥78, SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3+Al.sub.2O.sub.3≤99.9, and 0<RO<10. Another glass composition provided includes SiO.sub.2, B.sub.2O.sub.3, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, R.sub.2O, and 3<RO<8 at the same contents as the above, and satisfies SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3≥75 and SiO.sub.2+B.sub.2O.sub.3+Al.sub.2O.sub.3<97, where R.sub.2O=Li.sub.2O+Na.sub.2O+K.sub.2O and RO=MgO+CaO+SrO.

A method of manufacturing an optical fiber is provided. The method involves providing a fiber preform with an active core and a pump-guiding cladding, and assembling one or more side rods to the fiber preform. The side rods extend longitudinally along an outer surface of the pump-guiding cladding. The resulting fiber preform assembly is drawn into the optical fiber. Each side rod defines a longitudinal protrusion extending along the optical fiber. Each longitudinal protrusion may have a cross-section forming a middle bump projecting radially away from the outer surface of the pump-guiding cladding and smooth transition regions with this outer surface of the pump-guiding cladding on opposite sides of the middle bump.

Provided is a method for producing glass fiber, capable of stably performing the spinning of glass fibers without mixing of red crystals in glass fibers. When glass fibers are formed by discharging, from a nozzle tip, a molten glass obtained by melting glass raw materials mixed so as to give a glass composition including, when melted, in relation to the total amount thereof, SiO.sub.2 in a range from 57.0 to 62.0% by mass, Al.sub.2O.sub.3 in a range from 15.0 to 20.0% by mass, MgO in a range from 7.5 to 12.0% by mass, and CaO in a range from 9.0 to 16.5% by mass, and having a total content of SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2O.sub.3, MgO and CaO of 98.0% by mass or more, the glass composition includes B.sub.2O.sub.3, Li.sub.2O, or B.sub.2O.sub.3 and Li.sub.2O as an additive or additives capable of suppressing the generation of red crystals.

The invention relates to a method for producing a multicomponent fiber, wherein the fiber is formed from a plurality of filaments, where the filaments each have a core and a thermoplastic sheath, and where the sheath is generated during the production of the filaments by in situ polymerization of monomers or oligomers of the thermoplastic on the surface of the core, and also to multicomponent fibers produced accordingly and to organosheets produced therefrom.