A curable formaldehyde-free binding composition for use with fiberglass is provided. Such curable composition comprises an aldehyde or ketone and an amine salt of an inorganic acid. The composition when applied to fiberglass is cured to form a water-insoluble binder which exhibits good adhesion to glass. In a preferred embodiment the composition when applied to fiberglass provides a sufficient blackness required in facer products.

The invention relates to glass strands and glass strand structures coated with an electrically conducting coating composition which comprises (as % by weight of solid matter): 6 to 50% of a film-forming agent, preferably 6 to 45%, 5 to 40% of at least one compound chosen from plasticizing agents, surface-active agents and/or dispersing agents, 20 to 75% of electrically conducting particles, 0 to 10% of a doping agent, 0 to 10% of a thickening agent, 0 to 15% of additives. The invention also relates to the electrically conducting coating composition used to coat the said strands and strand structures, to their process of manufacture and to the composite materials including these strands or strand structures. Application to the preparation of structures and composite materials which can be heated by the Joule effect or which can be used for electromagnetic shielding.

The invention relates to glass strands and glass strand structures coated with an electrically conducting coating composition which comprises (as % by weight of solid matter): 6 to 50% of a film-forming agent, preferably 6 to 45%, 5 to 40% of at least one compound chosen from plasticizing agents, surface-active agents and/or dispersing agents, 20 to 75% of electrically conducting particles, 0 to 10% of a doping agent, 0 to 10% of a thickening agent, 0 to 15% of additives. The invention also relates to the electrically conducting coating composition used to coat the said strands and strand structures, to their process of manufacture and to the composite materials including these strands or strand structures. Application to the preparation of structures and composite materials which can be heated by the Joule effect or which can be used for electromagnetic shielding.

An apparatus for manufacturing an optical fiber, including a drawing portion, a coating portion, and a curing portion; wherein a direction changer which changes a direction of the bare optical fiber is disposed in any position from the drawing portion to the coating portion, the direction changer includes a guide groove which guides the bare optical fiber, a blowout port of a fluid which floats the bare optical fiber wired along the guide groove is formed along the guide groove in the guide groove, and an average flow rate or a highest flow rate of the fluid in an inlet wire portion of the bare optical fiber to the guide groove, and an outlet wire portion from the guide groove is faster than a lowest flow rate of the fluid in an intermediate portion between the inlet wire portion and the outlet wire portion in the blowout port.

A curable formaldehyde-free binding composition for use with fiberglass is provided. Such curable composition comprises an aldehyde or ketone and an amine salt of an inorganic acid. The composition when applied to fiberglass is cured to form a water-insoluble binder which exhibits good adhesion to glass. In a preferred embodiment the composition when applied to fiberglass provides a sufficient blackness required in facer products.

A curable formaldehyde-free binding composition for use with fiberglass is provided. Such curable composition comprises an aldehyde or ketone and an amine salt of an inorganic acid. The composition when applied to fiberglass is cured to form a water-insoluble binder which exhibits good adhesion to glass. In a preferred embodiment the composition when applied to fiberglass provides a sufficient blackness required in facer products.

An optical fiber ribbon is intermittently connected in a length direction by an intermittent connection which includes a polyol having a weight-average molecular weight of 3000 to 4000 in a specific amount relative to the entire intermittent connection and which has Young's modulus at 23 C. within a specific range. When collectively unitizing optical fiber ribbons to form an optical fiber cable, an optical fiber ribbon is formed which maintains advantages of the optical fiber ribbon and which prevents cracks of the intermittent connection and detachment of the intermittent connection from a colored optical fiber core when the cable is subjected to repetitive ironing.

An optical fiber ribbon is intermittently connected in a length direction by an intermittent connection which includes a polyol having a weight-average molecular weight of 3000 to 4000 in a specific amount relative to the entire intermittent connection and which has Young's modulus at 23 C. within a specific range. When collectively unitizing optical fiber ribbons to form an optical fiber cable, an optical fiber ribbon is formed which maintains advantages of the optical fiber ribbon and which prevents cracks of the intermittent connection and detachment of the intermittent connection from a colored optical fiber core when the cable is subjected to repetitive ironing.

A structure based on glass strand coated with a resin composition containing, by weight percent of solid matter: from 75 to 98% of a mixture of a first novolac having a glass transition temperature lower than or equal to 60 C. and a second novolac having a glass transition temperature above 60 C.; from 0.5 to 10% of a wax; from 1 to 15% selected from an imine and a modified melamine of formula (I): ##STR00001##
where R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, and R.sub.6 are each independently H, CH.sub.2OH, CH.sub.2OCH.sub.3, or CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2OCH.sub.3 radical, with at least one of R.sub.1 to R.sub.6 not being H; and from 0 to 10% of a plasticizing agent. Also, a resin composition for producing a reinforcing structure and bonded abrasive articles incorporating such a structure.

A structure based on glass strand coated with a resin composition containing, by weight percent of solid matter: from 75 to 98% of a mixture of a first novolac having a glass transition temperature lower than or equal to 60 C. and a second novolac having a glass transition temperature above 60 C.; from 0.5 to 10% of a wax; from 1 to 15% selected from an imine and a modified melamine of formula (I): ##STR00001##
where R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3, R.sub.4, R.sub.5, and R.sub.6 are each independently H, CH.sub.2OH, CH.sub.2OCH.sub.3, or CH.sub.2OCH.sub.2OCH.sub.3 radical, with at least one of R.sub.1 to R.sub.6 not being H; and from 0 to 10% of a plasticizing agent. Also, a resin composition for producing a reinforcing structure and bonded abrasive articles incorporating such a structure.