Compact, hybrid fiber reinforced rods for optical cable reinforcements and method for making same
View Patent ↗Fiber reinforcement rods having a combination of reinforcing fiber members coated with a UV curable vinyl ester resin material and a polybutylene terephthalate/polyether glycol or ethylene acrylic acid topcoat layer. The reinforcing fiber members may be S-type fiber members, E-type glass fiber members, a combination thereof, or E-type glass fiber members and/or S-type glass fiber members with high strength synthetic strands of poly (p-phenylene 2,6 benzoisoxazole fiber members. The topcoat layer provides enhanced properties of specific adhesion, enhanced environmental protection, resistance to surface fiber breakage, and to some degree resistance from delamination.
1. A reinforcement rod for optical cables comprising:
a compact fiber reinforced rod comprising:
a plurality of elongated fiber members encased in a matrix of a UV cured vinyl ester resin material; and
an outer topcoat layer substantially surrounding said matrix, said outer topcoat layer being a separate layer distinct from the matrix and including a thermoplastic hot melt ethylene acrylic acid polymer resin having a different composition than the matrix and formulated to impart specific bonding characteristics to said rod;
wherein said UV cured vinyl ester resin material is heated to within a range of from about 65° C. to about 100° C. when applied to said plurality of elongated fibers to encase in said matrix; and
wherein said ethylene acrylic acid polymer resin is heated to within a temperature range of from about 150° C. to about 230° C. when applied to said matrix to form said outer topcoat layer; and
wherein said elongated fiber members include one or more of E glass fiber members and one or more of S glass fiber members and one or more of high strength synthetic strands of poly (p-phenylene-2.6-benzobisoxazole) fiber members and one or more of high strength aramid strands and one or more of polyphenylene terephthalate strand members.
2. The reinforcement rod of claim 1 wherein said compact fiber reinforced rod includes an upjacket substantially surrounding said outer topcoat layer.
3. The reinforcement rod of claim 1 wherein said UV cured vinyl ester resin material is selected from the group consisting of novolac vinyl ester and 1, 6 hexane diol diacrylate copolymer material, and novolac vinyl ester and dipropylene glycol diacrylate copolymer material.
4. The reinforcement rod of claim 1 includes an upjacket substantially surrounding said reinforcement rod.