Abstract Optical fiber buffer coatings with a low glass transition temperature are prepared from acrylated urethane oligomers having a molecular weight of 2,000 and 6,000, an aliphatic monofunctional acrylate or monofunctional aryl-containing acrylate having glass transition temperatures below -20°C., a photoinitiator and, optionally, a crosslinking acrylate ester having at least two acrylate or methacrylate groups per molecule and having a molecular weight less than 4,000. These buffer coatings are flexible at low temperatures, such as -60°C., and avoid microbending, resist water absorption and have low hydrogen generation.
An ultraviolet curable composition consisting essentially of a blend of (A) 30 to 55 weight percent of an acrylated urethane oligomer containing an average of about 2 acryl groups selected from the group consisting of acrylate and methacrylate, said acrylated urethane oligomer having a number average molecular weight of from 2,000 to 6,000, (B) 35 to 65 weight percent of a monofunctional acrylate having a T g less than -20°C. selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic monofunctional acrylate ester having a molecular weight less than 1,000 and a monofunctional aryl-containing acrylate of the general formula (I) in which at least one of n or m is at least 1 and the total average value of n and m is sufficient to provide a viscosity at 25°C. of 0.01 to 0.2 Pa·s and a is 0 or 1, (C) 0 to 10 weight percent of a crosslinking acrylate ester having at least two acrylate or methacrylate groups per molecule and having a molecular weight less than 4,000, (D) 0.2 to 10 weight percent of photoinitiator, and (E) an effective amount of polymerization inhibitor to permit storing the composition in one package.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
192 words
An ultraviolet curable composition consisting essentially of a blend of (A) 30 to 55 weight percent of an acrylated urethane oligomer containing an average of about 2 acryl groups selected from the group consisting of acrylate and methacrylate, said acrylated urethane oligomer having a number average molecular weight of from 2,000 to 6,000, (B) 35 to 65 weight percent of a monofunctional acrylate having a T g less than -20°C. selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic monofunctional acrylate ester having a molecular weight less than 1,000 and a monofunctional aryl-containing acrylate of the general formula (I) in which at least one of n or m is at least 1 and the total average value of n and m is sufficient to provide a viscosity at 25°C. of 0.01 to 0.2 Pa·s and a is 0 or 1, (C) 0 to 10 weight percent of a crosslinking acrylate ester having at least two acrylate or methacrylate groups per molecule and having a molecular weight less than 4,000, (D) 0.2 to 10 weight percent of photoinitiator, and (E) an effective amount of polymerization inhibitor to permit storing the composition in one package.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
97 words
The composition according to claim 1 in which the acrylated urethane oligomer of (A) has a viscosity at 49°C. of from 0.8 to 2 Pa·s and a viscosity at 82°C. of from 0.08 to 0.17 Pa·s, the monofunctional acrylate of (B) is alpha(1-oxo-2-propenyl)-omega-(nonylphenoxy)-poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) having a viscosity at 25°C. of from 0.1 to 0.12 Pa·s, the crosslinking acrylate ester of (C) is present in an amount of from 3 to 7 weight percent and is dipentaerythritol monohydroxy pentaacrylate and the photoinitiator of (D) is 2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-propan-1-one and is present in an amount of from 4 to 8 weight percent.
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