System for manufacturing fumed silica particles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12297116-B2
Application number	US-202016849951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2020
Priority date	Aug 13, 2019
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system for generating fumed silica particles for manufacturing of an optical fiber preform. The system includes a generator and a plurality of inlets connected with the generator. The generator includes a plurality of burners. The plurality of inlets include a first inlet, a second inlet, a third inlet and a fourth inlet. The first inlet provides passage for flow of a precursor material to the generator. The second inlet provides passage for flow of a first gas to the generator. The third inlet provides passage for flow of a second gas to the generator. The fourth inlet provides passage for flow of a carrier gas to the generator. The plurality of burners enables a chemical reaction between the precursor material, the first gas and the second gas that facilitates the generation of the fumed silica particles.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for generating fumed silica particles used for manufacturing of an optical fibre preform, the system comprising:
a generator, wherein the generator comprising a plurality of burners and an outlet, wherein the plurality of burners are positioned on a first surface of the generator;
a plurality of inlets connected with the generator, wherein the plurality of inlets comprising:
a first inlet, wherein the first inlet provides a passage for flow of a precursor material to the generator along with make up oxygen;
a second inlet, wherein the second inlet provides a passage for flow of a first gas to the generator;
a third inlet, wherein the third inlet provides a passage for flow of a second gas to the generator;
a fourth inlet, wherein the fourth inlet provides a passage for flow of a carrier gas to the generator, wherein the fourth inlet has a plurality of openings and is positioned around a periphery of plurality of burners,

wherein the plurality of burners is utilized for raising temperature inside the generator for enabling a chemical reaction between the precursor material, the first gas and the second gas, wherein the chemical reaction between the precursor material, the first gas and the second gas facilitates generation of the fumed silica particles,
wherein the system generates the fumed silica particles as per required size, and
an electrical and mass flow control panel, wherein the electrical and mass flow control panel is utilized to control the fourth inlet, wherein the electrical and mass flow control panel is connected to a vaporizer cabinet, wherein the electrical and mass flow control panel is utilized for providing controlled supply of the precursor material along with combustion gases from the vaporizer cabinet to the generator.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the generator has a coating on inner walls of the generator, wherein the coating is used to avoid contamination of the fumed silica particles.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the precursor material is received through a vaporizer cabinet, wherein the precursor material is at least one of silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4) or octamethylcyclotetrasiloxan (OMCTS), wherein the vaporizer cabinet is connected to the first inlet of the generator.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first gas and the second gas is received through a gas cabinet, wherein the first gas is oxygen, wherein the second gas is hydrogen when the precursor material is silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4), wherein the second gas is methane (CH4) when the precursor material is octamethylcyclotetrasiloxan (OMCTS), wherein the gas cabinet is connected to the second inlet and third inlet.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a pneumatic control module, wherein the pneumatic control module is utilized for operating one or more valves of a gas cabinet, wherein the one or more valves of the gas cabinet are operated for controlling flow rate of the first gas and the second gas present in the gas cabinet and carrier gas through fourth inlet.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the chemical reaction between the precursor material, the first gas and the second gas produces the fumed silica particles.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the generator receives the carrier gas with facilitation of the fourth inlet, wherein the carrier gas is at least one of nitrogen (N2) or air.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the carrier gas carries the fumed silica particles towards one or more outlets of the generator, wherein the fumed silica particles are collected in the one or more outlets.

Assignees

• Sterlite Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Gaikwad Sandeep
• Balakrishnan Ranjith
• Gomatam Badri

Classifications

• C03B37/012

  Manufacture of preforms for drawing fibres or filaments · CPC title

• B01J12/02

  for obtaining at least one reaction product which, at normal temperature, is in the solid state · CPC title

• B01J4/001

  Feed or outlet devices as such, e.g. feeding tubes · CPC title

• C03B37/01282

  by pressing or sintering, e.g. hot-pressing · CPC title

• C01B33/183 Primary

  by oxidation or hydrolysis in the vapour phase of silicon compounds such as halides, trichlorosilane, monosilane · CPC title