Optical fiber cable components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016215130-A1
Application number	US-201314917502-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 18, 2013
Priority date	Oct 18, 2013
Publication date	Jul 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Optical cable components fabricated from an extrudable polymeric blend of crystalline polypropylene modified with one or more impact-modifying polymers. The impact-modifying polymers are crosslinked and can be selected from a polyolefin elastomer, an olefin multi-block interpolymer, an olefin block composite, and combinations thereof. Optionally, the polymeric blend can further comprise a compatibilizer. The polymeric blend may also contain one or more additives. The optical fiber cable components can be selected from buffer tubes, core tubes, and slotted core tubes.

First claim

1 . An extruded optical cable protective component comprising:
an extruded polymeric blend, comprising:
(a) a crystalline polypropylene having a crystallinity of at least 55 percent; and
(b) a crosslinked impact-modifying polymer,
wherein said crosslinked impact-modifying polymer is an elastomer selected from the group consisting of a crosslinked silane-functionalized elastomer, a crosslinked maleic-anhydride-functionalized elastomer, or combinations thereof.

2 . The extruded optical cable protective component of claim 1 , wherein said crystalline polypropylene is present in an amount ranging from 45 to 95 weight percent based on the entire polymeric blend weight; wherein said crosslinked impact-modifying polymer is present in an amount ranging from 4 to 50 weight percent based on the entire polymeric blend weight.

3 . The extruded optical cable protective component of claim 1 , wherein said elastomer of said crosslinked impact-modifying polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyolefin elastomers, olefin multi-block interpolymers, olefin block composites, and combinations of two or more thereof.

4 . The extruded optical cable protective component of claim 1 , further comprising a non-crosslinked elastomer component selected from the group consisting of olefin elastomers, non-olefin elastomers, olefin multi-block interpolymers, olefin block composites, and mixtures of two or more thereof.

5 . The extruded optical cable protective component of claim 1 , wherein said polymeric blend has a weight gain after 16 days in LT-410A of less than 10 percent.

6 . The extruded optical cable protective component of claim 1 , wherein said polypropylene has a melt flow index (I 2 ) in the range of from 1 to 20 grams eluted per 10 minutes, wherein said polymeric blend has a notched Izod impact strength at 23° C. of at least 100 Joule per meter (“Jim”); wherein said polymeric blend has a 1-percent secant modulus at 23° C. of at least 1,200 megapascals (“MPa”).

7 . The extruded optical cable protective component of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional components selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, stabilizers, nucleating agents, acid scavengers, fillers, and combinations of two or more thereof.

8 . An optical fiber cable, comprising:
(a) the extruded optical fiber cable protective component of claim 1 ; and (b) at least one optical fiber transmission medium.

9 . A polymeric blend, comprising:
(a) a crystalline polypropylene having a crystallinity of at least about 55 percent; (b) an impact-modifying polymer selected from the group consisting of a silane-grafted polyolefin elastomer, a silane-grafted olefin multi-block interpolymer, a silane-grafted olefin block composite, and combinations of two or more thereof; (c) a non-silane-grafted elastomer selected from the group consisting of an olefin multi-block interpolymer, an olefin block composite, and combinations thereof; and (d) a condensation catalyst.

10 . The polymeric blend of claim 9 , wherein said crystalline polypropylene is present in said polymeric blend in an amount ranging from 50 to 90 wt % based on the entire polymeric blend weight; wherein said impact-modifying polymer is present in said polymeric blend in an amount ranging from 4 to 45 wt % based on the entire polymeric blend weight; wherein said non-silane-grafted compatibilizer is present in said polymeric blend in an amount ranging from 1 to 10 wt % based on the entire polymeric blend weight; wherein said condensation catalyst is present in said polymeric blend in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 0.5 wt % based on the entire polymeric blend weight.

Assignees

• Dow Global Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Esseghir Mohamed
• Sun Gangwei
• Cogen Jeffrey M
• Marchand Gary R

Classifications

• C08L51/06

  grafted on to homopolymers or copolymers of aliphatic hydrocarbons containing only one carbon-to-carbon double bond · CPC title

• C08L23/142

  at least partially crystalline copolymers of propene with other olefins · CPC title

• G02B6/4432

  with fibre reinforcements · CPC title

• G02B6/4479

  Manufacturing methods of optical cables · CPC title

• C08L83/10

  Block- or graft-copolymers containing polysiloxane sequences (obtained by polymerising a compound having a carbon-to-carbon double bond on to a polysiloxane C08L51/08, C08L53/00) · CPC title