Dsm IP Assets B.v.

Jozef M H Linsen

Marko Dorschu

Johannes Adrianus Van Eekelen

Adrianus G M Abel

Markus J H Bulters

Paulus A M Steeman

Gerrit Rekers

Philippe W P V Bleiman

Alexander A M Stroeks

The invention relates to coated optical fibers comprising soft primary coatings and to such primary coatings for protecting glass optical fibers having a sufficient high resistance against cavitation. In particular, the primary coatings have a cavitation strength at which a tenth cavitation appears (&#x3c3;) of at least about 1.0 MPa as measured at a deformation rate of 0.20% minand of at least about 1.4 times their storage modulus at 23&#xb0; C. The coating preferably shows strain hardening in a relative Mooney plot, preferably has a strain energy release rate Go of about 20 J/mor more, and preferably has a low volumetric thermal expansion coefficient. The invention furthermore provides a method and apparatus for measuring the cavitation strength of a primary coating.

Coated optical fibers

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Heerlen, Netherlands

Jozef M H Linsen