Radiation curable compositions for coating optical fiber and the coatings produced therefrom

Abstract

Described and claimed herein are radiation curable compositions for coating an optical fiber, particularly primary coating compositions, wherein the composition possesses specified liquid glass transition temperatures, and/or viscosity ratios between, e.g., 25° C. and 85° C. Such compositions possess preferably high amounts of a reactive oligomer component with a backbone not derived from polypropylene glycol, preferably reactive oligomers with select diisocyanate constituents, one or more reactive diluent monomers, a photoinitiator, and optionally, one or more additives. Such compositions also are preferably sufficiently viscous at room temperature to ensure optimum optical fiber coating processability. Also described are methods of coating the radiation curable compositions elsewhere described, and the fiber optic coatings resulting therefrom.