The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 09, 2004
Filed:
Dec. 12, 2001
Kintu O. Early, Painted Post, NY (US);
Claude E. Lacy, Painted Post, NY (US);
Susan L. Schiefelbein, Corning, NY (US);
Sabyasachi Sen, Painted Post, NY (US);
Wanda J. Walczak, Big Flats, NY (US);
Joseph M. Whalen, Corning, NY (US);
Tiffany L. James, Wilmington, NC (US);
Hazel B. Matthews, Wilmington, NC (US);
Chukwuemeka B. Onuh, Wilmington, NC (US);
Corning Incorporated, Corning, NY (US);
Abstract
The invention includes inventive methods of treating a soot preform. One method includes heating a soot preform to a temperature of less than about 1000° C. and exposing the preform to a substantially halide free reducing agent. Preferred reducing agents include carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. Another inventive method of treating the preform includes exposing the preform, in a furnace, to a substantially non-chlorine containing atmosphere comprising carbon monoxide. The preform is heated to a temperature of at least about 1000° C. Preferably this method is incorporated into the process for making an optical fiber. An additional method of treating the preform includes doping the preform with fluorine and exposing the fluorine doped preform to a substantially chlorine free atmosphere comprising at least carbon monoxide at a temperature of at least 1100° C., thereby reacting excess oxygen present in the furnace.