| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/L36932/01 |
| Title: |
EXTRUSION OF SPECIAL GLASSES TO MAKE OPTICAL PREFORMS FOR MONOMODE FIBRES |
| Principal Investigator: |
Seddon, Professor AB |
| Other Investigators: |
|
| Researcher Co-Investigators: |
|
| Project Partners: |
|
| Department: |
Materials Science and Engineering |
| Organisation: |
University of Sheffield |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
01 May 1997 |
Ends: |
30 April 2000 |
Value (£): |
181,475
|
| EPSRC Research Topic Classifications: |
|
| EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications: |
| No relevance to Underpinning Sectors |
|
|
| Related Grants: |
|
| Panel History: |
|
|
Summary on Grant Application Form |
|
CONTEXT Under a recent EPSRC contract (GR/J47583) we have successfully designed, built and commissioned an extruder with which inorganic glasses can be formed into tubes and rods - one of the only three facilities worldwide. This proposal is to develop the extrusion method for making monomode-proportioned, fibreoptic performs of special glasses for applications including rare earth doped, fibre amplifiers. BENEFIT It is timely to investigate extrusion as current preform-making methods for special glasses are laborious and risk devitrification whereas extrusion is carried out at a relatively low temperature where crystal growth rates can be negligible. SPECIFICS Extruder die and barrd design/materials will be optimised as well as atmosphere/temp. hydraulic load. (1) a range of characterised chalcogenide glasses will be forthcoming from existing EPSRC project (GR/K78928) for extrusion. (2) for oxyfluoride glass ceramics, partitioning of rare earth dopant into the fluoride microcrystalline phase and growth of this phase on heat treatment of oxyfluoride glasses will be studied in detail via TEM, to optimise heating schedules. Wollaston Wire fibre drawing of oxyfluoride core preforms will be followed by controlled striking of rare earth fluoride microcrystallites. Preforms and fibres will be characterised via microscopy. Rare earth fluorescent lifetimes will be maximised and fibreoptical loss minimised. (3) Novel core/clad glasses and non-circular extrusions will be investigated.
|
|
Key Findings |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Potential use in non-academic contexts |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
|
Impacts |
|
| Description |
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk |
| Summary |
|
| Date Materialised |
|
|
|
|
Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
|
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
|
| Project URL: |
|
| Further Information: |
|
| Organisation Website: |
http://www.shef.ac.uk |