Specialty Optical Fibers Handbook

Alkoxy silanes are commonly employed as adhesion promoters in fiber optic

coatings.

The organofunctional end of the adhesion promoter covalently links with the

oligomer or other radiation-curable moieties (Fig. 4.7). The glass-coupling moi-

ety is generally inorganic in nature and bonds with the glass surface. Types of

organic functionality include amino, epoxy, vinyl, methacryloxy, isocyanato,

mercapto, polysulfide, and ureido. The inorganic end of the coupling agent

must have hydrolyzable groups, which leave silanol groups that can condense

with the surface silanol groups of the glass fiber surface. Methoxy and ethoxy

groups are typically employed ...