Preparation method and application of MT insertion core

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of optical communication, and particularly discloses a preparation method and application of an MT insertion core. The preparation method comprises the following steps of mixing preparation raw materials of the MT ferrule, performing injection molding, and performing annealing treatment to obtain the MT ferrule, the preparation raw materials of the MT ferrule contain polyphenylene sulfide. According to the preparation method, simple annealing treatment is performed on the MT insertion core after injection molding, so that polyphenylene sulfide in the MT insertion core can be fully crystallized, the prepared MT insertion core has better breaking strength and more stable size, and the service life of the MT insertion core is further prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the technical field of optical communication, and in particular relates to a preparation method of an MT ferrule and application thereof. Background Art

[0002] MT (Mechanical Transfer) ferrule is a multi-core, multi-channel plug-in connector, which is made of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) plastic injection molding. It has excellent characteristics such as good thermal stability, high mechanical strength, high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, flame retardancy, and good dimensional stability. It can achieve high-density and high-precision connection of multiple optical fibers and is widely used in MPO fiber optic connector manufacturing, optical coupling of devices, etc.

[0003] During use, MT ferrules need to undergo frequent plugging and unplugging operations, and are subject to friction and mechanical stress for a long time. In addition, data centers and base stations may be used in different climate temperatures and working conditions, so MT ferrules are required to have high mechanical strength and dimensional stability. Existing MT ferrules are made of PPS injection molding. The general molding mold temperature is around 135°C, and the injection molding cycle is short. At this time, the PPS molecular chain is arranged more loosely, and the PPS crystallization is incomplete. The dimensional stability and flexural strength of the product are poor, which makes the MT ferrule have the risk of breaking and collapse during the clamping and grinding process. Summary of the invention

[0004] In order to overcome at least one technical problem existing in the above-mentioned prior art, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing an MT ferrule.

[0005] A second object of the present invention is to provide an MT ferrule.

[0006] A third object of the present invention is to provide a method for preparing the MT ferrule and / or application of the MT ferrule in the field of optical fiber connectors or optical coupling of devices.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing an MT ferrule, comprising the following steps:

[0009] The raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule are mixed and injection molded, and then annealed to obtain the MT ferrule;

[0010] The raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule contain polyphenylene sulfide.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature of the annealing step is 120-185°C.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the annealing step is performed for 10 to 300 minutes.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature of the annealing step is 140-180°C.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the annealing step is performed for 30 to 240 minutes.

[0015] In some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature of the annealing step is denoted as T°C, and the time of the annealing step is denoted as t min; the relationship between the time of the annealing step and the temperature of the annealing step is: t=-5.5T+b, 1000°C≤b≤1050°C.

[0016] In some embodiments of the present invention, the mold temperature of the injection molding step is 130-140°C.

[0017] In some embodiments of the present invention, the injection molding time is 10 to 15 seconds.

[0018] In some embodiments of the present invention, the raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule further contain inorganic particles and additives.

[0019] In some embodiments of the present invention, the inorganic particles include Al 2 O 3 、SiO 2 、ZrO 2 、ZnO、CaCO 3 At least one of .

[0020] In some embodiments of the present invention, the additive includes at least one of a toner and a lubricant dispersant.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present invention, the toner includes at least one of carbon black, iron black, cobalt black, and copper chrome black.

[0022] In some embodiments of the present invention, the lubricating dispersant includes at least one of a hyperbranched polyester and ethylene bisstearamide.

[0023] The second aspect of the present invention provides an MT ferrule, which is prepared by the preparation method described in the first aspect of the present invention; the crystallinity of polyphenylene sulfide in the MT ferrule is 35-45%.

[0024] The third aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing the MT ferrule according to the first aspect of the present invention and / or application of the MT ferrule according to the second aspect of the present invention in the field of optical fiber connectors or optical coupling of devices.

[0025] The beneficial effect of the present invention is that the preparation method of the present invention performs a simple annealing treatment on the MT ferrule after injection molding, so that the polyphenylene sulfide in the MT ferrule can be fully crystallized, so that the prepared MT ferrule has better flexural strength and more stable size, thereby extending the service life of the MT ferrule. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The specific implementation of the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with examples, but the implementation and protection of the present invention are not limited thereto. It should be noted that if there are processes that are not particularly described in detail below, they can be implemented or understood by those skilled in the art with reference to the prior art. The reagents or instruments used that do not indicate the manufacturer are all conventional products that can be purchased commercially.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present invention, the present invention provides a method for preparing an MT ferrule, comprising the following steps:

[0028] The raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule are mixed and then injection molded, and then annealed to obtain the MT ferrule;

[0029] The raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule contain polyphenylene sulfide.

[0030] In some embodiments of the present invention, the present invention provides a method for preparing an MT ferrule, comprising the following steps:

[0031] The raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule are mixed, melt-extruded and granulated, injection-molded, annealed and cooled to obtain the MT ferrule;

[0032] The raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule contain polyphenylene sulfide.

[0033] In some embodiments of the present invention, the cooling step is natural cooling.

[0034] During the research and development, the inventors found that if the injection-molded MT ferrule is used directly, the flexural strength of the MT ferrule is low and the dimensional stability is poor. If the injection-molded MT ferrule is annealed, the polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) molecules can have enough time to rearrange and crystallize, so that the PPS has a suitable degree of crystallinity, thereby improving the flexural strength and dimensional stability of the MT ferrule.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature of the annealing step is 120-185°C; in some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature of the annealing step is selected from any value of 120°C, 125°C, 130°C, 135°C, 140°C, 145°C, 150°C, 155°C, 160°C, 165°C, 170°C, 175°C, 180°C, 185°C or a range formed by any two of them; in some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the temperature of the annealing step is 140-180°C.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present invention, the time of the annealing step is 10 to 300 min; in some embodiments of the present invention, the time of the annealing step is selected from any value of 10 min, 20 min, 30 min, 40 min, 50 min, 60 min, 70 min, 80 min, 90 min, 100 min, 110 min, 120 min, 130 min, 140 min, 150 min, 160 min, 170 min, 180 min, 190 min, 200 min, 210 min, 220 min, 230 min, 240 min, 250 min, 260 min, 270 min, 280 min, 290 min, 300 min or a range formed by any two of them; in some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the time of the annealing step is 30 to 240 min.

[0037] The inventors found that the annealing temperature and annealing time have an important influence on the annealing effect. When the annealing temperature is controlled within 120-185°C and the annealing time is controlled within 10-300 minutes, better results can be achieved. When the annealing temperature is too low or the annealing time is too short, it is not enough to fully crystallize the PPS molecules and to improve the strength of the MT ferrule; when the annealing temperature is too high or the annealing time is too long, the product shrinks due to material crystallization, resulting in a decrease in the dimensional stability of the MT ferrule. In addition, when the annealing temperature is controlled within 140-180°C and the annealing time is controlled within 30-240 minutes, the flexural strength of the MT ferrule can be further improved, so that the prepared MT ferrule has excellent dimensional stability.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature of the annealing step is recorded as T°C, and the time of the annealing step is recorded as tmin; the relationship between the time of the annealing step and the temperature of the annealing step is: t=-5.5T+b, 1000°C≤b≤1050°C. In some embodiments of the present invention, b can be selected from any value of 1000, 1005, 1010, 1015, 1020, 1025, 1030, 1035, 1040, 1045, 1050 or a range formed by any two of them. The inventors further found that when the temperature of the annealing step and the time of the annealing step satisfy t=-5.5T+b, 1000°C≤b≤1050°C, the annealing time is gradually shortened as the annealing temperature increases, which can further ensure the annealing effect and further improve the bending strength of the MT ferrule.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present invention, the mold temperature of the injection molding step is 130-140°C; in some embodiments of the present invention, the mold temperature of the injection molding step is selected from any value of 131°C, 132°C, 133°C, 134°C, 135°C, 136°C, 137°C, 138°C, 139°C, and 140°C, or a range formed by any two of them.

[0040] In some embodiments of the present invention, the injection molding time is 10 to 15 s; in some embodiments of the present invention, the injection molding time is any value among 10 s, 11 s, 12 s, 13 s, 14 s, and 15 s, or a range formed by any two of them.

[0041] In some embodiments of the present invention, the raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule further contain inorganic particles and additives.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present invention, the raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule include the following materials in percentage by mass: 65-74% polyphenylene sulfide, 25-34% inorganic particles, and 0.1-2% additives.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present invention, the inorganic particles include Al 2 O 3 、SiO 2 、ZrO 2 、ZnO、CaCO 3 At least one of .

[0044] In some embodiments of the present invention, the additive includes at least one of a toner and a lubricant dispersant.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present invention, the toner includes at least one of carbon black, iron black, cobalt black, and copper chrome black.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, the lubricating dispersant includes at least one of a hyperbranched polyester and ethylene bisstearamide.

[0047] In some embodiments of the present invention, the present invention provides an MT ferrule, which is prepared by the above-mentioned preparation method; the crystallinity of polyphenylene sulfide in the MT ferrule is 35-45%.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present invention, the crystallinity of polyphenylene sulfide in the MT ferrule is selected from any value of 35%, 36%, 37%, 38%, 39%, 40%, 41%, 42%, 43%, 44%, 45%, or a range formed by any two of them.

[0049] In some embodiments of the present invention, the present invention provides a fiber optic connector, which includes the above-mentioned MT ferrule.

[0050] The implementation of the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments:

[0051] Example 1

[0052] This example provides a method for preparing an MT ferrule, the method comprising the following steps:

[0053] S1, the following raw materials in mass percentage: 69% polyphenylene sulfide, 30% SiO 2 , 0.7% ethylene bisstearamide, and 0.3% carbon black, put them into a high-speed mixer for premixing for 30 minutes, then melt-extrude them through a twin-screw extruder and granulator, and perform injection molding in a mold at 135° C. for 15 seconds to obtain the MT ferrule to be processed;

[0054] S2. The MT ferrule to be processed is placed in a vacuum heating furnace for annealing at a temperature of 140° C. for 240 seconds, and then cooled at room temperature of 25° C. to obtain an annealed MT ferrule.

[0055] In the MT ferrule prepared by the preparation method of this example, the crystallinity of polyphenylene sulfide is 41%.

[0056] Embodiments 2 to 11

[0057] The preparation methods of the MT ferrules in Examples 2 to 11 are different from those in Example 1 only in that the annealing temperature and annealing time are different, as shown in Table 1.

[0058] The crystallinity of the polyphenylene sulfide in the MT ferrules prepared by the preparation methods of Examples 2 to 11 is different from that of Example 1.

[0059] Table 1 Annealing temperature and annealing time of the preparation method of Examples 1 to 11

[0060]

[0061]

[0062] Comparative Example 1

[0063] This example provides a method for preparing an MT ferrule, the method comprising the following steps:

[0064] The following raw materials in mass percentage: 69% polyphenylene sulfide, 30% SiO 2 , 0.7% ethylene bisstearamide, and 0.3% carbon black were put into a high-speed mixer for premixing for 30 minutes, and then melt-extruded through a twin-screw extruder and granulator, and injection molded in a mold at 135°C for 15 seconds to obtain an MT core.

[0065] Performance Test:

[0066] The flexural strength, dimensional stability and crystallinity of the MT ferrules prepared in Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Example 1 were tested respectively. The specific testing methods are shown in Table 2.

[0067] Table 2 Test methods

[0068]

[0069] The performance data of the MT ferrules prepared in Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Example 1 measured by the above test method are shown in Table 3 below.

[0070] Table 3 Performance data of MT ferrule

[0071]

[0072]

[0073] It can be seen from Table 3 that, compared with Comparative Example 1, the MT ferrules of Examples 1 to 11 have better dimensional stability, higher flexural strength and higher crystallinity after annealing. By comparing Examples 6 to 9 with Examples 1 to 5, it can be seen that when the annealing temperature is controlled at 140 to 180°C and the annealing time is controlled at 30 to 240 minutes, the flexural strength and dimensional stability of the MT ferrule can be further improved. By comparing Examples 10 to 11 with Examples 1 to 5, it can be seen that when the annealing temperature T and the annealing time t satisfy t = -5.5T + b, 1000 ≤ b ≤ 1050, the high flexural strength and high dimensional stability of the MT ferrule can be further guaranteed.

[0074] In summary, the present invention can improve the crystallinity of polyphenylene sulfide by annealing the MT ferrule obtained by injection molding, thereby effectively improving the strength and dimensional stability of the MT ferrule, and further improve the strength and dimensional stability of the MT ferrule by adjusting the annealing temperature and annealing time.

[0075] The above is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various changes can be made within the knowledge of ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field without departing from the purpose of the present invention. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

Claims

1. A method for preparing an MT ferrule, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: The raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule are mixed and injection molded, and then annealed to obtain the MT ferrule; The raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule contain polyphenylene sulfide.

2. The method for preparing the MT ferrule according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature of the annealing step is 120-185° C.; and / or the time of the annealing step is 10-300 min.

3. The method for preparing the MT ferrule according to claim 1, characterized in that: The temperature of the annealing step is 140-180° C.; and / or the time of the annealing step is 30-240 min.

4. The method for preparing the MT ferrule according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The temperature of the annealing step is recorded as T°C, and the time of the annealing step is recorded as t min; the relationship between the time of the annealing step and the temperature of the annealing step is: t=-5.5T+b, 1000°C≤b≤1050°C.

5. The method for preparing the MT ferrule according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The mold temperature of the injection molding step is 130-140° C.; and / or the injection molding time is 10-15 seconds.

6. The method for preparing the MT ferrule according to claim 1, characterized in that: The raw materials for preparing the MT ferrule also contain inorganic particles and additives.

7. The method for preparing the MT ferrule according to claim 6, characterized in that: The inorganic particles include at least one of Al2O3, SiO2, ZrO2, ZnO, and CaCO3; And / or, the additive includes at least one of a toner and a lubricant dispersant.

8. The method for preparing the MT ferrule according to claim 7, characterized in that: The toner includes at least one of carbon black, iron black, cobalt black, and copper chrome black; And / or, the lubricating dispersant includes at least one of hyperbranched polyester and ethylene bisstearamide.

9. An MT ferrule, characterized in that: The MT ferrule is prepared by the preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 8; the crystallinity of polyphenylene sulfide in the MT ferrule is 35 to 45%.

10. The method for preparing the MT ferrule according to any one of claims 1 to 8 and / or the use of the MT ferrule according to claim 9 in the field of optical fiber connectors or optical coupling of devices.

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