Curable Polymer Cable Filling Eliminates Grease
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing styrenic block copolymer compositions used in fiber optic cables are greasy and difficult to work with due to their oily nature, leading to issues with leakage and cleanup during cable cutting or repair, making them user-unfriendly and problematic for operators.
Innovation Solution
A curable polymeric composition that is a fluid gel at room temperature, comprising a thermoplastic block copolymer with poly(monovinyl aromatic hydrocarbon) and hydrogenated conjugated diene blocks, which can be easily pumped into cables and cured to form a cohesive gel, reducing the greasy issues associated with traditional compositions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional styrenic block copolymer compositions with hydrocarbon oil are used in fiber optic cables, then the composition is easy to pump into cables, but the composition becomes greasy and leaks when cables are cut
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the composition by using a curable polymer system that transitions from a pumpable liquid state to a solidified cured state. This parameter change allows the composition to be pumped easily in its liquid form and then transformed to eliminate greasiness and leakage after curing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs phase transition by using a curable polymer composition that transitions from liquid to solid state through curing. This phase change enables the material to be pumped in liquid form and then solidifies to prevent leakage and greasiness, resolving the contradiction between pumpability and harmful leakage effects.
2Ease of operation
If traditional oily compositions are used in fiber optic cables, then the composition facilitates flow and pumping, but operators face difficulty with cleanup and residue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter from permanent liquid to curable solid, allowing the composition to flow during pumping operations and then solidify after curing. This eliminates the residue and cleanup issues while maintaining ease of operation during the installation phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The curable polymer composition undergoes phase transition from liquid to solid, enabling easy pumping in liquid form and then solidifying to eliminate residue problems. This resolves the contradiction between operational ease during installation and cleanup difficulty after installation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers are used, then the composition achieves high viscosity and non-Newtonian behavior, but processing becomes difficult under high shear conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a curable polymer system where the composition parameters can be adjusted during processing. The curable nature allows the material to be processed in its uncured state with more favorable rheological properties, then transformed to achieve the desired high viscosity and elasticity in the cured state, resolving the processing difficulty.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The curable polymeric composition allows for easy pumping and curing within fiber optic cables, eliminating the greasiness and leakage issues, providing a more user-friendly and efficient protective material for fiber optic cables.
Implementation Method 1
the polymer composition is curable to a cohesive gel
Data Source
AI summary
A curable polymeric composition is herein disclosed. According to one embodiment, a curable polymeric composition comprises a thermoplastic block copolymer containing at least two polymer blocks A separated by at least one polymer block B. Each polymer block A is primarily a poly(monovinyl aromatic hydrocarbon) block, and polymer block B includes hydrogenated conjugated didne. The solid curable polymeric composition further comprises a curable functional compound compatible with polymer block A. The solid curable polymeric composition optionally comprises an initiator, a plasticizer, an antioxidant; a tackifyer and an aromatic resin.