Structure and Material of Optical Fiber Cable

As we all know, optical cable is an optical information transmission medium consisting of optical fibers, polymer materials, metal-plastic composite tapes and metal reinforcements. The main points of optical cable structure design are to give optical fibers protection against external mechanical forces, temperature changes, water effects, etc. by reasonably selecting various materials according to the system communication capacity, using environmental conditions, laying methods, manufacturing processes, etc.

Usually, in addition to optical fibers, the materials of optical cables can be divided into three categories: (1) polymer materials: loose sleeve materials, polyethylene sheath materials, halogen-free flame retardant sheath materials, polyethylene insulation materials, water blocking Filling compound, polyester tape; (2) metal-plastic composite tape: steel-plastic composite tape, aluminum-plastic composite tape; (3) central reinforcement: phosphating steel wire, stainless steel wire, fiberglass reinforced plastic rod, etc.

Under the premise of excellent mechanical characteristics of optical fiber transmission, reasonable structure design and perfect cable forming technology, the mechanical, temperature, water resistance and service life of optical fiber cable mainly depend on the performance of the selected materials and their matching.

In the following articles, we will share more details about the composition, advantages and disadvantages of each material.