Quartz fiber

Quartz fiber is a fiber created from high-purity quartz crystals.[1][2] It is made by first softening quartz rods (in an oxyhydrogen flame)[3] and then creating filaments from the rods.[4] Since the creation of high-purity quartz crystals is an energy intensive process, quartz fiber is more expensive than alternatives (glass fiber and high-silica fiber) and has limited applications.[3]

Manufacture

Quartz fiber is made from heating quartz rods with an oxyhydrogen flame. Then, filaments are drawn out of the quartz rod, creating quartz fibers.[5] For optical fibers, germanium and phosphorus can be added to increase the refractive index.[6][7]

Properties

A single quartz fiber can have a tensile strength of 800 kilopounds per square inch (5,500 MPa). Quartz fibers are chemically stable as they are not affected by halogens (for the most part). Quartz fibers also have a higher thermal resistance than S-glass or E-glass.[8]

Applications

A quartz fiber dosimeter, a device using a quartz fiber.

Since quartz fiber is expensive, it has limited applications.[2] It is used mainly for producing composite materials (due to having higher stability compared to glass fiber) and in electrical applications where thermal resistance and dielectric properties are important.[9] It can be used in filtration applications where alternatives such as glass fiber filters cannot be used.[3][10] Quartz fiber can also be used for physical devices (such as in quartz fiber dosimeters and quartz fiber electrometers).[11]

Quartz fibers can be used in fiber optics. This is due to a quartz fiber having the ability to transport data at a speed of 1 terabit per second,[12][13] and having a transmission loss of 1 decibel per kilometer.[14]

Similar to how fiberglass can be made, quartz fiber can be used to make composite materials by combining with a resin. The fiber can be weaved into a cloth ("quartz cloth", "silica cloth"), or chopped to a uniform length.[15] Three-dimensional quartz phenolic is an example of such a material.

See also

References

  1. ^ Carley, James F. (October 8, 1993). Whittington's Dictionary of Plastics, Third Edition. CRC Press. ISBN 9781566760904.
  2. ^ a b Wang, Ru-Min; Zheng, Shui-Rong; Zheng, Yujun George (July 14, 2011). Polymer Matrix Composites and Technology. Elsevier. ISBN 9780857092229.
  3. ^ a b c Rosato, Donald V.; Rosato, Dominick V. (2004). Reinforced Plastics Handbook. Elsevier. ISBN 9781856174503.
  4. ^ Rosato, Donald V.; Rosato, Marlene G.; Rosato, D. V. (August 31, 2000). Concise Encyclopedia of Plastics. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9780792384960.
  5. ^ Peters, S. T. (November 27, 2013). Handbook of Composites. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9781461563891.
  6. ^ Xinju, Lan (February 18, 2010). Laser Technology, Second Edition. CRC Press. ISBN 9781420091717.
  7. ^ Staff, IGIC, Inc (1994). Radiation Effects on Fiber Optics and Opto Electronics. Information Gatekeepers Inc. ISBN 9781568510750.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Defense, Us Dept Of (June 18, 1999). Composite Materials Handbook-MIL 17: Materials Usage, Design, and Analysis. CRC Press. ISBN 9781566768283.
  9. ^ Materials, Metal Properties Council Task Group on Commercial Opportunities for Composite; Watts, Admiral A. (1980). Commercial Opportunities for Advanced Composites. ASTM International. ISBN 9780803103023.
  10. ^ Brisson, Michael J.; Ekechukwu, Amy A. (2009). Beryllium: Environmental Analysis and Monitoring. Royal Society of Chemistry. ISBN 9781847559036.
  11. ^ Wiberg, Egon; Wiberg, Nils (2001). Inorganic Chemistry. Academic Press. ISBN 9780123526519.
  12. ^ "Fiber optics". ping-test.net. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  13. ^ McWhan, Denis (February 23, 2012). Sand and Silicon: Science that Changed the World. OUP Oxford. ISBN 9780191627477.
  14. ^ Takajima, Toshi; Kajiwara, K.; McIntyre, J. E. (1994). Advanced Fiber Spinning Technology. Woodhead Publishing. ISBN 9781855731820.
  15. ^ "Technical Reference Handbook 2017" (PDF). JPS Composite Materials.