Quartz fiber

Last updated

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]

Contents

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. Direct-reading dosimeter.jpg
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]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiber</span> Natural or synthetic substance made of long, thin filaments

Fiber or fibre is a natural or artificial substance that is significantly longer than it is wide. Fibers are often used in the manufacture of other materials. The strongest engineering materials often incorporate fibers, for example carbon fiber and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glass fiber</span> Material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass

Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbon fibers</span> Material fibers about 5–10 μm in diameter composed of carbon

Carbon fibers or carbon fibres are fibers about 5 to 10 micrometers (0.00020–0.00039 in) in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. Carbon fibers have several advantages: high stiffness, high tensile strength, high strength to weight ratio, high chemical resistance, high-temperature tolerance, and low thermal expansion. These properties have made carbon fiber very popular in aerospace, civil engineering, military, motorsports, and other competition sports. However, they are relatively expensive compared to similar fibers, such as glass fiber, basalt fibers, or plastic fibers.

Fiberglass or fibreglass is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass cloth. The plastic matrix may be a thermoset polymer matrix—most often based on thermosetting polymers such as epoxy, polyester resin, or vinyl ester resin—or a thermoplastic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silicon carbide</span> Extremely hard semiconductor

Silicon carbide (SiC), also known as carborundum, is a hard chemical compound containing silicon and carbon. A semiconductor, it occurs in nature as the extremely rare mineral moissanite, but has been mass-produced as a powder and crystal since 1893 for use as an abrasive. Grains of silicon carbide can be bonded together by sintering to form very hard ceramics that are widely used in applications requiring high endurance, such as car brakes, car clutches and ceramic plates in bulletproof vests. Large single crystals of silicon carbide can be grown by the Lely method and they can be cut into gems known as synthetic moissanite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyether ether ketone</span> Chemical compound

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a colourless organic thermoplastic polymer in the polyaryletherketone (PAEK) family, used in engineering applications. It was invented in November 1978 and brought to market in the early 1980s by part of Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) that later became Victrex PLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thermosetting polymer</span> Polymer obtained by irreversibly hardening (curing) a resin

In materials science, a thermosetting polymer, often called a thermoset, is a polymer that is obtained by irreversibly hardening ("curing") a soft solid or viscous liquid prepolymer (resin). Curing is induced by heat or suitable radiation and may be promoted by high pressure or mixing with a catalyst. Heat is not necessarily applied externally, and is often generated by the reaction of the resin with a curing agent. Curing results in chemical reactions that create extensive cross-linking between polymer chains to produce an infusible and insoluble polymer network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fused quartz</span> Glass consisting of pure silica

Fused quartz, fused silica or quartz glass is a glass consisting of almost pure silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2) in amorphous (non-crystalline) form. This differs from all other commercial glasses, such as soda-lime glass, lead glass, or borosilicate glass, in which other ingredients are added which change the glasses' optical and physical properties, such as lowering the melt temperature, the spectral transmission range, or the mechanical strength. Fused quartz, therefore, has high working and melting temperatures, making it difficult to form and less desirable for most common applications, but is much stronger, more chemically resistant, and exhibits lower thermal expansion, making it more suitable for many specialized uses such as lighting and scientific applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyacrylonitrile</span> Chemical compound

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is a synthetic, semicrystalline organic polymer resin, with the linear formula (CH2CHCN)n. Almost all PAN resins are copolymers with acrylonitrile as the main monomer. PAN is used to produce large variety of products including ultra filtration membranes, hollow fibers for reverse osmosis, fibers for textiles, and oxidized PAN fibers. PAN fibers are the chemical precursor of very high-quality carbon fiber. PAN is first thermally oxidized in air at 230 °C to form an oxidized PAN fiber and then carbonized above 1000 °C in inert atmosphere to make carbon fibers found in a variety of both high-tech and common daily applications such as civil and military aircraft primary and secondary structures, missiles, solid propellant rocket motors, pressure vessels, fishing rods, tennis rackets and bicycle frames. It is a component repeat unit in several important copolymers, such as styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic.

Fibre-reinforced plastic is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually glass, carbon, aramid, or basalt. Rarely, other fibres such as paper, wood, boron, or asbestos have been used. The polymer is usually an epoxy, vinyl ester, or polyester thermosetting plastic, though phenol formaldehyde resins are still in use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tow (fibre)</span> Coarse and broken fibre

In the textile industry, a tow is a coarse, broken fibre, removed during processing flax, hemp, or jute and separated from the shives. Flax tows are often used as upholstery stuffing and oakum. Tows in general are frequently cut up to produce staple fibre. The very light color of flax tow is the source of the word "towhead", meaning a person with naturally light blond hair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borosilicate glass</span> Glass made of silica and boron trioxide

Borosilicate glass is a type of glass with silica and boron trioxide as the main glass-forming constituents. Borosilicate glasses are known for having very low coefficients of thermal expansion, making them more resistant to thermal shock than any other common glass. Such glass is subjected to less thermal stress and can withstand temperature differentials without fracturing of about 165 °C (300 °F). It is commonly used for the construction of reagent bottles and flasks, as well as lighting, electronics, and cookware.

Filament winding is a fabrication technique mainly used for manufacturing open (cylinders) or closed end structures. This process involves winding filaments under tension over a rotating mandrel. The mandrel rotates around the spindle while a delivery eye on a carriage traverses horizontally in line with the axis of the rotating mandrel, laying down fibers in the desired pattern or angle to the rotational axis. The most common filaments are glass or carbon and are impregnated with resin by passing through a bath as they are wound onto the mandrel. Once the mandrel is completely covered to the desired thickness, the resin is cured. Depending on the resin system and its cure characteristics, often the mandrel is autoclaved or heated in an oven or rotated under radiant heaters until the part is cured. Once the resin has cured, the mandrel is removed or extracted, leaving the hollow final product. For some products such as gas bottles, the 'mandrel' is a permanent part of the finished product forming a liner to prevent gas leakage or as a barrier to protect the composite from the fluid to be stored.

Bulk moulding compound (BMC), bulk moulding composite, or dough moulding compound (DMC), is a ready-to-mold, glass-fiber reinforced thermoset polymer material primarily used in compression moulding, as well as in injection moulding and transfer moulding. Typical applications include demanding electrical applications, corrosion resistant needs, appliance, automotive, and transit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Filler (materials)</span> Particles added to improve its properties

Filler materials are particles added to resin or binders that can improve specific properties, make the product cheaper, or a mixture of both. The two largest segments for filler material use is elastomers and plastics. Worldwide, more than 53 million tons of fillers are used every year in application areas such as paper, plastics, rubber, paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants. As such, fillers, produced by more than 700 companies, rank among the world's major raw materials and are contained in a variety of goods for daily consumer needs. The top filler materials used are ground calcium carbonate (GCC), precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), kaolin, talc, and carbon black. Filler materials can affect the tensile strength, toughness, heat resistance, color, clarity, etc. A good example of this is the addition of talc to polypropylene. Most of the filler materials used in plastics are mineral or glass based filler materials. Particulates and fibers are the main subgroups of filler materials. Particulates are small particles of filler that are mixed in the matrix where size and aspect ratio are important. Fibers are small circular strands that can be very long and have very high aspect ratios.

Polymer engineering is generally an engineering field that designs, analyses, and modifies polymer materials. Polymer engineering covers aspects of the petrochemical industry, polymerization, structure and characterization of polymers, properties of polymers, compounding and processing of polymers and description of major polymers, structure property relations and applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solid</span> State of matter

Solid is one of the four fundamental states of matter along with liquid, gas, and plasma. The molecules in a solid are closely packed together and contain the least amount of kinetic energy. A solid is characterized by structural rigidity and resistance to a force applied to the surface. Unlike a liquid, a solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire available volume like a gas. The atoms in a solid are bound to each other, either in a regular geometric lattice, or irregularly. Solids cannot be compressed with little pressure whereas gases can be compressed with little pressure because the molecules in a gas are loosely packed.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers, carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers, carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic, also known as carbon fiber, carbon composite, or just carbon, are extremely strong and light fiber-reinforced plastics that contain carbon fibers. CFRPs can be expensive to produce, but are commonly used wherever high strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness (rigidity) are required, such as aerospace, superstructures of ships, automotive, civil engineering, sports equipment, and an increasing number of consumer and technical applications.

Polyaryletherketone (PAEK) is a family of semi-crystalline thermoplastics with high-temperature stability and high mechanical strength whose molecular backbone contains alternately ketone (R-CO-R) and ether groups (R-O-R). The linking group R between the functional groups consists of a 1,4-substituted aryl group.

Glass typically has a tensile strength of 7 megapascals (1,000 psi). However, the theoretical upper bound on its strength is orders of magnitude higher: 17 gigapascals (2,500,000 psi). This high value is due to the strong chemical Si–O bonds of silicon dioxide. Imperfections of the glass, such as bubbles, and in particular surface flaws, such as scratches, have a great effect on the strength of glass and decrease it even more than for other brittle materials. The chemical composition of the glass also impacts its tensile strength. The processes of thermal and chemical toughening can increase the tensile strength of glass.

References

  1. Carley, James F. (October 8, 1993). Whittington's Dictionary of Plastics, Third Edition. CRC Press. ISBN   9781566760904.
  2. 1 2 Wang, Ru-Min; Zheng, Shui-Rong; Zheng, Yujun George (July 14, 2011). Polymer Matrix Composites and Technology. Elsevier. ISBN   9780857092229.
  3. 1 2 3 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.