PDD/PDT—Recent advances in the head and neck

Abstract

There are a lot of different possibilities to manufacture polymer optical fibres. Regarding the final application, such as data transmission, lighting, or sensors, and the requirements concerning the polymer optical fibres, it is distinguished between step-index polymer optical fibres and graded-index polymer optical fibres. This chapter briefly summarizes the existing manufacturing techniques for step-index and graded-index polymer optical fibres and compares the advantages and the disadvantages of each process. At first the discontinuous manufacturing techniques for polymer optical fibres are discussed. These include preform production, heat drawing and batch extrusion. Finally the continuous manufacturing techniques are discussed. These include continuous extrusion, photochemical polymerization, co-extrusion, dry-spinning, melt-spinning and a modified melt-spinning process for the production of graded-index polymer optical fibres.