Calculation of photopolymerization energy required for optical fiber coating

The UV flux density required for photopolymerization is calculated, primarily based on an estimation of the overall system efficiency and the activation energy of the photoinitiator added to the prepolymer solution. We found that there is a linear relationship between the flux density and coating speed. The experimental results support the relation. Furthermore, it is noted that full curing has been achieved at speeds >5 m/sec with the 10-kW output power. The 10-kW system delivers 1.5 kW of UV power in the 300-400-nm spectral range.