Fabrication of Optically Transparent Sicaon Fiber Reinforced Glass Matrix Composites

Processing and characterisation of model optomechanical composites in the system sapphire fibre/borosilicate glass matrix

“…mirror supports for telescopes) and optical applications (e.g. impact resistant windows, structures for micro fluidics) [4,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. In particular, composites exhibiting favourable optical and mechanical properties are called «optomechanical composites» [18], which are the focus of the present work.…”

“…A few experimental investigations aiming at producing optomechanical composites with technical applications have been carried out, specially in Japan [17][18][19][20]24], in Germany [15,16,23] and in the UK [22], yet research in this field remains still rather limited, which has thus motivated the present experimental study.…”

“…Finally, the strength of bonding at the interface between fibres and matrix is an important parameter since it has a large influence on the mechanical behaviour of the final composites, as it is the case in all brittle matrix composites [2][3][4]. In addition to these requirements, matching of the fibre and matrix refractive indices is also necessary to avoid (or minimise) light scattering, and thus to obtain a transparent or at least a translucent material [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. Another possible option to obtain transparent composites is to include optical windows by a relatively large spacing of the reinforcing fibres in the matrix [18], in a similar way as in the traditional material wired glass.…”

“…The main difficulty in the development of optomechanical composites is the requirement of being able to improve the mechanical and optical properties simultaneously [18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. Indeed, most glass matrix composite materials developed to date are not optically transparent, or even translucent, because of the type of reinforcements used (e.g.…”

Oxide Fiber Reinforced Glass: a Challenge to New Composites

“…Owing to the modulus ratio, the reinforcing effect of the optical fiber is negligible. Kangutkar et al [15] published results of investigations for transparent glass fiber/glass matrix composites. They used SiCaON fibers and a special matrix glass developed for this purpose.…”