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Preparing glass fiber optic fibers for Ni-P/Au

Can anyone recommend a process for plating electroless nickel and gold onto glass fiber optic fibers?

Thanks,

Ken Rosenblum
finishing shop - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Optic fibers are vacuum metallized first to impart conductivity to the surface and then aqueous plated.

Mandar Sunthankar
- Fort Collins, Colorado

Does the glass have to be vacuum metalized? Is there an aqueous process to perform metalization?

Ken Rosenblum
finishing shop - Minneapolis, Minnesota

All the optical fiber metallizing in the optics industry that I know of is done with vacuum metallization and not aqueous. I'm sure there is a way to activate the surface with an aqueous solution it all depends on what part of the fiber you are metallizing. If it you are metallizing the core or cladding you will need an activation method for SiO2 or a similar ceramic (at least for most telecom fibers). If it is the shielding,you will need an activation method for PVC or polyimide. Maybe someone can suggest a method for those specific materials.

John Davis
- Berthoud, Colorado, USA

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