Helium recovery good for fibre makers
9 Jan 2002
BOC has patented a new helium recovery system that aims to reduce the cost of manufacturing optical fibres.
The demand for helium in fibre optics is substantial and growing rapidly. Fibre optic production consumes about 15% of the helium on the market, and demand is expected to increase significantly in future years.
However, the supply of helium, which is extracted as a by-product from natural gas, is nearly sold out and no significant new supply sources are expected until at least 2004. The result is that the price of helium is increasing steeply; correspondingly, optical fibre manufacturers are incurring higher operating costs, according to BOC.
To produce fibres, a silica preform is lowered into a furnace situated at the top of a draw tower. As the silica softens and melts, a thin strand of fibre is drawn from the preform, and rapidly cooled in a flow of helium before it is coated with a resin for extra strength.
BOC's new technology recovers helium from the cooling tower and recycles it to the plant for re-use. The technology was first demonstrated in Australia in 1998 and has subsequently been evaluated at fibre optic production sites in China, Taiwan and the United States.
