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New specialized grades of ECCOH from PolyOne Corp., Avon Lake, Ohio, reportedly offer enhanced chemical resistance and improved productivity for optical fiber cables (OFC). With processing speeds up to 1000m/minute (3280.84 ft./min) and a much lower melting point than PBT (a traditional OFC jacketing material), these new ECCOH grades—crosslinkable polyolefin-based formulations, have been shown to enable faster processing and reduced energy use during manufacturing. In addition, they maintain performance at reduced wall thickness and are easily colorable.

The two new grades, ECCOH LSFOH 6153 UV and 6154 UV are intended primarily for gel-filled loose tubes, micro-modules, and tight buffered applications. Applicable for dry as well as wet applications, these materials offer excellent chemical and UV resistance, and are compatible with a variety of filling compounds and gels used to protect optical fibers. These grades extend PolyOne’s low smoke, fume, zero halogen portfolio, which is focused on applications where smoke mitigation is of particular concern, including communication and data cables.

Holger Kronimus, PolyOne’s specialty engineered materials general manager general manager said, “As the market for optical fiber cable continues to grow, we are committed to providing innovative material solutions that help customers meet their challenges. With improved processability, reduced energy use, and lower minimum wall thickness, these new materials are an ideal alternative to PBT in gel-filled stranded loose tube optical fiber applications.”