Thvp 2030gz

Polycarbonate (PC) granulate (Sabic Lexan 103R, RI = 1.58) was purchased from Lenorplastics AG (Aesch, Switzerland); the terpolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, and vinylidene fluoride (THVP) granulate (THVP 2030GZ, RI = 1.35) was purchased from 3M Deutschland GmbH (Seefeld, Germany). Luminescent dyes, Lumogen Red LR305 and Lumogen Yellow LY083, were provided by BASF Schweiz AG (Basel, Switzerland). Their normalized absorption and emission spectra, measured for 0.001 wt.% solutions in acetone, are presented in Figure 1. All materials were used without further purification. For weaving of sample fabrics, a plain polyamide 6.6 (PA 6.6) monofilament with 100 µm diameter, provided by Monosuisse AG (Emmen, Switzerland), was used as warp yarn.

Several thermoplastic polymers are suitable and commercially available [39 ,40 (link)] for a PL-POF core. We have chosen the cycloolefin (COP) polymer, which was previously identified as the best host material for a specific photoluminescent dye, Lumogen Red 305 (LR305), as the formation of dye aggregates is less pronounced in this material [15 (link)]. COP granulates (Zeonor 1020R, refractive index 1.53) were purchased from Zeon Europe GmbH, Düsseldorf, Germany. The photoluminescent dye, LR305 (BASF, Basel, Switzerland), was added to the COP core at a concentration of 0.01 wt.%. The terpolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene and vinylidene fluoride polymer (THVP), has become a common choice for the sheath material of melt-processed POFs [12 (link),15 (link),29 (link),31 (link)]. THVP is characterized by good transparency, low RI, good melt-spinnability, and semi-crystallinity [41 (link)]. THVP granulates (THVP 2030GZ, RI = 1.35) were purchased from 3M GmbH, Rüschlikon, Switzerland. Acetone and methoxyperfluorobutane were purchased from Sigma Aldrich, Buchs, Switzerland, in order to remove the sheath for subsequent studies of the optical and structural properties of the core material. All materials were used as provided without purification.