News Article

Tetramer Receives National Science Foundation Grant To Develop Optical Fiber Coatings
Date: Nov 09, 2013
Author: press release
Source: Company Data ( click here to go to the source)

Featured firm in this article: Tetramer Technologies LLC of Pendleton, SC



Tetramer has received NSF funding under an SBIR grant (IIP-1330948) to develop and commercialize high-temperature, highly processable optical fiber coatings. These coatings which will be sold under the name Tetrimide™ Tetramer anticipates that the polymers developed in this project will have performance characteristics not currently available in fiber coatings and will enable operation at temperatures above 300 °C.

Tetrimide™ coatings have potential to impact a wide variety of markets. Down-hole fiber sensors with Tetrimide™ will proved improved temperature monitoring in both oil and geothermal wells by allowing longer measurement periods at higher temperature. Improved monitoring of well conditions can allow for increased oil production and improve geologists accuracy when attempting to locate new wells.

In the avionics sector, optical fibers which are coated with Tetrimide™ can exhibit improved processing. While current fiber coatings must be removed with hot sulfuric acid, TetrimideTMcan be safely removed with mechanical strippers or solvents such as nail polish remover.

Tetramer has already begun sampling materials to customers for testing and plans to begin selling materials in the next 2 years.