In this paper we present significant progress on the fabrication of small-core lead-silicate holey fibers. The glass used in this work is SF57, a commercially available, highly nonlinear Schott glass. We report the fabrication of small core SF57 fibers with a loss as low as 2.6 dB/m at 1550 nm, and the fabrication of fibers with a nonlinear coefficient as high as 640 W-1km-1. We demonstrate the...

In the current study cerium or galliumcontaining silicate based 13-93 bioactive glass powders were prepared using sol-gel method. Cerium and gallium ions were chosen due to their well-known therapeutic actions and antimicrobial properties. Effect of cerium and gallium substitution (up to 5w%) on the in vitro bioactivity, and mechanical properties of the prepared powders and scaffolds were asses...

1. Abstract Natural fibers are being increasingly used to substitute artificial glass and carbon fibers in polymer composites. It is important to know how the mechanical properties of these natural fiber composites compare with those of the traditional glass and carbon fiber composites. Glass and carbon fiber composites are currently being used in many applications that may not require such hig...

A solid freeform fabrication technique, freeze extrusion fabrication (FEF), was investigated for the creation of three-dimensional bioactive glass (13-93) scaffolds with pre-designed porosity and pore architecture. An aqueous mixture of bioactive glass particles and polymeric additives with a paste-like consistency was extruded through a narrow nozzle, and deposited layer-by-layer in a cold env...

The term “glass fiber” as used here refers to any rigid, vitreous fiber, mineral or organic. “Glass” is a physically defined state of matter and not a product with a specific chemical composition. To cause health complaints it must be large enough to be trapped by the upper respiratory system. Crystalline fibers, such as the asbestos minerals and other fibrous minerals and vitreous fibers that ...

Composite materials can be defined as a combination of two or more materials that results in better properties than those of the individual components used alone. These materials have high strength and stiffness combined with low density compared to the conventional metals. Polymers are structurally more complex than metals. Polymer – matrix composites are viscoelastic materials and their mecha...

The filters in Eclipse, a new cigarette-like smoking article marketed by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, are contaminated with glass fibers, fragments, and particles. Reported herein are the results of a study in which consumers were questioned about their opinions as to whether exposure to glass fibers in such a filter poses an added health risk beyond that from smoking and whether the manufac...

There is abundant epidemiologic evidence that asbestos fibers can cause lung fibrosis (asbestosis), bronchial cancer, and mesothelioma in humans, as well as limited evidence for such effects in workers exposed to slag and rockwool fibers. Epidemiological evidence for human disease from inhalation exposures to conventional fibrous glass is negative. While health concerns based on the morphologic...

Hydroxyapatite (HA) has been widely investigated as scaffolding material for bone tissue engineering, mainly for its excellent biocompatibility. Presently, there is an increasing interest in the composites of hydroxyapatite with bioactive glasses, with the aim to obtain systems with improved bioactivity or mechanical properties. Moreover, modifying the ratio between bioactive glass and hydroxya...