Optical fibres: atomic spectroscopic methods for the determination of fluoride glasses composition

Three different methods for the evaluation of the composition of optical fi bres employed in long distance telecommunications have been developed. Such fibres are obtained from fluoride glasses containing very low impurity lev els. The developed methods are based on inductively coupled plasma atomic e mission spectrometry coupled with: 1. wet chemical dissolution; 2. alkali fusion; 3. direct solid slurry sampling. The procedures are compared with reference to the optimization of sample pr eparation, loss of components after sublimation, normalization with standar ds, accuracy, precision. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved .