Buffer (optical fiber)

{{Short description|Protective layer covering an optical fiber}}

{{for|the device capable of storing light|Optical buffer}}

{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2021}}

In a fiber optic cable, a buffer is one type of component used to encapsulate one or more optical fibers for the purpose of providing such functions as mechanical isolation, protection from physical damage and fiber identification.

The buffer may take the form of a miniature conduit, contained within the cable and called a "loose buffer", or "loose buffer tube". A loose buffer may contain more than one fiber, and sometimes contains a lubricating gel. A "tight buffer" consists of a polymer coating in intimate contact with the primary coating applied to the fiber during manufacture.

Buffer application methods include spraying, dipping, extrusion and electrostatic methods. Materials used to create buffers can include fluoropolymers such as polyvinylidene fluoride (Kynar), polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), or polyurethane.{{cite book |title=Fiber optics standard dictionary |last=Weik |first=Martin H. |year=1997 |publisher= Birkhäuser |location=Berlin |isbn= 0-412-12241-3 }}