Bufferlite® UV-Curable Tight Buffer Materials

DSM offers the most complete line of UV-curable tight buffer materials in the marketplace.  Whether you're looking for a pigmented flame retardant buffer, or a clear inner or outer buffer, DSM can help meet your premise cable needs.

Unmatched Design Flexibility
Unlike thermoplastic buffers, UV-curable Bufferlite® materials can be easily applied onto optical fiber in a wide range of thicknesses—with minimal effect on attenuation of both single mode and multi-mode fibers.

Fast Processing
Processing line speeds can be run as fast as 900 meters per minute and, best of all, existing UV-inking equipment can be utilized with only minor modifications required.

DSM offers three series of Bufferlite® UV-curable tight buffer materials, each designed for a specific cabling need:

Introduced to the marketplace in 2003, these halogen-free, lead-free, flame-retardant materials are proving a valuable alternative to traditional thermoplastic buffers.  Bufferlite® 3000 resins are low-smoke, zero halogen materials which pass both UL 1685 smoke and UL 1666 flame propagation testing.  They can be easily processed at any range of thickness, from 500 microns to 900 microns, at line speeds up to 900 meters per minute, with minimal effect on attenuation.  Available in 12 distinct colors.

Bufferlite® clear outer buffers are halogen-free, lead-free materials that can be used to upjacket fibers directly to 900μm at line speeds of greater than 600 meters per minute.  Colored fibers can be easily identified through these optically clear coatings.  Bufferlite® 2000 series materials provide excellent strippability to tight buffered fibers, thus reducing installation times.

Bufferlite® clear inner buffers are soft, flexible materials that can be used to upjacket fiber up to 500 microns and allow for overcoating with a tough UV-curable or thermoplastic outer layer.  These materials allow for improved attenuation and strippability performance of thermoplastic-coated tight buffered fibers.

To learn more about Bufferlite® UV-curable tight buffers or to request a sample, please contact one of the following DSM Functional Materials Sales Directors:

In the Americas: Mr. John Sellers

In Europe, Africa & the Middle East: Mr. Ad Abel

In Asia-Pacific:  Mr. Weber Lin