Fiber optic sensors are widely used in industrial, medical, communication, environmental monitoring, and other fields due to their high sensitivity, resistance to electromagnetic interference, and corrosion resistance. As a key component of fiber optic sensors, quartz rods have unique physical and chemical properties that can significantly improve the performance of sensors.

Basic characteristics of quartz rod

Quartz rod (quartz glass rod) is an optical material made of high-purity silicon dioxide (SiO ₂), which has the following excellent characteristics:

1. High transmittance: It has extremely high transmittance in the ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelength range (200nm-2000nm) and is suitable for transmitting optical signals of various wavelengths.  

2. Low thermal expansion coefficient: Good thermal stability, not easily deformed in high temperature environments, ensuring the long-term stability of the sensor.  

3. High chemical stability: acid resistant, alkali resistant, corrosion-resistant, suitable for harsh environments such as chemical and marine monitoring.  

4. High mechanical strength: High hardness, strong impact resistance, can improve the durability of the sensor.  

5. Low optical loss: reduces the attenuation of optical signals during transmission and improves sensing accuracy.  

These characteristics make quartz rods an ideal material for fiber optic sensors.  

The application advantages of quartz rod in fiber optic sensors

1. Improve sensing accuracy and stability

-Low optical loss: Quartz rods have extremely low optical loss, which can reduce signal attenuation and improve the measurement accuracy of sensors.  

-Temperature stability: Quartz has an extremely small coefficient of thermal expansion and can maintain stable optical performance even under temperature changes, making it suitable for high-precision temperature sensing.  

Problem solved: Traditional metal or plastic materials are prone to deformation during temperature changes, leading to measurement errors, while quartz rods can effectively avoid this problem.  

2. Enhance anti-interference ability

-Anti electromagnetic interference (EMI): Quartz is an insulating material that is not affected by electromagnetic fields and is suitable for strong electromagnetic environments such as power systems and medical equipment.  

-Chemical corrosion resistance: Quartz rods will not fail due to acid-base or salt spray corrosion in corrosive environments such as chemical, petroleum, and marine environments.  

Problem solved: Metal sensors are prone to failure in strong electromagnetic or corrosive environments, while quartz rods can work stably for a long time.  

3. Suitable for extreme environments

-High temperature resistance: Quartz rods have a melting point of up to 1700 ° C and can be used for high-temperature sensing (such as metallurgy, aerospace).  

-Radiation resistance: In the nuclear industry or space applications, quartz rods can resist high-energy radiation and maintain sensing performance.  

Problem solved: Ordinary fiber optic materials are prone to aging in high temperature or radiation environments, while quartz rods can work reliably for a long time.  

4. Improve mechanical strength and durability

-High hardness: The Mohs hardness of the quartz rod reaches level 7, with strong wear resistance, suitable for industrial environments with high vibration and friction.  

-Impact resistance: Compared to ordinary glass fiber, quartz rods are less prone to breakage, improving the service life of sensors.  

Problem solved: Traditional optical fibers are prone to mechanical impact damage, while quartz rods can withstand higher strength physical impacts.  

5. Flexible design and integration

-Strong processability: Quartz rods can be pulled to produce optical fibers of different diameters, suitable for various sensor structure designs.  

-Compatible with multiple sensing technologies: can be used for various fiber optic sensors such as fiber Bragg grating (FBG), distributed sensing (DTS), fluorescence sensing, etc.  

Problem solved: Different application scenarios require different sensor structures, and the flexibility of quartz rods enables them to adapt to various needs.  

Typical Applications of Quartz Rod Fiber Optic Sensors

1. Industrial monitoring

-Temperature sensing: used for monitoring high-temperature environments such as power equipment and metallurgical furnaces.  

-Strain sensing: applied to health monitoring of bridges and building structures.  

2. Medical field

-Endoscopy and laser surgery: The high transparency and biocompatibility of quartz rods make them suitable for medical fiber optic equipment.  

-Biochemical sensing: used for blood analysis, DNA testing, etc.  

3. Environmental and safety monitoring

-Oil and gas pipeline monitoring: corrosion-resistant, high-pressure resistant, suitable for oil and gas leak detection.  

-Earthquake and geological monitoring: using distributed fiber optic sensing (DTS) to monitor crustal movement.  

4. Military and Aerospace

-Missile guidance fiber: resistant to high temperatures and radiation, suitable for extreme environments.  

-Drones and satellite sensing: lightweight, high reliability, suitable for space applications.  

Quartz rods play a crucial role in fiber optic sensors due to their excellent properties such as high transparency, high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and electromagnetic interference resistance. It not only improves the accuracy and stability of sensors, but also enables them to adapt to extreme environments, solving the application problems of traditional sensors in industrial, medical, military and other fields.

Luverre Quartz manufactures and sells a wide range of high quality quartz glass, including quartz tubes, quartz plates, quartz rods, quartz windows, quartz crucibles, quartz boats, quartz flanges, quartz beakers, quartz glass instruments, and more. We can meet all kinds of customized requirements for quartz glass products.