What is Anti-Rodent, Anti-Termite, Anti-Birds Optical Fiber Cable?
The anti-rodent fiber optic cable is suitable for use in many places with lots of rats. The cable is made of special material and has a special structure. Its special material prevents communication interruption caused by fiber damage in the cable. In different installation environments, the structure of the anti-rat optical cable will also be different. For example, optical cables are laid in pipes, usually with steel tape or (and) Nylon sheaths to prevent rodents. If the optical cable is laid overhead, glass yarn or FRP armor is usually used and the structure is mostly non-metallic.
Features and Benefits
● High tensile strength, rat-bite prevention, temperature performance
● Loose tube filled with special ointment for key fiber protection
● Water-blocking structure to ensure good water-blocking and moisture resistance, corrosion resistance,UV resistant
● Small diameter, lightweight, flexible, and easy installation
Applications
Anti-rodent cables are used in outdoor, direct buried, duct, overhead, pipeline installations, core networks, metropolitan area networks (MAN), access networks, lightning and anti-electric field, long-distance communication, local trunk line,CATV, etc.
Cable Types:
Generally, the types of anti-rodent cable are GYXTW53, and GYTA53, GYFTY53, GYFTY73, GYFTY33, Etc.
The methods of anti-rodent:
Chemical methods It is the addition of a spiciness to the sheath of the optical cable. When rodents bite on the sheath, the spiciness can strongly stimulate the oral mucosa and taste nerves of rodents, causing them to give up biting. The chemical properties of spiciness are relatively stable, but when the optical cable is used in long-term outdoor environments, the spiciness will gradually leak out of the sheath due to factors such as water solubility, making it difficult to ensure the long-term rodent prevention effect of the optical cable.
Steel armor It is to apply a hard metal reinforcement layer or armor layer (hereinafter referred to as the armor layer) outside the core of the optical cable, making it difficult for rats to bite through the armor layer, thus achieving the purpose of protecting the cable core. Metal armor is a conventional manufacturing process for optical cables, and the manufacturing cost of optical cables using armor protection method is not much different from that of ordinary optical cables. Therefore, currently, anti-rodent optical cables mainly use armor protection method.
Glass Yarn It is to add a layer of glass yarn or FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics) between the inner and outer protective layers of the optical cable, as shown in Figure 2. Due to the extremely fine and brittle nature of glass fibers, the shattered glass debris during rodent biting can damage the rodent’s oral cavity, causing fear of optical cables.
How to choose an anti-rodent fiber optic cable?
The Mohs hardness of rodent incisors can reach 3.0-5.5, with the highest being close to stainless steel. According to the research results of Belden, a Dutch company, steel wires and strips have the highest effectiveness in rodent prevention, at around 95%. The schematic diagram of the effectiveness of optical cable armor in rodent prevention is as follows.
Here are some suggestions:
Direct Bury applications
Usually, GYTA53 is a good choice. while sandy soil areas where Frequent rodent activity happened，GYTS53 will work better.
Duct Applications
Generally, GYTS has good rodent prevention ability; But for the applications in the wild where rodents are very active, GYTS53 is more suitable.
Aerial Applications
Usually, glass yarn or FRP armor is a good choice for aerial applications. It is mostly non-metallic, light weight. But still some people choose GYTS for its better anti-rodent ability. Even choose GYTS53 used in the wild where frequent rodent activity happened. It is heavy but it has excellent anti-rodent ability.