Novel hydrogen-absorbing composition, process for its preparation and use as composition for filling optical fibre cables

Abstract

Composition, characterized in that it comprises a hydrocarbonaceous compound or a mixture of hydrocarbonaceous compounds, a nonzero proportion of one or more transition metals and a nonzero proportion of at least one slightly polar dispersing liquid fatty phase, having one or more hydrocarbonaceous chains, with an HLB of between 0.5 and 9, preferably between 4 and 9. Its process of preparation and its use as composition for filling optical fibre cables.

1 . A composition, comprising a hydrocarbonaceous and/or silicone compound or a mixture of hydrocarbonaceous and/or silicone compounds, a nonzero proportion of one or more transition metals and a nonzero proportion of at least one slightly polar dispersing liquid fatty-phase, having one or more hydrocarbonaceous chains, with an HLB of between 0.5 and 9, wherein one or more metal catalysts are present in an amount up to 5% by weight of said composition, and wherein the metal catalyst is selected from the group consisting of palladium powder, platinum powder, nickel powder, iron pentacarbonyl, chloroplatinic acid, copper chromite, Raney nickel, palladium supported on active charcoal, palladium supported on alumina, platinum supported on alumina, and platinum supported on active charcoal, and 
 wherein a silicone compound is present and said silicone compound is a silicone oil selected from the group consisting of poly(alkylsiloxanes) and poly(dimethyl-siloxanes) with high molecular weights.    
   
   
       2 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises from 50% to 90% by weight of hydrocarbonaceous and/or silicone compound or of mixture of hydrocarbonaceous and/or silicone compounds.  
   
   
       3 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a hydrocarbonaceous compound is present and the hydrocarbonaceous compound is a polymer selected from the group consisting of poly-alpha-olefins, polyisobutene, propylene-ethylene, propylene-butene and propylene-hexene copolymers, propylene-butene-ethylene terpolymers and polybutadienes.  
   
   
       4 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises up to approximately 5% of a viscosifying polymer.  
   
   
       5 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises up to approximately 2% of an antioxidizing agent.  
   
   
       6 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the slightly polar dispersing liquid fatty phase, having one or more hydrocarbonaceous chains, with an HLB of between 0.5 and 9, is liquid at ambient temperature.  
   
   
       7 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said composition comprises from 1% to 20% by weight of dispersing fatty phase.  
   
   
       8 . The composition as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the ratio by weight of the metal catalyst or catalysts to the dispersing fatty phase in the composition is between approximately 0.01 and 0.20.  
   
   
       9 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the dispersing fatty phase is chosen from vegetable oils.  
   
   
       10 . A composition, comprising a hydrocarbonaceous and/or silicone compound or a mixture of hydrocarbonaceous and/or silicone compounds, a nonzero proportion of one or more transition metals and a nonzero proportion of at least one slightly polar dispersing liquid fatty phase, having one or more hydrocarbonaceous chains, with an HLB of between 0.5 and 9, wherein the dispersing fatty phase is selected from the group consisting of methyl esters of vegetable oils, monoglycerides or diglycerides obtained by controlled hydrolysis of vegetable oils, weakly alkoxylated vegetable oils, weakly ethoxylated vegetable oils, propoxylated vegetable oils, ethoxylated vegetable oils comprising from 1 to 10 ethylene oxide units, weakly alkoxylated methyl esters of vegetable oils, weakly ethoxylated and/or propoxylated methyl esters of vegetable oils, and methyl esters of vegetable oils ethoxylated with 1 to 4 ethylene oxides.  
   
   
       11 . The composition as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, maize oil, soybean oil, castor oil, linseed oil, coconut oil, groundnut oil, olive oil, palm oil and hydrogenated palm oil.  
   
   
       12 . The composition as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the dispersing fatty phase is chosen from surface-active agents having an HLB number of between 1 and 9.  
   
   
       13 . The composition as defined in  claim 12 , wherein the dispersing fatty phase is chosen from linear or branched fatty alcohols or fatty acids comprising from 5 to 30 carbon atoms.  
   
   
       14 . The composition as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the dispersing fatty phase is chosen from surface-active agents which are liquid at ambient temperature.  
   
   
       15 . The composition as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the dispersing fatty phase is chosen from optionally weakly alkoxylated surface-active agents comprising an oleyl, oleyl/cetyl, linoleyl or behenyl chain.