What is the difference between FRP and KFRP for the center reinforcement of optical fiber cables and drop cables?

The differences between FRP and KFRP are as follows:

FRP, Fiber Reinforced Polymer, is an abbreviation for Fiber Reinforced Polymer. Outdoor optical cables commonly use FRP as the central reinforcement. With the increasing use of drop cables, in addition to FRP, KFRP is also used as the central reinforcement.

FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) has the following characteristics:

(1) Lightweight and High Strength

Its relative density is between 1.5 and 2.0, only 1/4 to 1/5 that of carbon steel, yet its tensile strength is close to, or even exceeds, that of carbon steel, and its specific strength is comparable to that of high-grade alloy steel. Therefore, it is effective in applications such as aviation, rockets, spacecraft, high-pressure vessels, and other products requiring weight reduction. Some epoxy FRPs can achieve tensile, flexural, and compressive strengths of up to 400 MPa.

(2) Good Performance

FRP is a good corrosion-resistant material, exhibiting good resistance to atmosphere, water, and common concentrations of acids, alkalis, salts, and various oils and solvents. It has been applied to various aspects of chemical corrosion protection and is replacing carbon steel, stainless steel, wood, and non-ferrous metals.

(3) Good Electrical Properties

It is an excellent insulating material used to manufacture insulators. It maintains good dielectric properties even at high frequencies. It has good microwave permeability and has been used in radar radomes, etc.

KFRP (Polyester Aramid Fiber)

Aramid fiber reinforced optical cable core (KFRP) is a new type of high-performance non-metallic optical cable reinforcing core used in access networks.

Lightweight and High-Strength

Aramid fiber reinforced optical cable cores have low density and high strength; their specific strength and specific modulus far exceed those of steel wire and glass fiber reinforced optical cable cores.

Low Expansion

Aramid fiber reinforced optical cable cores have a lower coefficient of linear expansion than steel wire and glass fiber reinforced optical cable cores over a wide temperature range.

Impact and Fracture Resistance

Aramid fiber reinforced optical cable cores possess tensile strength (≥1700MPa) and are impact-resistant and fracture-resistant; even after breakage, they retain a tensile strength of approximately 1300MPa.

Good Flexibility

Aramid fiber reinforced optical cable cores are lightweight and flexible, easily bent, with a minimum bending diameter of 24 times the cable diameter. This results in a compact, aesthetically pleasing indoor optical cable structure with excellent bending performance, making it particularly suitable for cabling in complex indoor environments.