New test method for determining the water sensitivity of optical fiber coatings

Chander P. Chawla; Timothy E. Bishop; David M. Szum; Kevin P. Murray

doi:10.1117/12.55858

1 June 1991 New test method for determining the water sensitivity of optical fiber coatings

Chander P. Chawla, Timothy E. Bishop, David M. Szum, Kevin P. Murray

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 30, Issue 6, (June 1991). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.55858

Abstract

Low water sensitivity optical fiber coatings protect optical waveguides from the damaging effects of moisture on static fatigue. The standard test method used to determine the water sensitivity of UV-curable optical fiber coatings does not give a realistic measure of a coating's water sensitivity. The maximum absorption can be reached before 24 h, the extraction continues even after 24 h, and sample pre- and postconditioning greatly influence the results. In the proposed new test method, a number of weight change measurements of samples immersed in water are made as a function of time. Because of the dynamic nature of the test, a more realistic understanding of the water sensitivity of optical fiber coatings is obtained. The effect of different pre- and postconditioning environments is investigated and a recommendation for the best method is made.

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Chander P. Chawla, Timothy E. Bishop, David M. Szum, and Kevin P. Murray "New test method for determining the water sensitivity of optical fiber coatings," Optical Engineering 30(6), (1 June 1991). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.55858

Published: 1 June 1991

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