Critical issues In The Mechanical Reliability of Lightguide Fibers

In order to guarantee a minimum initial strength, lightguide fibers are proof-tested. However, the strength of these fibers is known to depend on time (due to fatigue and aging) and this time-dependence must be taken into account in the calculation of fiber lifetimes. While hermetic coatings can be applied to eliminate strength degradation with time, they are rarely used. It is thus necessary to understand the time-dependent behavior well enough to ensure a desired lifetime (without an excessive and costly safety factor), or alternatively, it is necessary to validate a fundamental strength limit. This paper discusses the progress that has been made on issues related to such fiber lifetime predictions. In particular, it is pointed out that the possible variations in flaw character and coating chemistry make simple generalizations difficult and require that fundamental understandings be developed.