Lifetime of Optical Fibers Submitted to Thermo-Mechanical Stresses

The reliability and the expected lifetime of optical fibers used in telecommunication technologies are closely related to the thermo-mechanical and chemical environment actions on silica network. To ensure the long-term mechanical strength of the optical fibers, a polymer coating is applied onto fibre surface during fiber fabrication. The coating protective action includes several functions, such as: to protect glass fiber from any external damage, to limit chemical attack, in particular those of water and temperature.