CHARACTERIZATION OF POLYIMIDE-COATED OPTICAL FIBERS

Optical fiber coatings play an important role in fiber strength, fatigue, and attenuation. Polyimide coatings on optical fiber are in growing demand because of their excellent high-temperature properties. Mechanical and optical characterizations of polymide-coated optical fibers were carried out at different temperatures. The strength was virtually unchanged at room temperature and at 300-degrees-C in air. Fatigue parameters (n values) were greater than 30 when tested in water at 80-degrees-C. Optical attenuation was unchanged when the fibers were tested at 340-degrees-C for 48 h. When the fibers were subjected to -40-degrees-C to +70-degrees-C temperature cycling, the change in attenuation was less than 0.1 dB/km at 850 nm.