Evaluation of the Strength of Optical Fibers after Removal of the Primary Protective Reinforcing Coating by Various Methods

To date, there has been observed widespread use of telecommunication optical fiber in sensor systems. The use of optical fiber in a number of applications requires the removal of the primary reinforcing protective coating. There are different ways to clean the optical fiber, but it is obvious that any method of removing the coating leads to a decrease in its strength. The article presents the results of a study of the tensile strength of an optical fiber after removing the protective coating in three of the most common ways. Fiber samples were tested after removal of the coating by a standard mechanical method – using a stripper, by a chemical method – using methylene chloride and laser cleaning on a numerically controlled installation. It is shown that the chemical method of removing the protective coating provides the least reduction in the strength of the optical fiber.