Abstract

The mechanical characteristics of optical silica glass fiber have been investigated intensively. In previous studies, the failure stress of coated fibers was shown to decrease by aging in solutions.^1,2 The failure stress change is thought to be especially large in alkaline solution because the flaw growth velocity is larger than in neutral water.³ In the present work, optical silica glass fiber with high resistance to alkaline solution was obtained by coating the fiber with polyetherimide instead of the conventional coating materials, UV-curable resins or nylon.

© 1989 Optical Society of America